While biking on the island of Bornholm, I stumbled upon a field of flowers planted by a local on the island. Other tourists who were lucky enough to bike or drive by were also stopping to take photos.
Author: Annabeth Hall | Major: Childhood Education with concentrations in STEM and Reading
Five weeks have never gone by so quickly. During the summer of 2021, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark at the Danish Institute of Study Abroad. It was a whirlwind of new experiences, new people, and new independence all wrapped into five weeks of awe.
As a Childhood Education major, I wanted to learn about education and pedagogy through a different lens than what I had previously been exposed to and I hoped to utilize the knowledge I gained through study abroad in my future classrooms. I chose this program because it gave me the flexibility to choose two topics of study and boasted real-world experiences as a part of every course. In addition, the Danish Institute of Study Abroad (DIS) provided me with courses which aligned with my goals and were uniquely interesting.
While in Copenhagen, I took two courses: Children with Special Needs and Positive Psychology. These two courses were taught by Danish professionals in the fields of education and psychology. What I loved most was that each course incorporated real-world experiences and learning outside of the classroom. These classes differed from those at the University of Arkansas in that less time was spent lecturing and more time was spent engaging in discussions with fellow classmates, the professor, and even citizens of Copenhagen.
One aspect of DIS which was unique to the program were study tours, built-in travel weeks spent exploring different parts of Denmark (and different parts of Europe in a pre-COVID world) within the content of your courses. Through my study tour, I took class while traveling through Denmark to multiple cities including Odense, Silkeborg, and Aarhus. I was able to integrate my learning and travel experiences which enriched my study abroad immensely.
MOO! While on my study tour, I was able to visit a dairy farm at Denmark’s largest intentional community. (Cows are my favorite animal and I haven’t been happier since.)
Outside of the classroom, I said yes to every opportunity that was presented to me and had some of the most amazing experiences. I swam in the harbor, I visited popular outdoor food markets, I went to an amusement park in the middle of the city, I took a ferry tour, I spent countless hours at various museums, I walked down the iconic streets of Nyhavn, I went to Legoland, I visited the botanical gardens, I took a weekend trip to the island of Bornholm, I spent day at the beach, I ate local foods and made familiar favorites with new friends, and really so much more. I could write paragraphs on paragraphs detailing each day and adventure, but none come close to my favorite experience of all, living like a local in a foreign country. I woke up each morning in the suburb of Frederiksberg and made myself breakfast before hopping on the metro. I walked to class and stopped along the way at different local coffee shops. I met up with friends after class and spent the day exploring the city. And I ended every night watching the sunset on my balcony before going to sleep.
Overall, I would recommend this program to anyone looking for a study abroad experience that they are able to make their own. You can choose your courses, your housing, your transportation, and more. The entire experience from the application process, to preparing to leave, to arriving in a foreign country, to navigating a new city, to returning home and receiving credits was smooth sailing. DIS helped with every logistical steppingstone and allowed me to focus on my experience while abroad, something I am truly grateful for and yet another reason I would choose this program again and again.
*Translated: Play well in Denmark (and I did just that.)