Category: All

Submitted by Emma Smith on the 2024 Spring program in London, England…

After my first week in London I had the opportunity of experiencing its unique architecture, distinctive attractions, and amazing city life. I am not used to using public transportation in the U.S. so going to class everyday and around the city by the underground train service was definitely a culture shock. This service is widely used by a large majority of London’s population which is very impressive. Throughout my first week here I had the chance to see the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, the Big Ben, the National Art Gallery, and many more attractions unique to London. Groups of us were set up with a tour guide and coach bus to take us around the city and learn more about Londo and the United Kingdom. We also had the chance to visit Stonehenge and Bath in order to further learn the history of those two places. I specifically really enjoyed learning about the history of the Roman Baths. If I have learned anything in my first week in London, it is that it is so important to seize the moment and travel while you have the chance. Many citizens of London that I had the chance to meet have told me about all of the states they have visited in the U.S. and it has made me realize I should take the opportunity to travel around my home country more as well. Because of this realization, my friends and I here in London are taking any chance we get to see other places in Europe such as Amsterdam, France, Italy, etc. After one week of studying abroad I have learned to completely engulf myself in London life and take advantage of my opportunity to see more of the world. (Submitted on January 28, 2024) 

Submitted by Sydney Moreno on the 2024 Spring program in London, England…

As my first full week in London comes to a close, I can happily say that I am moved in and ready to have an amazing semester! Moving into a new country can be extremely daunting, especially when you know very few people and the scenery changes from Newark, Delaware to London, England, but with an open mind, anything is possible.

I moved into my flat last Thursday, and it has been a whirlwind of things to do since the start. My roommates, as well as the other students who live in our building, were taken on tours of the area we are located in, which is the lovely Whitechapel borough. The area is nice and homey, with lots of coffee shops, and easy access to the tube, which will be our main use of transportation while we are here. 

After attempting to shove all of the clothes I packed from home into the tiny dresser and cabinet we were given, I was feeling super anxious about what this upcoming semester would look like. Would I be able to make friends? Will taking the tube to class be scary? Now that I have been here a week, I feel much more at ease about all of my previous questions. When having so much going on around me, it was easy to forget that both my roommates, supervisors, and professors are all here to answer any questions I may have, and support me through any sort of transitions that may take place while taking classes in another country. 

Now that I have moved in and gotten to know my roommates much better, I am eager to begin a journey that I will remember for a lifetime.It is easy to forget that as intimidating as going to class in a new place can be, it can also provide a great deal of opportunities and learning experiences. After going to class this week and going over each syllabus, I was excited to find out that each class has a few field trips around the city of London planned to really emphasize how much culture can impact our lives both on and off campus.

With this first week in London kicking off strong, I am extremely excited to continue this journey and see what else I can do with my time in one of the most beautiful cities in the world! (Submitted on January 27, 2024)

Submitted by Kara Kimos on the 2024 Spring program in Aix-en-Provence, France…

One of the things I’ve appreciated most about France is what seems to be a very apparent awareness of how the locals interact with the environment. There are minimal cars traveling on Aix’s cobblestone streets, and I find myself surprised to see a car occasionally coming behind me on my walk into town. I’m averaging 4-6 miles of walking per day! That being said, the city bus system is huge, and I am so grateful to have purchased a student bus pass. When I do wind up taking the bus, all the buses are labeled either “hybrid electric” or “100% electric”.  

Sustainable food is also of major importance in France! There is a great deal of pride surrounding the purchase of domestic goods, and there are major produce markets in town three days a week. The fresh produce is incredible — I’ve gotten everything from (massive) red bell peppers to the pears that are in season right now! As for grocery stores beyond the markets, my host university recommended an app for finding produce, croissants, and more that did not sell right away at their original business. The food is still fit for consumption, but is discounted in order to help prevent food waste. I’m super excited to try out this app — an assorted fruit and veggie basket for 4€ just sounds too good to pass up! I also was thrilled to find tofu at a local organic store. I don’t eat meat, and I frequently rely on tofu as a protein source. I was concerned about finding vegetarian/pescatarian options while abroad, but I have been doing pretty well with the restaurant and grocery store selection.  

Lastly, the Mediterranean climate allows for the buildings to rely on central heating systems, so my apartment does not have air conditioning. My program coordinators told us that French utility bills tend to run high, and citizens are encouraged to conserve their energy usage. When we leave the windows/balconies open, we have to take care that the radiator in each room is turned off. My apartment does not have a dryer, so my roommates and I instead dry our clothes on clotheslines on the balcony or on our drying rack inside. For the washing machine, there is a note from the previous apartment owner encouraging us to use the machine during “green energy hours” from 2:30 – 5pm. We try to run it during these hours whenever we can!

Overall, it’s super interesting to see how sustainability is handled in a different country, and I can’t wait to learn more about European environmental initiatives in some of my classes this semester! (Submitted on January 27, 2024) 

Submitted by Maxwell Poruban on the 2024 Spring program in Granada, Spain…

Week three of my semester in Granada began with a day trip to the thousand year old city of Córdoba. Appearing over the river Guadalquivir, the city seems to spring out of a fairy tale at the foot of the Sierra Morena. The Romans founded a settlement here in the second century BC, alongside an existing Iberian town. From here the city grew and was expanded by the Visigoths, then became the seat of grandeur for the Umayyed Caliphate and after la reconquista, the Catholic kings continued to patronize the city. Although Córdoba is filled with beautiful historical sites and excellent food, its crown jewel is the mosque-cathedral in the center of the old city. 

Founded in 785, the mosque was built on an existing religious site and construction reutilized material from earlier churches. The building has been renovated on a massive scale over seven times and today the beauty from each period can be seen as you pass through the structure. 

The rest of our week in Granada was spent studying for our final exam for our Intensive Spanish grammar and conversation class as well as for our placement exam. The placement exam, although stressful, was designed by the Centre for Modern Languages at the University of Granada to test our language skills and ensure that we are placed into the correct course of study. The exam lasted almost four hours, but in the end, it was worth the effort. The rest of our courses start next Thursday, and I am looking forward to beginning a new academic journey. Un saludo. (Submitted on January 27, 2024) 

Submitted by Samantha Jennings on the 2024 Spring program in Copenhagen, Denmark…

One of my favorite things about studying abroad is the experiential learning component to the experience. Studying abroad is a unique way to see the world as your classroom. Not only can you travel and explore new places, but you can observe ways of life and experience history in a new light. The DIS Copenhagen program offers numerous opportunities for students to embark on a journey and explore Copenhagen as their own classroom. In one of my class sessions this week, we did just that. We took a classroom field trip to a small public park near the harbor called Churchillparken. Named after Winston Churchill, this park and its statues serve to memorialize the role that Denmark played during the Second World War. As a class, we were instructed to analyze each statue present in the park as a primary source and begin to construct an argument regarding how Denmark has chosen to memorialize WWII. It was very interesting to see firsthand how the Danes chose to remember their liberation story compared to the true history of this event. Exploring Copenhagen through the lens of its history has been extremely eye-opening and I can’t wait to see what else I may uncover with the city as my classroom! (Submitted on January 26, 2024) 

Submitted by Cole Armour on the 2024 Spring program in London England…

I landed at London Gatwick at around 6:00 AM London time on January 18th, and was greeted with immediate culture shock. From the second I stepped outside of the airport I saw different parking garages, different street signs, different roundabouts, different currency, driving on different sides of the road, among many other things. I met my 5 new roommates, who all had a few things in common with me and were just as eager to explore London. The first couple days I did not do too much, we had some orientations for different things like our neighborhood, our housing, our classes, etc. The first few days I mainly just used to kind of get myself familiar with using the tube (London Underground System). Luckily, we got Oyster cards with our program so it was pretty much free to travel throughout most of London, but it was still super confusing especially for someone who has never lived in a huge city like New York. On Sunday, we went on one of the optional excursions to see Big Ben and London Eye, along with many surrounding places as well such as the Shakespeare Globe. As shown in the pictures, I decided to branch out from my normal diet and try some Thai cuisine at the market there, which ended up being really really good. I also got to try Nando’s here, which was one of the main restaurants I was looking forward to trying when I first decided to come here. Nando’s is a chicken restaurant based around African cuisine and different Peri Peri sauces and dishes. Safe to say it definitely lived up to my expectations. Fortunately, the Nandos’ menu has many options on it, so it’s somewhere that I can visit multiple times while I am here. Something that I found funny is that they refer to chicken sandwiches as “chicken burgers” here in the UK. Besides that, I have pretty much just been eating homemade meals in my flat, from ingredients bought from our local TESCO grocery store near our flat. I have been eating a lot more ham here than I ever did in the US because it seems to be a lot more prominent here in sandwiches and such. I absolutely love fashion, and was one of the reasons I wanted to travel to London. I have thoroughly enjoyed traveling throughout the different boroughs and seeing all the different fashion styles, especially the wealthy part of Kensington. I definitely feel a lot more comfortable with this new culture after being here for a week, and look forward to seeing what else London has to offer in the upcoming semester. (Submitted on January 25, 2024) 

Submitted by Megan Zalinkanskas on the 2024 Spring program in London, England…

I’ve been in London for one week, and home is already a distant memory. I love it here. Genuinely, I feel as though I’ve been here a month. My roommates are amazing; they are all from different universities across the US, and it is so interesting to hear their different perspectives regarding university life at home and abroad. 

My apartment is right around the corner from Abbey Road Studios, and as a Beatles fan, I’m so grateful to be close to this sacred place. I walked there one morning by myself, listening to early Beatles albums and realizing how lucky I am to be here. I crossed the famous zebra crossing and took some pictures of the studio door before walking to Tesco for some groceries. 

Classes have been interesting. Focusing for three hours at a time is challenging, no matter how engaging the subjects are. I enjoy my post-war British pop culture class. Next week, we will look at street art in London’s hipster neighborhoods. I’m excited to get out and explore the city more. (Submitted on January 25, 2024) 

Submitted by Katarina Rodriguez Thomas on the 2024 Spring program in Copenhagen, Denmark…

Since submitting my application way back in September, I have been super excited to get to Denmark and start learning about all the different things to do here! After arrival, we had four days to get acclimated, attend some orientations, and really just explore the city and get to know our new peers. While living in Denmark, I chose to live in the Outdoor LLC, which lets me meet people with a lot of common interests and we all live at Basecamp Lyngby. 

Despite all the snow we’ve been getting in Denmark, we’ve all found ways to get outside, explore the city, and even attend the coronation of the new king! For the first time in 900 years, the Queen of Denmark (Queen Margrethe II) abdicated after serving for 52 years. This caused a huge celebration in Denmark and people flocked to the streets to see the crowning of the new king on Sunday, January 14. There were tens of thousands of people around the Christiansborg Palace to see the new King Frederick crowned from the outer balcony. Even though it was only our second day in the country, we were able to wave our Danish flags, wear some paper crowns, and celebrate right alongside the Danes who had been awaiting this eventful day for quite a while.

When I’m not crowding the streets in the hopes of catching a glance of the new king, I can be found wandering the streets of center city with other DIS students, hanging out at Lyngby, or hiking in the parks nearby. I, and many other students living at Lyngby, have had to quickly get to know public transportation to get around, as we live about 45 minutes away from the center of the city and DIS’ campus, but it’s given us all a good reason to explore what’s around us. Lyngby is surrounded by parks and walking areas with some nearby small lakes for kayaking. We’ve also grown accustomed to Percy Jackson nights in the cinema lounge and group grocery store trips, which have been great for turning a normal Wednesday night into the best day of the week. 

So far, learning the area and the people has been amazing and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the rest of study abroad! (Submitted on January 25, 2024)