Submitted by Marina Ward on the 2019 spring semester DIS program in Copenhagen, Denmark…
I wanted to go to Copenhagen because it seemed like the coolest city ever, and it is. There are castles around every corner, beautiful feats of architecture, tiny pubs and jazz clubs, so many historical sites, and unique characteristics that set it aside from other European cities. There’s an amusement park downtown, in case you needed more proof that it’s one of the neatest places to be! (Aside: I think my vocabulary for the past week has been 90% comprised of “so cool,” “interesting,” “you’re kidding,” and “wow, that’s neat” because everything is!!) People here treat each other so well and have an interesting take on life because of their roots in the socialist agenda. I was hoping to learn about infrastructure here—how to pack up some things to take back to the U.S. for a little damage control—but let me tell you, this stuff would never fly with our contemporary American Dream, nor in most places. It’s no wonder Denmark can be perceived as a utopian society (definitely a separate post).
Why did I come here alone? I don’t like to follow the group. Not trying to be a fun, quirky girl here, it’s just a fact. I am ferociously independent and have no fear of being on my own. Yes, it was hard at first, but I’ve connected with a small group of people that I really feel I can call my friends already and am so excited to see where the semester takes us. Since Copenhagen is a cool city, I have a theory that it attracts super cool people. Other students that I’ve met inspire me a lot by being so intelligent, driven, and already well-traveled. I know if I had gone anywhere familiar, I would have used old friends as a crutch and ventured out less. I even made friends from UD here anyway, but people I didn’t know before. It was nice to be able to expand my circle and still take comfort in the familiarity of some fellow Blue Hens. I know I couldn’t have gone wrong either way, but I am proud of myself for taking the greater risk and pushing myself more.
Academics were probably the largest thing to impact my decision. The programs here at DIS are absolutely incredible—I have travel incorporated into all of my classes, whether it’s getting to know Hans Christian Andersen by taking a walking tour of his life here in Copenhagen, jumping across the border to Germany to witness remnants of WWII with my Holocaust and Genocide class, or hiking over to Amsterdam to connect with sex workers and NGOs in Amsterdam’s Red Light District with my core course. The staff is amazing here, real-world professionals that understand what it’s like to transition from an American school system to a Danish one and do their best to integrate both. They have incredible connections to utilize for the sake of a hands-on education, another characteristic that DIS tries to emphasize. I also appreciate how they work real-world issues like poverty, immigration, and humanitarian/social justice issues into classes to give tangible examples of global impacts. I remember browsing stacks of textbooks while picking up my own, mourning internally my inability to take everything. There are such fascinating topics that could never be offered at my home institution, which was one of the final factors to tip the scale in favor of Copenhagen. I’ll probably read over this tonight to remind myself that I chose this program because of its ambitious academics as I sit down to read several dense research articles assigned for each of my classes. Know that if you sign up with DIS, it’s not going to be the blow-off semester you hear about, but a rigorous, discussion-based academic setting. I’m still getting used to this and debating dropping a class so that I have more time to explore, because it truly is quite a bit of work.
A lot of studying abroad is pushing the boundaries of your comfort zone. When I met up with my new friends from UD in the program, we talked about this a lot. I used it to reconcile myself in those rocky first few days. I knew when I left that I wanted to force myself to do new things and pick up the more adventurous and spontaneous lifestyle that I had before I became consumed by planning, planning, planning. (because life is what happens when you’re busy doing that)
What else, what else… Ah yes, housing. I was glad I put home stay on my list of preferences because I wanted an immersive experience. Was it what I expected? No. My host family wanted me to be involved. They are amazing, some of the kindest and best-natured people I have ever known. I am so glad to have been placed with them. We chat over dinner for 2 hours every night, we hang out and watch TV, I sit in the kitchen and talk while Helle and Karsten are cooking, we play basketball together, I go with them to riding practice, I have met friends and family. They welcomed me in wholeheartedly and I was simply not used to being a member of a family after years of being on my own, for the most part. I had thought that I would occupy a room, eat with them a couple times a week. Never did I think my host sisters would become close friends or that I would want to spend a Friday night in with them laughing and watching movies. I have met many other Danes through the experience as well, friends of the girls and teammates from basketball (see “Getting Schooled” post). Yes, I am farther away and yes, I probably won’t be out on the town as often, but honestly, I’m glad. Generally, because the blow-off semester/party atmosphere is an unfair expectation set up by study abroad stereotyping and, like I said, DIS is not a typical study abroad experience. More narrowly, 1) I know I would run out of money, like, immediately and need to save a bit for my backpacking trip at the conclusion of the semester. I can still go out, of course, but will learn moderation. 2) I have formed some really healthy habits. I eat breakfast every day… haven’t done that since elementary school. Plus, I love it! Thinking of my oats is what peels me out of bed in the morning. Also, I’m walking so much, around 6-8 miles per day. The food I eat is cleaner and less processed, I rarely snack, and I’ve shaken almost all cravings for junk food. I’ve learned how to properly cut peppers, something I could never do, observed the preparation of a few classic Danish dishes, and even made a layer cake with Karsten and Sofie. Also, I sleep! This is really big for me, people from school will understand. Getting that 8 hours every night is something I haven’t done in quite some time. Danish design has an additional impact that I didn’t expect. Danes are pretty minimalistic, so the house is very clean cut and wholly clear of clutter. I can’t tell you what this has done for my mindset; I have never been calmer in my life. Another big thing I’ve learned is how to come home and chat. I think I’ve been getting too caught up in school and really regret not spending enough time with my roommates, especially when I knew I would be away from them this semester. I tend to get into my grind, keep my head down, and often feel more like a robot or a machine than a person. I’m really glad I’ve re-learned how to be functional at home and look forward to being present with my friends and family from now on. Learning skills for life.
