Allen Wu
■ Graduated from SCIE in 2019 ■ Studied at Emory University in the United States
When writing down this text, I was in a century-old teaching building in the center of Copenhagen, Denmark. The warm sun reflected from the outside into the window and to the study room I was in. The tik-tok sounds of the clock blended perfectly with the keyboard sound I made. Today marked my first full month here in Denmark. Winter approached quietly at the end of September. A month ago, it was more than 20 degrees, while the temperature plummeted to single digits in the blink of an eye. It seems that autumn is just a shadow hiding between summer and winter. No one can catch it.
The decision to come to Denmark for an exchange semester in my senior year was abrupt but firm. Last year, I spent two full semesters at my university, which is fulfilling but boring at the same time. I have already formed my daily and weekly routine. On weekdays, I walked to and from the academic building, canteen, dormitory, and library; on Saturdays, I went out to eat with friends and sight-seeing in the city; on Sundays, I went to the library to complete homework and went back home for a workout. Every week went through just like this. In this environment where I was familiar with everything, I also had this invisible pressure from my surroundings. Although I know that my classmates are pursuing paths different from mine, I was still deeply affected by what they did when pursuing their paths. I would easily fall into deep self-doubt, asking myself if I was good enough. Am I going to be unemployed after graduation? Should I do the same thing as them? I have a strong urge to escape from this environment in order to find myself again and not be forced to do things because of the pressure from the environment. You can also argue that I am a deserter, trying to hide from reality and start a new life where most people are not.
My university has no education-related courses, but because of my previous experience, I am eager to explore more in the Education path. With more than 60 years of history, this Danish exchange program offers several courses on Nordic education and children’s education. All classes are focused on allowing students to experience Nordic life during the exchange period. Within a semester, there were many field trips and study trips to other European countries, so soon, I felt that this was the project I wanted to go to.
A week into living in a local Danish home and a new environment, I felt like I was being regrouped. The ‘me’ that was in China or the United States was dismantled, and then a new ‘me’ was built up to fit in here. I learned to adapt to the sofa bed in the room that was so small that it was hard for me to turn around; The sour black bread and the unbearably hard tap water in Denmark; The two-hour dinner conversation with my grandparents at the host family every night; Casual but somewhat inefficient classroom culture… It’s a beautiful process, but it’s also painful. I need to break down the prejudices and ideas that were inherent in me one by one. After going through countless first times, I readjust myself to change.
Before coming to Denmark, I had an innate preference for the Danish educational system. Students in Denmark do not have any homework or exams until age 15; from nursery school to high school, the school has always emphasized free play and student autonomy, and there is no fixed curriculum.
Courses in every school or even every class are flexible; Schools are free, and the government will even pay college students to go to university; Teachers do not have a system for assessing the quality of their teaching. It is fully dependent on the self-driving force of teachers; The equal friend-like relationship between teacher and student, where students can call the teacher by name without a prefix…
This set of features is new to me because they don’t appear in the education systems I’ve experienced. But is the presence of all these characteristics good? What else could the presence of these characteristics bring? Without homework and exams, students often fail to learn in class, and teachers who give students full freedom are under no obligation to ensure that every student does learn something in class. After speaking with students in Denmark, I realized that many students also aspire to more structured teaching in American universities because they will have a stronger sense of purpose. The lack of a unified system for judging the quality of teaching often leads to a “coffee-drinking” teaching model. In class, teachers allow students to study independently and do group activities. They will just sit next to them, drink coffee and chat with other teachers, as long as the students are safe. Behind this layer of filter that I had, to some extent, I also ignored that this free educational system has actually formed an inherent framework for viewing education, developing the so-called “Good Childhood.” However, many people in Denmark often cannot fit into this mainstream framework because they lack the necessary resources. Therefore, is the education they receive necessarily ‘inferior’?
When I use the same line of thinking to look at the educational system in China, the United States, or even in any country, the old saying “who has a better education than whom” no longer exists, the existence of a system is always two-sided. When people use the good side of one to compare the bad side of the other, they will always judge the two with colored glasses. Just like we always compare one aspect of our child with “other people’s child,” but often ignore the other aspects child and fail to acknowledge the reasons behind the child’s behavior. Looking at what exists in this world without judgment and from multiple perspectives is the biggest gain this short month has brought me.
I wonder what these next three months will take me to?!
When I stepped into this new land alone a month ago, my anticipation was mixed with fear. I don’t know if the next four months will overturn all my assumptions about Scandinavia. Now, a large portion of the speculation has already been overturned, but the process is not as painful as imagined. Instead, it is filled with many “aha” moments. I am grateful for my courage to choose to step out of my comfort zone and for the family and friends who have given me spiritual support and encouragement. Now, I wonder what these next three months will take me to?!
