Denmark | Christmas Markets

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By Chloe Zgorzelski 

If you have ever wanted to experience what it feels like to walk around in a snow globe, then you must visit Copenhagen during the Christmas season. Copenhagen is a genuine Christmas city. The festive decorations that adorn every windowsill and the twinkly lights that illuminate the city streets make it nearly impossible not to get into the holiday spirit. I love Christmas time in Copenhagen. It’s like stepping into a Hallmark movie, where hot cocoa sipping, crackling fire, and “hygge” rules all. While Gløgg and Æbleskiver, sporadic snowfalls, sunsets before 3:30 PM, and the time spent with friends and family are some of my favorite memories from this yuletide season, it’s the many Christmas Markets, Lucia i Kajak Event, and Christmas at Tivoli that made my December in Denmark one I’ll always remember.

Christmas Markets  

The best place to soak up the festive atmosphere is at one of Copenhagen’s Christmas markets. Starting in mid-November, cozy holiday marketplaces begin to pop up throughout the city. My favorite markets, like the Christmas market at Nyhavn harbor, the Visit Carlsberg Christmas Market, and the Christmas Market at Højbro Plads, exude old school Christmas charm. Each boasts a plethora of wooden market stalls decorated for the holiday season, offering a variety of traditional Scandinavian Christmas delicacies and distinctly Danish gifts. If you are looking for a more unconventional holiday fair, the Freetown Christiania Christmas Market features many unique, handcrafted items and is definitely worth a visit! During the first weekend of December, I also had the opportunity to visit the Hans Christian Andersen Christmas Market in the city of Odense, Denmark. Odense, the third largest city in Denmark, is the hometown of fairytale poet Hans Christian Andersen. Every year, the city constructs an old-fashioned Christmas market complete with traditional decorations, a farmer’s market, and lots of local entertainment inspired by the infamous author.  

Lucia i Kajak 

One of the most unique ways the Danes celebrate the holiday season is with their annual Santa Lucia Kayak Parade. Saint Lucy’s Day is a commonly celebrated holiday throughout Scandinavia. It’s all about commemorating and finding a way to bring light to their long, dark winters. While there are many events in Copenhagen that celebrate Saint Lucy, the Lucia i Kajak event is one of the most special. Every year, hundreds of people decorate kayaks and paddleboards with garland, fairy lights, Christmas trees, candles, elves, and reindeer, and travel throughout the canals of Copenhagen singing Christmas carols and spreading holiday cheer. I was able to follow the entire parade from the pier and it was truly one of the most beautiful and spectacular sights I had ever seen. 

Christmas at Tivoli 

Christmas at Tivoli is absolutely magical. The historic gardens boast their own Christmas Market full of decorated wooden houses, snow-covered trees, festive ornaments, and glittering Christmas lights. Visitors can watch candy makers create old-fashioned lollipops and decorate honningkagehjerter cookies among the Christmas elves or “nissen”. To everyone’s delight there is a large Christmas tree in the center of the park with miniature trains that run around it and through present boxes inspired by the architecture of some of Copenhagen’s most recognizable buildings. There is also a brand-new projection light show on the façade of the iconic Tivoli Concert Hall as well as a Nutcracker themed version of the Tivoli Illuminations water show. I visited the gardens multiple times throughout the holiday season, and I even spent Christmas day in the park with my family! We had a great time riding the rides, looking at all of the different products being sold at the market stalls, and watching the special Christmas fireworks spectacular. The absolute best part about spending Christmas in Copenhagen? Getting to see snow for the first time ever!!

vi ses næste indlæg… xo Chloe 

Chloe Zgorzelski studied in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2018: http://eap.ucop.edu/OurPrograms/denmarkk/Pages/univ_of_copenhagen.aspx

Denmark | Academics

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By Chloe Zgorzelski 

It’s the most wonderful month of the year – December! I’m so excited to experience all of the wonderful Danish Christmas Markets, experience the magic of Tivoli at Christmas, eat some delicious Æbleskiver, and celebrate the holidays with my family. But for students all around the world, including myself, the holiday season always goes hand in hand with the culmination of another academic semester and, of course, finals. So, in the spirit of finals season, I figured I would give you a quick peek into the world of academia at the University of Copenhagen, by highlighting three unique aspects that make university life in Denmark different than university life at home in California. 

#1 – Courses 

As an exchange student at the University of Copenhagen, you have the ability to enroll in a wide range of courses taught in English that span a variety of different disciplines and subjects. Some of the most popular disciplines at the university are environmental studies, health sciences, economics, and political science. While most of the courses offered are at the upper-division undergraduate level, students do have the ability to enroll in master’s level coursework. The university also offers a selection of Danish Culture Courses, which are classes highlighting various facets of Danish Culture, like Nordic Mythology or Danish Architecture, designed specifically with exchange students in mind. Classes at the University of Copenhagen usually meet less times per week, for an extended period of time, rather than multiple times a week in shorter intervals, as is typical of the UC system. My social psychology course, for example, only meets once a week on Mondays from 3-6pm. My professor divides our class time into mini-sections and gives us one or two 10 minute “brain breaks” in between, as is typical of most classes at the university. 

 

Courses here also carry an extremely high number of units. Even though I am only enrolled in two classes, I am considered a full-time student at the University of Copenhagen as both of my courses are each worth 15 ECTS points which is the equivalent to 24 UC Units. This has been adjustment for me, but this schedule has allowed me to use the rest of my week to travel, to volunteer at Studenterhuset, and enjoy all that Copenhagen has to offer! FUN FACT: All classes start exactly fifteen minutes after the official course start time, as per Danish tradition. Before cellphones and reliable watches, the Danes relied on the clocktowers around the city to indicate the time of day. Therefore, when the clock chimed at the hour, they understood that it was time for them to start making their way to class and they had about fifteen minutes to get there.  

 

#2 – Campus 

The University of Copenhagen is integrated into the city on four different campuses, each specializing in different disciplines: North Campus – Health & Medical Science, South Campus – Humanities, Law & Theology, City Campus – Social Sciences, and Fredericksburg Campus – Agriculture, Forestry & Veterinary. While I have been able to visit and see all four of the campuses during my time here, I have only had class on two out of the four. My psychology class meets at City Campus and both my Danish Language Course and Architecture courses met on South Campus.  

#3 – Assignments 

Students at the University of Copenhagen do not receive homework assignments, take midterm exams, or even typically complete papers throughout the semester. Rather, they complete a lot of reading throughout the semester, participate in group work, and are expected to spend a considerable amount of time outside of class processing and thinking critically about the class material in preparation for the lengthy final exam requirements. In both of the courses I was enrolled in this semester, I was required to complete an active participation assignment. This assignment is not graded, but is a prerequisite that, upon completion, makes you eligible to complete the final exam. For my Social Psychology class, my active participation consisted of a 20-30-minute group presentation, presented in front of the class, on one of the readings assigned to us. For Danish Architecture, I was required to write a 2-3-page synopsis introducing and outlining my final paper topic. My finals for both of these classes take the form of lengthy analytical papers. For the past couple of weeks, I have been working on a 15-20-page research paper on the relationship between health and architecture for my Danish Architecture Class. Next weekend, I will complete a 72-hour written exam for Social Psychology, which means I will be given a paper topic on Friday and I will have 72 hours to write, edit, and turn in my assignment.  

Looking forward to the successful completion another semester   

vi ses næste indlæg! xo Chloe 

Chloe Zgorzelski studied in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2018: http://eap.ucop.edu/OurPrograms/denmark/Pages/univ_of_copenhagen.aspx

Denmark | Copenhagen Adventures

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By Chloe Zgorzelski 

It’s hard to believe that as I write I only have a little over a month left in Copenhagen! As soon as I got back from Fall Break a few weeks ago, I knew that time would start to fly extremely quickly – so I sat down and made a little list of all the things I knew I wanted to accomplish before I leave Copenhagen at the end of December. I also made it a personal goal to do (at least) one Copenhagen thing a day – which can mean anything from taking a day to go hunting for “trolls” in the forests in the outskirts of Copenhagen to something as little as taking a study break to eat a Danish hot dog. During my little three-week break from traveling, I really made an effort to stick to this goal. Here are five of my favorite things I have done during the past three weeks…… 

# 1 – Troll Hunting: Looking for the Six Hidden Giants in the forests of Outer Copenhagen 

A few weeks ago, I finally checked off one of my must-do’s while in Copenhagen – troll hunting! Before I arrived in Copenhagen, I saw a video about an artist named Thomas Dambo who had created “six hidden giants” out of scrap wood, that currently live and hide in the forests outskirting Copenhagen. He created them in an effort to bring art out of the museum while simultaneously encouraging local Copenhageners to explore the beautiful and often overlooked nature spots in their own backyard. As soon as I decided I was studying abroad in Copenhagen, I knew I had to find some of these trolls. So, on a sunny, mid-October Wednesday, a few of my friends and I grabbed our bikes and embarked on a treasure hunt to find some of Copenhagen’s most unique and loveable open-air sculptures. To start we took the B line of the S train all the way to Høje Taastrup (the location of Teddy Friendly) and then rode our bikes through the pastures and open fields past fluffy cows, sheep, horses and other wildlife on our way to find the other trolls.  In the span of a few hours, we were able to find four out of the six giants: Teddy Friendly (#6), Thomas on the Mountain (#5) Little Tilde (#4), and Oscar Under the Bridge (#3). So far, this has been my favorite Copenhagen adventure.  

# 2 – A Visit to Botanisk have 

The University of Copenhagen’s Botanical Garden is only located about a five–minute walk away from my dorm and it is beautiful – especially in the Fall, when the leaves are turning, and the air is a bit crisper. The garden serves research, educational, and recreational purposes, as it is a part of the Natural History Museum of Denmark and the University of Copenhagen Faculty of Science. During my visit, I got to explore their new exhibit: The Butterfly House, as well as the infamous Palm House. Each of the garden’s glasshouses featured a wide array of exotic plant life and mimicked the various climates in which these plants grow best. My favorite part of my visit was having the opportunity to climb up the staircase in the Palm House to the upper observatory deck, so I could see the plant’s (and an awesome view of Copenhagen) from a different perspective.   

# 3 – Cherish Exhibition at the Marble Church 

My favorite church in all of Copenhagen, hands down, is the Marble Church. It is located in the middle of the Frederiksstaden area, complementing both Amalienborg Castle and The Opera. I love that as you walk around the city you can see its copper green dome peeking out from behind various city buildings from almost anywhere you stand. During the month of October and the first few weeks of November, the church featured a special art installation entitled “Cherish”, designed to start a conversation about climate change and the impact it has on our seasons. Over 15,000 paper flowers floated on the inside of the church’s dome and it was truly a spectacular sight to see.  

# 4 – Bike Riding to Two of Copenhagen’s Coolest Parks: Superkilen + Tårnlegepladsen in Fælledparken 

Ever since my architecture professor presented a lecture on landscape architecture and the various parks and green spaces in Copenhagen, I had been dying to go visit two of the parks he discussed: Superkilen and Tårnlegepladsen. Superkilen park is located in the neighborhood of Nørrebro, only about 10 minutes away from my dorm. Nørrebro is one of the most diverse areas of Copenhagen and the park reflects and embraces this diversity. Many of the neighborhood’s inhabitants were consulted during the park’s development regarding what kind of features they would like to see included. Therefore, it is divided into three main areas: The Red Square, The Black Market, and The Green Park. Each of these areas is filled with objects and park equipment that is representative and inspired by the countries around the world that the neighborhood’s inhabitants are from. Among many things found in the park, you can find an octopus slide sculpture from Japan, a fountain from Morocco, and an old doughnut shop sign from the United States. Tarnlegepladsen is perhaps the cutest park I have ever seen. All of the play equipment is modelled after famous Copenhagen Monuments, such as the Round Tower, City Hall, the Marble Church, and the Church of Our Saviour Spiral. I was lucky enough to have a few hours of free time one morning, so I seized the opportunity, grabbed my bike and was lucky enough to grab a couple of photos before all the little kids arrived.  

#5 – Watching the Changing of the Guard at Amelianborg Palace 

Amelianborg is Copenhagen’s Royal Palace. For a portion of the year, Denmark’s royal family actually lives and resides inside. The palace is famous for its Royal Guard, called Den Kongelige Livgarde. Every day you can experience the changing of the guards, as they march from the military barracks on Gothersgade, past Rosenborg Castle, through the streets of Copenhagen to Amalienborg, where the changing of the guard occurs daily at 12:00 noon. Throughout my time in Copenhagen, I had seen the royal guard pass through the streets on multiple occasions, as I am often studying at various café’s and libraries within city center but had never seen the procession all the way through. So, l took a moment to finally go and watch it in its entirety and it was really cool to see! Unlike the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, Denmark’s procession is very immersive. There is no gate blocking your view and there is no giant crowd. You really get to see it happen the way it was intended.   

 

Chloe Zgorzelski studied in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2018: http://eap.ucop.edu/OurPrograms/denmark/Pages/univ_of_copenhagen.aspx

Denmark | Student Life at UCPH

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By Chloe Zgorzelski 

Academics are an important component of university life, but an equally integral, and sometimes overlooked component of the college experience is student life. Student life at my home university, UCLA, usually revolves around my housing community, the various clubs I am involved in, and is often easily facilitated in part because of the way the campus is set-up.  At the University of Copenhagen (UCPH), student life is quite different. The university is spread across four separate campuses throughout the city, student housing is scattered in various neighborhoods, and most students only have class once or twice a week – meaning the amount of time they spend on campus is limited. While this may sound daunting, there are definitely still ways that any student on exchange in Copenhagen can become an actively involved participant in student life at the university. Here are three resources that I have utilized to help my adjustment and make Copenhagen feel a little bit more like home… 

STUDENTERHUSET –  

Studenterhuset (pronounced “Stu-den-ter-hus-el”) is exactly what it sounds like, directly translating to “student house”. Located in the heart of central Copenhagen, right next to the iconic Rundetårn (or Round Tower), Studenterhuset is a place run by students, for students. Alongside a small group of paid staff, student volunteers from all across Copenhagen work together to keep the house and café running while creating an environment that promotes community and togetherness. Students from all subjects and faculties are encouraged to come together at Studenterhuset, and many do to meet up in study groups, hang out with friends, and join in on the various events that happen each and every day of the week. Some of my favorite Studenterhuset events have been Swing Dance Tuesdays, Quiz Night, Karaoke Fridays, Community Kitchen, and the annual Halloween Party! Fun Fact: all UCPH students are automatically members of the house, and are eligible to receive discounts on beverages, snacks, and entry fees on concert nights.  

At Studenterhuset, there are over 200 volunteers that work at the bar from approximately 40 nationalities – and I am one of them! I signed up to volunteer at the house at the end of August and had my first day of training in September. I volunteer at Studenterhuset three times a month (15 hours total) and I, like all other volunteers, get “paid” in vouchers that we can use in the café for free coffee, snacks, and meals at the community kitchen. Initially, I was really nervous about the prospect of volunteering here. I had no previous experience working in the food industry and no real understanding of all of the nuances of coffee – seriously, before this I was the girl who always had to ask her friends what to order every time I went to a coffee shop. But I am SO glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and became a volunteer here. Not only is this a great way to meet people, both behind and in front of the bar – but my volunteer experience here has made me feel a part of a larger community in Copenhagen and makes me feel like I am making a positive contribution to my campus community.  

UCPH Mentorship Program 

All international students who apply to the University of Copenhagen are encouraged by the university to sign up/request a mentor through the UCPH Mentor/Buddy Programme. The university has eleven different mentor/buddy programs spread across the six different faculties. The program was created to help create a social network for international students and UCPH students through different activities planned during the semester. As a participant in the program, you are matched with a UCPH student who shares your major as well as a group of UCPH students and other mentees. Your mentor will help you settle in during your exchange in Denmark and give you an introduction to student life in Copenhagen. 

My mentor’s name is Clara and she is awesome! She is a fourth-year psychology student at UCPH who just finished a semester abroad in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – so she can definitely empathize with what it is like to be an exchange student in a foreign country.  Clara and I try to meet up at least once a month to catch up and discuss Copenhagen, whether that means grabbing chocolate banana pancakes at the café around the corner from city campus or going on an excursion to the Royal Theater to watch their morning ballet practice. Clara is just one of the amazing people I have met through my UCPH Psychology Mentor/Mentee Group. Throughout my time in Copenhagen, it has been really nice to be a part of a group like this that facilitates different excursions – like walking tours in Nørrebro and day trips to Christiansborg Palace – and helps you get to know fellow exchange students within my educational faculty.  

UCEAP Student-specific activities 

Our UCEAP Copenhagen-side Advisors Katrine and Julie, also work hard to make us UCEAP students feel at home in Denmark. Throughout the semester, they plan social events, like the all-UCEAP Welcome/Orientation Dinner, Walking Tour of Copenhagen, and Common Dinner at Absalon, that are really fun and help facilitate interaction between all of the UCEAP exchange students during our time here. 

Absalon is a beautiful church, turned community center in Copenhagen’s Vesterbro neighborhood that hosts dinners for the local community every night of the week. Fun Fact: it was started by the man who founded the Flying Tiger Stores! 

They also post regularly in the UCEAP Copenhagen Facebook page about different events that are happening locally, so I always have new ideas of fun things to do each week. If it weren’t for their posts, I would have never have known about La Glace – the oldest Conditori (and the best cake place!) in all of Copenhagen! See pictures below for proof. 

There are many more ways to get involved in student life at the University of Copenhagen, from KSI – the University’s Sports Association to their various cultural and social associations. I would encourage every student who comes to the University of Copenhagen on exchange to try something new and get connected with the vibrant campus community here.  

Chloe Zgorzelski studied in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2018: http://eap.ucop.edu/OurPrograms/denmark/Pages/univ_of_copenhagen.aspx

Denmark | Tivoli Gardens

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By Chloe Zgorzelski

If you know me, you know that I absolutely love Disneyland. I’ve been a proud annual passholder since I was three and some of my most cherished childhood and high school memories have occurred within the gates of that theme park. When I decided to study abroad a little over a year ago, I was honestly a little sad that I was going to have to go five months without a single visit to the “happiest place on earth”. But thankfully, Copenhagen provided a solution to my problem: Tivoli Gardens. 

Tivoli Gardens (a.k.a. ‘Tivoli’) is an amusement park or ‘pleasure garden,’ as the Europeans like to call it, located right smack in the middle of the city of Copenhagen. Tivoli opened 175 years ago on August 15th, 1843, making it the second-oldest operating theme park in the world. It is also the most visited theme park in all of Scandinavia.  

 

Recently, Tivoli Gardens was actually named one of Time magazine’s “best spots on the planet”. So knowing I would be living in Copenhagen for the rest of the year, I decided to purchase an annual entrance pass to Tivoli. The pass I bought only costs 350 DKK [approx. $53 USD] and gives me unlimited entrance into the park for a whole calendar year. With this pass, I have the opportunity to experience each of the park’s four distinct seasons [Summer, Halloween, Christmas, Winter] and go as often as I would like. As a student living in Copenhagen during the Fall, I think the pass is worth it, especially since I have and will get to experience three out of the four Tivoli seasons during my time here! 

#1 Celebrating Tivoli’s 175th Anniversary 

This summer, Tivoli celebrated their 175th birthday, which means it was an incredibly special time to visit the park. The Summer Concert Series, Tivoli Youth Guard Performances, and of course the special food offerings were fun to experience. Every Saturday, Tivoli had a firework show (which I could actually hear all the way from my dorm on nights I wasn’t able to go watch them in the park). They also debuted the Tivoli Illuminations water show and even had a special 175th anniversary parade – complete with a Walt Disney World it’s a small world float! 

#2 Meeting Rasmus Klump

Rasmus Klump is a Danish comic strip series for children created by Danish Couple, Carla and Vilhelm Hansen, in 1951. The series tells the story of a bear cub named Rasmus Klump and his friends as well as the many adventures they have around the world on board his ship, Mary. In short, Rasmus Klump is to Tivoli Gardens what Mickey Mouse is to Disneyland.  Every day he puts on various shows on the different stages located within the garden and it is so adorable to see all of the children gather around to watch him, smiling and giggling throughout the program. 

#3 Halloween Time! 

Nothing screams Halloween is here like haunted houses, scarecrows, pumpkin carving, caramel apples and glogg! Halloween isn’t a super big deal in Copenhagen, but Tivoli sure does know how to celebrate spooky season right. The park undergoes a three-week closure in preparation for the Halloween festivities and then reopens with a brand new Halloween-themed Rasmus Klump show, new rides, a pop-up Fall/Halloween market, a special horror-inspired Tivoli Illuminations and decorations throughout the park that are sure to put you in the Halloween spirit! 

So far, I’ve visited Tivoli about five or six times. Since my classes at the University of Copenhagen only meet once or twice a week, I have plenty of free time to go to the park and make the most of my pass. Sometimes I’ll go to walk around for a bit or go to grab some lunch/a quick snack. I’ve even gone and brought my homework along with me! It’s a nice change of scenery as well as a relaxing and magical place to get your homework done. I’m looking forward to experiencing the wonder and whimsy of Tivoli’s Christmas season in just a few short weeks! I’ll be sure to update this post with photos as soon as the gardens open back up again for the holiday season and Christmas Market.  

 

Chloe Zgorzelski studied in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2018: http://eap.ucop.edu/OurPrograms/denmark/Pages/univ_of_copenhagen.aspx

Denmark | Danish Culture

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By Chloe Zgorzelski

The University of Copenhagen is the oldest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it is the second oldest institution for higher education in all of Scandinavia. Today, it boasts a student population of over 38,481.

The university is spread throughout the city across four different campuses, making its presence tangible in every corner of the city. It sponsors ten different museums and research gardens, has given Denmark nine Nobel Laureates, and is comprised of six diverse faculties. Every day I go to class, I pinch myself a little bit because I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to study abroad at a university so distinguished and world-renowned.

One thing that I particularly love about the University of Copenhagen are the courses they offer specifically for exchange students on various topics relating to Danish Culture. These ‘Danish Culture Courses’, as they are lovingly referred to by the university, offer students coursework that combine lectures and excursions together to provide a more wholistic understanding of issues relating to Denmark. While the course topics vary every semester, some of the most frequent subjects include Danish Cinema, Søren Kierkegaard, Nordic Mythology and Danish Architecture. The courses are at BA-level and open to all international students regardless of their field of study.

This semester, I enrolled in the Danish Culture Course entitled “Danish Architecture and Urban Design” with Professor Lars Gemzøe. The course gives an overview of Danish architecture, urban design and planning over the last 100 years, with a focus and emphasis on the human perspective of architecture.

Let me tell you: I love this class. Seriously, I look forward to it each and every week because I can genuinely say that after every lecture I am able to see the city of Copenhagen from a different perspective. I’ve learned that architecture is a major component of the Danish identity, as it is seen as a much wider practice than merely the art of making buildings. Our professor, Lars, is a Danish architect himself. Every week, he spoils us with his years of wisdom relating to the field and he teaches us about the Nordic approach to planning and design of the physical landscape. Because of him, I am beginning to understand why culture, climate, and scale are important elements in the way that architecture as a profession and Nordic welfare states have been dealing with international trends.

My favorite part about this class is that I have the opportunity to go on guided excursions around Denmark with my classmates and my professor. As a student in this course, I am also required to complete various self-guided field trips in order to see and experience the architecture and planning that we discuss in our lectures first hand. This Fall, we took two class trips: the first to the Copenhagen Harbor and Malmö, Sweden and the second to Louisiana, Museum of Modern Art.

Excursion #1 – “Housing & Planning – The Copenhagen Harbor and Malmō, Sweden”
This excursion began with a boat trip through the Copenhagen Harbor, which allowed us to see some of the important buildings like the Opera, the Playhouse and new housing developments along the waterfront. After an hour or so on the water, the boat trip concluded near a new housing district in the North Harbor. My class and I disembarked and followed our Professor on a walking tour of the neighborhood where we were able to take a closer look at the variation in building designs. He showed us this adorable and hidden rooftop park/gym that I am dying to return to. Not only was there an amazing view of the harbor from up here, but there were also trampolines!
We then boarded a private charter bus that escorted us from the North Harbor to Sluseholmen, a new housing development in the outskirts of Copenhagen. Here we were able to see and discuss newer housing and city building. The trip then continued to Sweden where we saw one of the most interesting and newest urban developments in Scandinavia, Bo01, on the Western Harbour in Malmö.  Our professor explained to us how this new city district has a lot to offer on how to deal with climate and sustainability as well as on variation in building design and open spaces. Our excursion concluded with a visit to Jakriborg, a controversial new housing development in Sweden, which looks like it was made in the 17th Century.
Excursion #2 – “Museums & Urban Development: Louisiana, Museum of Modern Art”
Our second excursion took place at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk, Denmark, which is about an hour away from Copenhagen. The museum is a fantastic example of architecture from the 1960s with numerous additions over the years. I love the way that it blends in with the landscape and takes full advantage of the views of the surroundings. The museum features panoramic views of Sweden and presents six to ten special exhibitions annually. It also contains a distinguished art collection with over 3,500 works.

I had the opportunity to see all of the museums current exhibitions including: The Moon, Elemental, Color Form Texture, & Men and Masculinity. My favorite of the current exhibits was the one called ‘The Moon’. This exhibition is Louisiana’s way of commemorating the upcoming 50th anniversary of man’s first steps on the moon. Through the presentation of more than 200 works and objects – including Galileo’s moon map and Norman Foster’s plans for 3D-printed moon bases – this exhibition paints a vibrant and diverse portrait of our closet celestial neighbor.

If you are studying abroad at the University of Copenhagen and are considering enrolling in a Danish Culture Course, I would highly recommend it. At UCLA, I am a Psychology and Communications major, so when I first enrolled in the class I assumed that this would just be an interesting course to take to fulfill a GE requirement. However, this course has helped me form a new interest and recognize my passion for architecture and design. Through our lectures and with some guidance from my professor, I am realizing new ways in which psychology and architecture are intertwined and mutually influence one another.

Chloe Zgorzelski studied in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2018:http://eap.ucop.edu/OurPrograms/denmark/Pages/univ_of_copenhagen.aspx

France | Bonjour Tout Le Monde!

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BY EILEEN KIM

Hello! Or should I say, Bonjour now that I have just landed in Paris.

My name is Eileen Kim, and welcome to my blog!

Picture of Eiffel Tower from Summer 2016

This blog will be a record of my time abroad at …. drum roll please…. Sciences Po, Paris, for the academic year of 2017-2018. As a part of Global Blogger Scholarship, I had received from UCLA IEO Office, I will be blogging throughout my first half of French year on this blog. (Yay! Get to brag, AND get paid to do so; what can be better than that?)

As a student majoring in Sciences Po and Global Studies, Sciences Po, Paris, has been a school of my dreams ever since I knew about it. Though this school’s name may be unfamiliar to many of you, it is one of the most recognized and celebrated college in France with the most impressive list of alumni (7 out of 8 most recent French presidents once studied here, including newly elected President Macron!!!).

To study abroad in and out itself was such a dream to me, but to study abroad at THE Sciences Po? Shut Up (Shout out to all my fellow Princess Diary fans <3) Just for this I chose to go 5th year and postponed my graduation by a year. And I do not regret this decision even a bit.

My blog will not be about how to start on UCEAP application and prep what when, etc. etc. We the Bruins already have access to the most considerate and informative staff at study abroad office, so I highly doubt I will ever be more helpful than those amazing people who helped me get here in Paris today. Instead, my blog will be more about my time at Sciences Po and at Paris in general.

Welcome Programme Catalogue from Sciences Po

Please stick through as I complete my journey in France, and I hope this blog finds you entertaining as well as informative. If you have any questions or concerns about going to/living in Paris feel free to hit me up! I will get back to you ASAP

I will be uploading my first real post in few minutes about Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris, so please stick around!

Until I see you next, Au Revoir!

25.8.17

Eileen

Eileen Kim studied abroad in Paris, France in 2017: http://eap.ucop.edu/OurPrograms/france/Pages/political_science_sciences_po.aspx

France | Back Home!

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BY NATASHA SZOMBATHY

I’m now back in California, and the past few days have passed so quickly between family Christmas celebrations, seeing old friends, going to doctor appointments, shopping for my new apartment in Los Angeles, and experiencing the strange sensation of reverse culture shock.  Through all the busyness and jet lag, Bordeaux has been one thing I cannot stop thinking about.

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On my final evening in Bordeaux, my host family invited my Californian friend Tracie over for dinner one last time.  That final week was so difficult because I felt like each daily activity involved with life in France was the “last time.”  “The last ride on the tram C,” the “last coffee date with friends,” the “last breakfast with my host dad.”  Even though I was sad because all of those things felt so final, I know now that it only felt that way because they were part of a new life I had established in a foreign country.  When I consider this fact now, I feel so happy!  Going abroad and being able to feel at home in France was such a personally transformative experience.  I have gained a sort of self-awareness and confidence in new situations that I didn’t have before, and for me that was a truly valuable adjustment.

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Best of all, I now speak French, which was my ultimate goal with this program.  Over the past few days I have been calling French friends and speaking on the phone with them!  It feels like such an accomplishment to be able to do that now, especially when I think back to when I first arrived in France and struggled to get out a proper sentence.  It is weird not to be speaking primarily in French anymore, and I am trying to take every opportunity I possibly can to keep in practice with it.

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Reflecting on the UCEAP program, yes there were a few flaws, but in general I found it to be a really phenomenal program.  All of us California students took for granted the fact that we knew where we would be living before we arrived in Bordeaux (there was a housing crisis in Bordeaux this year, as there were so many students in the city and not enough rooms to house them!).  I can attest to the fact that Anaïs worked so hard to place all of the home stay students with families who truly matched well with them.  I love my family in Bordeaux, and having a small personal support system there was so nice.  Joelle and Anaïs also prepared many pamphlets of information on the city, and the ILP, even though sometimes filled with what many thought was busy work, was a good transition into university life in France before school officially started. Joelle was so helpful during the truthfully very stressful class registration period at the university, but everyone eventually found a class schedule that suited them well.  Most complaints by students from California stemmed from differences in French university classes and those of the UCs.  Yes, lectures can run two hours without pause. Yes, many professors don’t have PowerPoints to accompany their lectures.  Yes, grading can seem very arbitrary on oral examinations.  Yes, the class website system is very outdated in comparison to CCLE.  But, these are simply trivial problems when one accepts the fact that they are no longer home, and once you look past them university in France is much more enjoyable. I can certainly guarantee that you will feel accomplished by the time you get through an entire semester abroad! It is uncomfortable, confusing, and stressful at times, but you will learn so much about another country and yourself!

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I thought I’d just end this post with a few of my favorite things about Bordeaux that I will miss:  chocolatines, the Marché des Capucins, Saint Michel, biking or strolling the quays of the Garonne, soccer matches, my host family’s cat, shopping on Rue Sainte Catherine, visiting la Tour Pey Berland, the Cathédrale Saint-André, simply getting lost by strolling aimlessly, and, most of all, my host family and dear friends.  I could go on with this list forever, there is just so much I love about Bordeaux.  Merci, France, I know I will be back.

Natasha Szombathy studied abroad in Bordeaux, France in 2017: http://eap.ucop.edu/OurPrograms/france/Pages/univ_of_bordeaux_coursework_french.aspx

France | Saying Goodbye!

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BY NATASHA SZOMBATHY

Wow, I cannot believe my time in Bordeaux is coming to an end in just a few days.  I have just completed my final oral exam for my medieval art history course, and I have to say that it was my hardest final.  The professor gave each California student in the course an image of an edifice studied in class, and we had to analyze it individually before him.  As I mentioned, it is just important to keep your cool in this type of exam, as it makes it much easier to find your words in French!  Since this was an art history course, we were given about 300 edifices throughout the semester to study, and the professor expected us to know the name and location of all of these pieces for the final exam, as all of our pieces we had to analyze for the final were from this bank.  So, just know this for future reference if you decide to take an art history course at Bordeaux Montaigne!  

Yesterday was not only the last day of my finals, but also my last day with all of the UCEAP students in the program.  We had a small cocktail evening at the university, with all of those involved in our program, even the host families.  We sadly said our goodbyes to each other and also to Joelle and Anaïs.  Our lovely methodology professor, Melanie, was also there, so it was really nice to speak with everyone who made our program special for the last time.   

I am leaving France on Christmas eve (warning: don’t be like me and purchase your return flight to California in October because it will be even more expensive than it already is!).  Now, as I wait out my final four days in Bordeaux, I will have some time to reflect on my time here.  I started that today, with my good friend Adam, from UC Riverside.  Every week we took one afternoon to go try a new patisserie in the city, and we had our final outing today.  We actually went to what was ranked in 2017 as the greatest boulangerie in France, Maison Lamour (157 Rue Judaïque, 33000 Bordeaux).  They are very well known in Bordeaux for their chocolatines, so you must try one.  I also had a royale, which is like a chocolate cream cake.   

Later in the afternoon, Adam and I joined our friends Amy and Tracie for a final coffee date all together.  This was another almost daily tradition for the four of us, and we all were definitely sad that we had to have our last one.  Everything now feels so bittersweet, but I suppose with all of the difficult goodbyes I am having to make I am realizing how many truly incredible friendships I made thanks to this program.   

Beyond friends, I feel like I have my own little family in Bordeaux.  I have absolutely loved my time with my host family, and I cannot recommend the experience enough.  The other evening, we enjoyed raclette, a popular dish in the wintertime here, composed of melted Swiss raclette cheese served with potatoes and cured meats.  My host parents invited my good friend from California, Tracie, and my host brother also invited his best friend.  It was such a wonderful time.  My goodness, how I will miss them and my little community I’ve gained here in Bordeaux.   

Natasha Szombathy studied abroad in Bordeaux, France in 2017: http://eap.ucop.edu/OurPrograms/france/Pages/univ_of_bordeaux_coursework_french.aspx

France | Choosing Classes

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[av_textblock size='' font_color='' color='' av-medium-font-size='' av-small-font-size='' av-mini-font-size='' admin_preview_bg=''] BY NATASHA SZOMBATHY School is in full swing now that we are in week four of the semester!! After three weeks of trying out many, many classes, I feel like I have finally solidified a schedule for myself.  As I mentioned before, it is so important to attend a section for any class you just might be interested in taking while you are here.  It can be really difficult to find a professor you feel comfortable understanding and communicating with.  And, of course, you should try to take advantage of the course offerings available in France that would be hard to find back at UCLA!  All students at Bordeaux Montaigne (the humanities campus) had to enroll in classes by the Friday of the second week of school.  Because I was not at all confident in my class choices by that date, Joëlle from the California office recommended that I just enroll in all of the classes I am potentially interested in taking.  So, with her guidance I enrolled in the four classes I was sure I wanted to take: gastronomy, methodology (the required course for French track students here with UCEAP), French journalism, and medieval art history.  In addition, I enrolled in antique history, history of modern France, and earth systems, a course in the geography department.   I had no problem enrolling in these seven courses, as they didn’t enforce any type of unit cap for the international students.  Throughout weeks three and four, I attended each of the three classes I was interested in potentially taking, and eventually I chose to take the course on earth systems.  I was finding, as a biology major, that I was missing the courses on the environment that I was used to taking back home at UCLA, and so the earth systems class ended up being a perfect fit for me.  As an added bonus, I’m hoping to be able to use this course for my major back home.  I have found that the professors in the geography department tend to teach by drawing diagrams and flowcharts on the blackboard, instead of using traditional PowerPoints or simply talking at the class (which unfortunately many of the history professors here tend to do).  This has made learning the material actually much easier for me, so if you’re more of a visual learner I would highly recommend checking out some classes in the geography department!   In order to drop the other two history classes I was trying out, all I had to do was go to the international student office and notify them of which classes I no longer wanted to take.  It only took five minutes, so if you find yourself unsure of what you want to take at Bordeaux Montaigne by the end of the second week of school, I would just recommend enrolling in a few courses you still want to try and just dropping a few later.   As far am my other courses go, I am loving them!  Our gastronomy class is going to go on a fieldtrip to an outdoor market and a winery together in November, and in just a few weeks our professor is going to host a cooking session for us where she will teach us to cook some French classics!    My class on French journalism is also wonderful, and its giving me a great reason to go pick up a French newspaper in the mornings.  Since the journalism class is instructed at the DEFLE (the department for French for foreigners), there are students from all over the world in it.  I’ve been really liking getting to know the other students, and discussing the news with such diverse perspectives is so interesting.   My medieval art course is a full immersion class with only French students, so that one has probably been the most difficult at this point.  I have learned that just writing down anything I think I hear the professor say has been the best way to take notes, even if my spelling is a little off.  I’ve been going back and retyping my notes on my computer after every class, and I just research the parts that I had trouble understanding.  This has actually been a great way for me to prepare for all of the upcoming lectures, as it reinforces the vocabulary.    My first exams are coming up in week six, so for now I am just trying to stay on top of all of the information! I have some fun day trips coming up, so I cannot wait to share those with you!  À bientôt!  [/av_textblock] [av_hr class='default' height='50' shadow='no-shadow' position='center' custom_border='av-border-thin' custom_width='50px' custom_border_color='' custom_margin_top='30px' custom_margin_bottom='30px' icon_select='yes' custom_icon_color='' icon='ue808' av-desktop-hide='' av-medium-hide='' av-small-hide='' av-mini-hide=''] [av_textblock size='' font_color='' color='' av-medium-font-size='' av-small-font-size='' av-mini-font-size='' admin_preview_bg=''] Natasha Szombathy studied abroad in Bordeaux, France in 2017: http://eap.ucop.edu/OurPrograms/france/Pages/univ_of_bordeaux_coursework_french.aspx [/av_textblock]

BY NATASHA SZOMBATHY

School is in full swing now that we are in week four of the semester!! After three weeks of trying out many, many classes, I feel like I have finally solidified a schedule for myself.  As I mentioned before, it is so important to attend a section for any class you just might be interested in taking while you are here.  It can be really difficult to find a professor you feel comfortable understanding and communicating with.  And, of course, you should try to take advantage of the course offerings available in France that would be hard to find back at UCLA! 

All students at Bordeaux Montaigne (the humanities campus) had to enroll in classes by the Friday of the second week of school.  Because I was not at all confident in my class choices by that date, Joëlle from the California office recommended that I just enroll in all of the classes I am potentially interested in taking.  So, with her guidance I enrolled in the four classes I was sure I wanted to take: gastronomy, methodology (the required course for French track students here with UCEAP), French journalism, and medieval art history.  In addition, I enrolled in antique history, history of modern France, and earth systems, a course in the geography department.  

I had no problem enrolling in these seven courses, as they didn’t enforce any type of unit cap for the international students.  Throughout weeks three and four, I attended each of the three classes I was interested in potentially taking, and eventually I chose to take the course on earth systems.  I was finding, as a biology major, that I was missing the courses on the environment that I was used to taking back home at UCLA, and so the earth systems class ended up being a perfect fit for me.  As an added bonus, I’m hoping to be able to use this course for my major back home.  I have found that the professors in the geography department tend to teach by drawing diagrams and flowcharts on the blackboard, instead of using traditional PowerPoints or simply talking at the class (which unfortunately many of the history professors here tend to do).  This has made learning the material actually much easier for me, so if you’re more of a visual learner I would highly recommend checking out some classes in the geography department!  

In order to drop the other two history classes I was trying out, all I had to do was go to the international student office and notify them of which classes I no longer wanted to take.  It only took five minutes, so if you find yourself unsure of what you want to take at Bordeaux Montaigne by the end of the second week of school, I would just recommend enrolling in a few courses you still want to try and just dropping a few later.  

As far am my other courses go, I am loving them!  Our gastronomy class is going to go on a fieldtrip to an outdoor market and a winery together in November, and in just a few weeks our professor is going to host a cooking session for us where she will teach us to cook some French classics!   

My class on French journalism is also wonderful, and its giving me a great reason to go pick up a French newspaper in the mornings.  Since the journalism class is instructed at the DEFLE (the department for French for foreigners), there are students from all over the world in it.  I’ve been really liking getting to know the other students, and discussing the news with such diverse perspectives is so interesting.  

My medieval art course is a full immersion class with only French students, so that one has probably been the most difficult at this point.  I have learned that just writing down anything I think I hear the professor say has been the best way to take notes, even if my spelling is a little off.  I’ve been going back and retyping my notes on my computer after every class, and I just research the parts that I had trouble understanding.  This has actually been a great way for me to prepare for all of the upcoming lectures, as it reinforces the vocabulary.   

My first exams are coming up in week six, so for now I am just trying to stay on top of all of the information! I have some fun day trips coming up, so I cannot wait to share those with you!  À bientôt! 

Natasha Szombathy studied abroad in Bordeaux, France in 2017: http://eap.ucop.edu/OurPrograms/france/Pages/univ_of_bordeaux_coursework_french.aspx