From SDU to A Room with a View
In the spring of 2016, physics student Julia Emily Bjørnstrøm and her fellow student Mads Elmelund Hansen travelled to Pisa in Italy on a student exchange programme. It turned out to be an exchange that threw up some challenges and surprises, but which in many ways also gave the students an insight into a new and different way of studying.
"Ever since I started studying physics I've wanted to do an exchange. I actually started investigating it during my Bachelor programme, but the opportunity only properly came about during the second semester of my Master programme when the timetable was made up of optional courses, so it was the perfect chance to travel abroad," explains Julia, who chose Italy because she has an Italian mother and therefore already knew about the culture and language.
One of the biggest challenges of studying at the university in Pisa was the way in which the exams are planned. In Italy, the exam period runs from June until September, and the students also have to decide for themselves when they are ready to take the exam. Julia and Mads wrote a project that turned out to be longer than their Bachelor project, and because the exam requirements were so demanding, they ended up using July for exam preparations, even though they had made plans to travel then.
"The Italian exams are the hardest I've experienced so far. Mostly because of the demands made on the students, but also because of the heat. It was 35 degrees in Pisa in June, so we were literally sweating over our exam revision. We were really happy when it was over, and we celebrated with the biggest Italian ice cream we could find. But in spite of the high demands and the high temperatures, I would still say that the Italian exam period is a big part of what I have taken away from the experience - now that I can look at it from a distance," says Julia with a smile.
"To have gone through something challenging and difficult and find out that you can actually make it, and that your academic level is totally on par with the Italians' makes you want to fight your way through - also the next time something seems difficult. It's also one of the reasons that I now want to return to Italy to write my thesis," points out Julia.
Julia highlights three things in particular that are important to consider before and during the exchange:
- Find out early how courses and exams are conducted in the foreign university so that you are not surprised while you are there.
- Apply for scholarships, as these can cover many of your expenses.
- Participate in the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) as it is a good way to meet other exchange students.
If everything goes according to plan, Julia will return to Italy in August but this time to Florence, where she will spend the next year writing her thesis on experimental physics.
Photo provided by Julia Bjørnskov.