So the countdown begins.
I write to you with 10 days, 2 review sessions, 2 oral exams, 1 project, 1 essay, 1 written exam, and 1 field study between me and the completion of my Danish semester.
When discussing the opportunities presented to me while abroad, most of my friends, family, and acquaintances commented on how living in Denmark would be a three month vacation. For more reasons than they know, they were misled. DIS handles their academic programs seriously, which I really appreciate. The faculty at DIS are almost all professionals in their field–my GIS professor works for the Vand og Energi Greater Copenhagen Living Lab where he creates climate models for the city’s adaptation plan, my Environmental Policy professors work for Greenpeace and the Social Democrat Party of Denmark where they actively lobby for green interests, and my core course professor worked for the Center for Ice and Climate for the past 10 years sampling and studying ice cores. Without a doubt, they are all incredibly knowledgeable in their fields, and I’ve really enjoyed learning from them this semester. Strong academic inclination was one of the largest draws of DIS for me, because in order to graduate on schedule, I had to dedicate my study abroad experience (which is a mandatory aspect of a Goucher College education) towards completing my Environmental Studies degree. That being said, I am completely swamped until I depart Denmark, and all I want to do is tour the Julemarkeds scattered around Copenhagen, and curl up in my bed.
Alas, I’ve spent the past three hours struggling to find meaning in the squiggly lines that my watershed analysis in ArcMap consists of, and I’ve decided my brainpower could be better exercised practicing Danish phrases for my oral exam tomorrow. Wish me luck!
xxRach
P.S. The above picture features my lovely boyfriend Jack experiencing his first glass of gløgg during his visit to Copenhagen this past weekend 😊
The Danish Gopher 