I'm about to take a Japanese class...

I would like to know if there is anything I should know, do, learn or prepare for before I take it. Or, is there anything I should particularly take notes on or look out for while taking the class. Also, for the people who have already taken classes and who are now fluent, how long did it take you to become fluent? I hear many people say that it takes or took them 5 years or so to get it somewhat mastered. One last thing, is it really better to learn Japanese by speaking it?

The best way to prepare is to start learning hiragana and katakana, the phonetic writing alphabets. Get away from romaji as soon as you can.
I hear many people say that it takes or took them 5 years or so to get it somewhat mastered.
Some gifted people manage to do it quicker, but most people never manage to get fluent although they can have normal conversations and get around in Japan without any trouble. I guess it depends on your definition of "fluent." :-)
One last thing, is it really better to learn Japanese by speaking it?
It all depends on how you learn yourself the easiest way, our brains are all different; however, it is very likely that you will mainly be speaking the language and you should probably focus on that, but again, that is completely dependent on what your aim is. Do you have any experience learning a foreign language? That experience will help a lot.

Hello, I've been taking Japanese for about two years now. A little more. Anyways. I found what helped me the most is actually going to Japan and learning Japanese there... whether this is in your ability, i'm not sure.

What i did find helpful before my experiences was, yes, learning hiragana and katakana asap. No more romaji as soon you begin learning. Teach yourself the basic kanji too.

I learn the best by speaking Japanese. But others learn easily just by watching Japanese TV/movies or listening to Japanese music constantly. That has never helped me, until recently when i could learn new phrases through the subtitles. But the most you use/listen to Japanese, the better you'll be, just like any new language or word in English.
I suggest finding a Japanese conversation partner, if you can. If not, a Japanese pen pal? That can help your reading and writing.

If you want to learn to speak Japanese, you will only acquire fluency if you spend a lot of time speaking and listening. On the other hand, if you want to be able to read Japanese, you need to spend a great deal of time learning kanji.

Japanese is fairly different from English in this respect. Some people can speak Japanese fluently but not read it at all. Others can read fluently but are at a loss with the spoken language.

Most classes try to balance reading, speaking, and listening, but ultimately it's up to you what you learn. Do everything the teacher recommends but try not to limit yourself to that.

I think most people give up before they really get very good at Japanese. Very few people can acquire functional ability (let alone fluency) in less than four or five years of fairly diligent effort. (Intensive full-time study in Japan brings faster results, of course.)

Don't worry too much about how to prepare for the class. Just start taking it and things will happen naturally. Just try to enjoy it, and don't worry about how long it takes to become fluent.

Thanks for your answers. I'm pretty nervous about taking the class because it's a college level and I'm in high school, so thanks.

^.^