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Share Your Experience: Denmark
Visiting Fredricksborg Castle in Denmark |
A fjord in Norway |
A Viking ship in Stockholm |
My Swedish roommate in front of her church in Skanor |
Visiting the ruins in Rome |
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My Study Abroad Experience at the Technical University of Denmark
Studying abroad I was expecting an international experience, but what I did not expect was how the people, school and culture would expand my views on the world, United States, and life.
The things that made my stay in Denmark unique and special were my roommates and other international students, my classes at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), and my travels around Europe.
One of the most rewarding parts of my stay was the friendships I made with other international students.
There were about 500 international students attending DTU from all over Europe and the world.
Being in a program that integrated American students with other students increased my awareness of the differences and similarities between American and other cultures.
The students that I met with were from Italy, Sweden, Germany, Spain, Austria, Portugal, Australia, Argentina, Slovakia, France, and Denmark.
From these relationships I learned where some of my family's traditions came from and about the traditions of other countries around the world.
My roommates also proved to be a good source of information about different cultures and traditions.
One of my roommates was from the south of Sweden near Malmo and the other was from Italy, west of Venice.
From my Swedish roommate I learned about the Santa Lucia, which is a celebration of light on the shortest day of the year.
Dancing around the Christmas tree was the most
peculiar Scandinavian tradition that I learned about from her.
I also learned many Italian traditions.
For instance, the importance of food and cooking was one of my favorites.
Not knowing how to
cook any dishes without a microwave or processed food, having an Italian roommate was a dream come true!
The classes I took while I was at DTU also allowed me to work with other international engineering students.
Here I was introduced to different teaching and learning attitudes.
To begin with, at DTU most classes only met once a week for a four-hour session.
This was quite a different approach in compared to the courses at the University of Wisconsin.
One nice thing about this setup was that the professors were very adamant about having coffee breaks during these sessions.
Another difference was that your grade was based on either a final project or exam, or maybe two projects that were handed in during the course of the semester.
No homework was ever collected and no midterm tests were taken.
This meant students were not constantly being evaluated, alleviating them of the constant pressure that many American engineering students feel during the semester.
Another thing that I enjoyed about my classes was that I was able to work in groups with
other international students.
Here I got to see different teaching environments in different countries.
For instance, Danish students have a very informal relationship with their professors.
All the professors are called by their first name rather than Professor Casper.
One major difference is that the students are expected and encouraged to challenge the professors openly in class.
This style of teaching is embraced by many of the professors, but it is very obvious that some prefer the old fashion teaching style, where the instructor is held as the authority.
One more way that I was able to learn about different European cultures was through traveling to Norway, Sweden, and Italy.
For instance, during my trip across Norway, I was introduced to Scandinavia's magnificent beauty.
A group of friends and I took a train, boat and bus trip called 'Norway in a Nutshell'.
This took you from the port city of Oslo, on the east side of Norway, through the fjords to Bergen on the west coast.
Stopping in small towns along the way, we were able to meet some Norwegians.
We soon found out that like all Scandinavians, they are some of the nicest and helpful people that one will ever encounter.
I also spent some time in Sweden.
Most of my visits were to my Swedish roommate's house.
Here her parents introduced me to many domestic Swedish customs.
For instance the traditional breakfast of caviar and shrimp spreads on bread and crackers eaten on wooden planks! During my stays at their house I learned a lot about the Swedish views on the European Community and the Danish people.
It was interesting to learn how the Danish people and the Swedish people foster animosity between each other like many states do because of sport rivalries.
The last place I traveled was to Italy to spend Christmas with my Italian roommate's family.
At her family's house I experienced what it is like in a traditional Italian family.
Her grandmother made tortellini by hand for Christmas Day, her mother cooked wonderful three course meals daily, and her boyfriend's mother baked us cakes that were out of this world! Needless to say eating was not the only highlight of my stay in Italy.
Having a personal Italian tour guide made traveling around much more exciting.
She would explain the history and the importance of each sight increasing my appreciation of it.
Before returning to the United States, I did not realize how my experience in Europe had
changed my life.
It is only now after coming back and talking with my friends and family that I understand the changes that have come about.
I now have a more objective view of the United States and the world.
Living in a different culture has aroused curiosity in other cultures to help me gain a better understanding of my own.
Studying abroad is something that everyone should have an opportunity to experience.
Thank you for helping to make my experience what it was.
Leslie Averbeck, 2003
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