Cultural Differences

By:

Emily Cortez

Published:

Countries

Demographics

Majors

Regions

Emily Cortez

<i>"Hello" in your host country's language:</i> Hej! <i>Home Institution (your U.S. University/College):</i> Illinois Wesleyan University <i>Expected graduation year:</i> 2024 <i>Destination city & country:</i> Copenhagen, Denmark <i>Program provider:</i> DIS Study Abroad in Scandinavia <i>Major/minor:</i> Psychology with a Specialization in Pediatric Therapy <i>Demographics:</i> Hispanic/Latinx <i>Future career aspirations:</i> My goal is to become a pediatric therapist. I am currently an assistant teacher at the YWCA for after school programs (Kindergarten-5th grade). I have a passion for developmental and learning psychology and, therefore, hope to specialize in therapy for children with abnormalities. I want to consistently work towards improving the accessibility of American psychological healthcare and debunk stigmas surrounding mental illness and different learning disabilities. <i>Top 3 goals for your time abroad:</i> 1. Expand my personal, academic, professional, and cultural knowledge while working towards achieving my goal of seeing global applications of psychology first-hand and being exposed to the historical context of modern practices. 2. Work with my host family to learn more about ethnic cuisine, traditions, and everyday life. 3. Apply what I learn while studying abroad to improve the methods of clinical therapy that are standardized in American psychological healthcare.

I think the two major differences between the United States and Denmark are:

Getting used to a walkable city

If you’re not biking, you’re walking. There are buses and trains to help when you’re going long distances but for the most part you’re walking. You learn your way around fairly quickly and personally I loved walking more than the public transportation because I got to see more of what’s around me. I’d always leave the house with plenty of time so if I passed by a store or something that looked interesting i’d have plenty of time to take a look. Sometimes I would pass by a park and take a detour through there. The parks in copenhagen are my favorite because they’re all huge and alive and most of them have lake or pond in the middle. I’m from Chicago which is very much a concrete desert. There’s not much parks and the parks we do have are no where near the ones in Copenhagen. You really feel like you transported to a different place with all the nature.

It’s silent pretty much everywhere

The trains and busses have silent zones and even when you’re not in a silent zone it’s still silent. A clear giveaway that you’re American is talking on the bus or making noise. Coming back to America I got very overwhelmed very fast by all the noises around me and how loud everyone was. Denmark in general is very tranquil and silent. I think just respecting the silence around you is a very huge part of understanding the culture. Normally when you’re going home from going out on the weekends that’s when the public transportation gets a little rowdy but other than that expect silence.

I personally loved the quietness and the walking that came with Denmark. I felt like it allowed me to connect more with what’s around me. If the silence really isn’t your thing that’s totally fine, just make sure your airpods are charged.