Learning differently

DIS Blog

Learning differently ✏️

Published
September 30, 2023

Author
Natalie, Fall 2023

Academics

Before arriving in Copenhagen, Natalie (she/her), Brown University, had many questions about how the academic experience at DIS would compare to her campus back home.

Would the workload at DIS be just as demanding? Would they have enough time to explore the city and keep up with learning? Now, after spending over a month in Copenhagen, Natalie gained a clearer understanding of what academics at DIS is like and is sharing insights into their experience.

Read Nat’s original blog post.

Before coming to Copenhagen, one of the biggest questions I had was about how my academic experience would differ here vs. at Brown.

Back on campus, lectures and assignments took up a significant portion of my day-to-day. I usually spend an absurd amount of time in the library, spending what should be an illegal number of hours on assignments.

So, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect out of DIS Copenhagen. Would I spend just as much time on assignments? Would I have enough time to explore Copenhagen? Would I be learning enough? Would my sleep schedule be just as bad?

I wasn’t able to find exact answers to my questions, so I came in feeling quite uneasy and uncertain of if I would be able to balance my academics with the rest of my life here.

Now that I’ve been here more than a month, I think I have a pretty solid idea of what the day in the life of a DIS student looks like in regards to academics. So, I’d love to share these insights about what it’s been like for me attending classes at DIS!

👩🏻‍🏫 Learning environment

You may have heard that professors at DIS prefer to be called by their first name! This is just one aspect that represents the type of learning environment here…
If you’re the type to zone out easily during lectures (I know I am), then you’ll probably appreciate the seminar-like nature of DIS classes! The small class sizes allow you to engage in a lot of discussion and group work with your peers and teachers, which for me at least, is a lot more engaging.
Overall, it’s a pretty relaxed learning environment, which makes learning more exciting!

📚 Workload

As someone who spent probably 7+ hours per week on CS projects alone last semester, I can’t express how grateful I am for the lighter workload here!
Students will still be assigned pre-class readings or assignments, but if you’re planning to travel or explore a lot, don’t worry! It’s totally manageable.
Personally, I’ve found that the majority of my assignments have either consisted of background readings or short quizzes to keep us on track. Nothing crazy… yet!
Still, this doesn’t mean that I’m learning less, just that I have more free time!

🎒 Field Studies

I think this aspect of DIS is the main thing that differs from my experience at Brown, and it’s probably one of the coolest!
Field Studies occur for ALL your electives at some point, and can happen on Wednesdays (though not every Wednesday!) for ~2-3 hour periods between 8am-5pm.
For the most part, I’ve really enjoyed my field studies – they keep things fresh and help me realize that what I’m learning in the classroom is actually applicable to the real-world, and has local relevance here in Copenhagen (sounds a bit like college-website jargon, but it’s true!).
Just to prove it, here are some of the Field Studies I’ve had for my classes:

Beer tasting! This was at People Like Us, a brewery that hires neurodivergent employees to challenge societal norms. I’m officially a sour beer fan.

“With these Field Studies, I’m able to contextualize what I’m learning. And more importantly (in my opinion) Field Studies can be super fun! You get to know other people in your class, and you get to know Copenhagen.”

With these Field Studies, I’m able to contextualize what I’m learning. And more importantly (in my opinion) Field Studies can be super fun! You get to know other people in your class, and you get to know Copenhagen.

Also, this kind of academic schedule has definitely influenced what my daily routine looks like. With so much free time, I could go shopping between classes, or try a new cafe, or lie down at the park! Me at Brown would have been very jealous.

However, I do sometimes find myself forgetting that I’m still here for school and not vacation. Through conversations with other DIS students, I’ve found that it’s definitely a shared thought. So I do often remind myself that while I’m here, it’s also an opportunity to continue growing academically.

Prospective students, I hope this has been helpful in giving you a peek into what your day-to-day might look like (and hopefully has got you more excited)! If you have any more questions related to academics, balancing life, or anything else, don’t hesitate to contact me 🙂

Signing off now,

— Nat

Want to learn more about what academics looks at DIS?

About the author

Natalie (she/her) is a student at Brown University majoring in Computer Science and Biology. Her current academic interests include marine and wildlife biology and software engineering, and came to DIS in the fall semester to study Polar Biology, Artificial Intelligence, and Social Entrepreneurship. Natalie is originally from Minnesota, but grew up for the majority of her life in Bangkok, Thailand. As someone who has lived and travelled internationally, she is excited to add another chapter in Denmark.