SURVIVING FINALS WEEK AND SAYING GOODBYE:

By:

Remi Amokomowo

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Remi Amokomowo

<i>Pronouns:</i> She/her <i>Home Institution:</i> Smith College <i>Expected Graduation:</i> 2024 <i>Major / Minor:</i> Psychology / Chemistry <i>Study Abroad Location:</i> Copenhagen, Denmark <i>"Hello" in your host country's language:</i> Hej <i>Program Provider:</i> DIS <i>Identity:</i> African American/Black, First-Generation College Student <i>Future Career Goals:</i> My future career goals are to work in the finance sector, particularly in the compliance departments! <i>Top 3 Goals for your time abroad:</i> Establish meaningful relationships with my host family, to learn how to speak beginner Danish, To travel to at least one neighboring country!

Guys, it is officially December 6th and I am back in the States (New Jersey) in less than 9 days. I don’t know what to do with myself. I appreciate how all of my finals are due this week, so I have that to distract myself from my impending goodbye to my host family and the memories I have made here during my time abroad.

I have always dreaded finals week because I always feel as though each and every professor assigns an offensive amount of work, but I am not stressing about it because they are going to be completed and submitted by the due date. One thing about DIS study abroad is that we hardly have assignments and work to do during the actual semester, but when it comes to finals week, every single one of my professors has assigned multiple projects that I don’t appreciate. My friend that studied abroad at DIS warned me about that last year, but I guess information doesn’t sink in until I am experiencing the actual situation. So, I am in the midst of finals week abroad and the only final I am really worried about is my Danish oral exam. But other than that, thes rest of my exams are just papers.

I have been trying to spread out my finals as best as I can, so I can devote as much time to spending it with my host family as possible. We have been watching this Danish Christmas show that airs for 25 days of December or all of the days leading up to Christmas. There are no English subtitles, so my host mom (Sidse) always translates for me. I honestly feel like I am getting better in my Danish though! My host family usually always gets their christmas tree like a week before christmas but since I am leaving next friday, we are getting it this weekend and we’re going to decorate the tree together! I am so excited to do this tradition with my host family, it’s like a nice, joyful memory before I have to sadly leave.

It is very bittersweet because even though I miss all of my loved ones and friends, I am not too thrilled to return back to my REAL LIFE quite yet. I am a senior at Smith College which means I have to start applying for jobs and figure out what I want to do after graduation and I am just not ready for all to hit me at once. But, I am trying not to dwell on the future quite yet and just appreciate the memories I still have yet to make in these last few days.

That’s what I want to reiterate to you all, is to please enjoy the time that you have abroad, with your friends, your classes/teachers, roommates and or host family. Please cherish the time, because I honestly have no idea where August 19th, 2023- December 6th, 2023 went.

On a fun note, I also had the chance to travel to Paris, France this past weekend with one of my friends!! It was extremely fun and I had the chance to visit the iconic Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, The Panthéon, the Arc de Triomphe, Notre-Dame de Paris and some Christmas markets! I think Paris has been my favorite country that I have visited during my time abroad, it is just so beautiful with all the historical architecture.

I will share some photos down below and thank you all for always reading about my experiences!!

Au revoir!!💋