Why students start a language + drop it
Most university language sequences are 4 semesters (~A2-B1 by end). Then summer hits. Then no more formal classes if you didn't major. Most students drop the language entirely; the 2-3 years of work disappears within 2-3 years of disuse. Brown's Russian Club wanted to prevent that for their members.
The continuous-cohort solution
12 students signed up for a year-round Russian cohort via Koydo — 60-min weekly cohort + 30-min weekly individual tutoring. The cohort ran during summer, winter break, and study-abroad semesters. Students who were abroad joined remotely; students at home base joined locally. The cohort was the through-line.
Year-end results
9 of 12 reached B2 Russian by end of year 1. 3 of 12 plateau'd at B1 (typical adult plateau). 7 students went on to: study abroad in Russia-adjacent universities (Helsinki, Tallinn), work for Russian-speaking organizations in the US, or apply to graduate programs requiring Russian. None would have stayed without the continuous cohort.
Why continuity mattered
The 3-month gap of summer is what kills most undergraduate language progress. A continuous cohort closes that gap. Students described the Saturday cohort as 'the thing I look forward to' — not because Russian is easy, but because the social accountability + shared progress with peers built a kind of secondary friend group.