Living here is so different from being at Middlebury, that sometimes it's easy to forget that I'm still in school. First, because I'm living in an incredible city with fun and adventure at every turn, but also because my academic life feels markedly different from that at Middlebury. In the past, I've definitely struggled to manage my stress levels, or strike an appropriate balance between school and the rest of my life. I have a tendency to overcommit; I function at 100%, and it feels like if anything knocks me back, it's hard to keep up. But here, I feel like I'm working hard without overworking myself, and still have plenty of time to enjoy this city or travel elsewhere. It helps that I really love all my classes here-- I've always been better motivated towards things I enjoy and care about. But there's also a greater emphasis on personal reflection and growth while abroad. Our professors encourage us to think critically about our experiences, including how it affects us, which isn't always something I've found with my work at Middlebury.
The Danish style of teaching and learning is a lot more relaxed as well, though the grading took some adjustment. When Danish professors give guidelines, they're not giving the requirements for an A-- they're giving you what's necessary to pass, and they're really looking for students to be creative and go beyond what is required to earn higher marks. I actually think I prefer this method, and I seem to be doing well in it! Here are some updates on some of the work I've been doing.
MONDAY //
Monday was the very last day of my design thinking class! The day was dedicated to presenting our final projects. My group tackled the problem of college student stress. We spent a great two months exploring the problem and various solutions, and eventually settled on an app where students could record their mood and anonymously display it to peers and professors if they wished. The app also offers “self-care suggestions” if students indicate they are having a bad day, and a high percentage of low moods in a particular class can encourage a professor to design a less stressful class or assignment. I was really happy with our final concept, as well as how we represented it in the video.
FRIDAY //
Friday was busy– in the morning I had to give a group presentation on the movie “Festen” for my Danish class. The movie touches on some dark themes and the critique of the Danish upper class is complex, but I think the class found our analysis interesting.
In the afternoon I had a gallery critique for my Studio Architecture class! This basically means that we take turns presenting our work. My critiques went pretty well, and I got some great direction from my professors and peers. It especially helps to get input from students in different programs. With different educational backgrounds comes different experiences and more varied points of view, and I know the majority of students critiquing me today are a lot farther along in their architecture education, The feedback I got was encouraging, and I’m really excited to continue this project. I ended the night with LLC friends in the apartment downstairs. I'm so happy to be surrounded by interesting, funny, compassionate people.