Make sure you have a warm coat. Class is at 9 am on a MoWeFr schedule and is always held outside unless there is inclement weather. Expect to get through 10±2 chapters of the textbook. Homework is assigned from the textbook every day and reviewed the next day as a class before turning it in. Although you *can* find PDFs of the textbook from legally dubious sources, I highly recommend just buying the physical copy as you will constantly be referencing it.

Sanskrit is definitely more grammatically complex than languages like Hindi, so be prepared to memorize memorize memorize. 8 cases, 3 genders, and 3 numbers for nouns. 3 persons, 3 numbers, 3 tenses, and 10 classes of verbs. IMO, completing the assignments and participating in class is insufficient to learn this language. You practically *have* to do some of the extra exercises in the textbook. The assignments are not so much difficult as they are numerous and a time sink. NOTHING is online (not assignments nor any form of gradebook) so keep that in mind. 3 take home exams (2 midterms, 1 final) comprise 75% of your grade.

Overall an interesting language and unique professor to talk to, but I would NOT recommend taking this class.

This professor is amazing and so knowledgeable!! This department is highly underrated. Please take Sanskrit! This beautiful language will change your life!!

Professor Hueckstedt is an excellent professor and I would highly recommend this class if you are at all interested in Sanskrit. Obviously a class like this only appeals to a few people, but I would suggest taking this if you are interested in linguistics, South Asian history and culture, or if you're too hipster for Latin and Greek. The language is certainly difficult, but the textbook is very good with lots of videos made by the author online, and the professor does an excellent job of explaining everything. There are relatively few graded homeworks, but there is usually a vocab quiz once or twice a week. Most classes are spent either introducing more material, or practicing translation with exercises from the book that you are expected to have completed but are not graded on. There was one take home closed book midterm and a final. Overall I would highly recommend this class. The professor really loves what he does, and will impart some of that love for Sanskrit onto you!

A great introduction to a difficult language. Hueckstedt is a solid foreign language teacher with plenty of experience. SANS 1010 mostly just makes you excited to tackle the advanced literatures with Hueckstedt in semesters to come.