1. My STEP Signature Project was a three-week study abroad program to Copenhagen, Denmark and Munich, Germany through DIS Abroad. I took a course on the neuroscience of fear and anxiety and attended class in Copenhagen. I went on a study tour to Munich, where we visited sites that gave historical examples of the role that fear and anxiety plays in society.
2. Studying abroad in Europe was a completely transformative experience for me in many ways. This trip was my first time traveling entirely alone without any friends or family. This allowed me the opportunity to genuinely reflect on myself and my interests as it was the first time I wasn’t catering to the needs and interests of others. I learned a lot about myself and how to genuinely enjoy time spent alone. I also had to learn how to deal with feeling like an outsider on my own. While my Pakistani identity made me stand out in the US, it was entirely different when visiting a country that was mostly homogenous and Scandinavian.
My view of the world also shifted as I learned a lot about northern european culture. Visiting Denmark was a very different experience from countries I have visited in Asia and the Middle East. I was able to see how much the Danish value their own culture and traditions and didn’t put English on a pedestal like many other countries, but instead just treated it as just another part of general education. I also learned a lot about the differing attitudes on mental health and homelessness in Germany. Whenever I considered topics on mental health, I typically only thought of the attitudes present in the US and believed that differences in opinion were mainly based on generational differences. However, I learned that some countries have an entirely different outlook from the US and genuinely work on rehabilitation and supporting people in a manner than the US has not considered.
3. Spending the first few days of my trip by myself was a very transformative experience for me. I struggled to explore by myself, as I was unsure of the local customs and hesitant to sit in busy cafes and public spaces alone. These feelings were also made worse as I felt like I stood out significantly more as I noticed the city had much less diversity than I was used to. However, everywhere I went. I met locals that were incredibly kind and happy to start conversations. I also quickly became familiar with the area and learned to be excited about meeting new people and navigating unfamiliar territory.
Another experience that transformed my view of northern European culture was the language differences. In Denmark, everyone spoke English as fluently as Danish, and I found it amazing how they were able to so easily switch between the two. In countries in Asia, I found that posters, store signs, and advertisements were often in English, despite most people not speaking much English. However in Denmark, all writing was still only in Danish even though they were fluent in English. I loved how clear it was that their Danish culture and language was valued and respected, and that knowing and using English didn’t mark superiority as I noticed in many other countries.
The most transformative experience I had during my time abroad was one of the class trips I went on in Germany. On our first day, we toured a facility of an organization that works with homeless people. We spoke to a social worker about his daily life and his role in the facility. The facility was essentially an apartment building/dorm that housed homeless people. He discussed how the rooms and services provided were 100% free, and the people living there were not expected to leave. Instead of being a temporary arrangement, people were permitted to live there for their entire lives if they wished. He also discussed how, as the only psychologist in the building, he personality took care of each individual that lived there. I was so incredibly moved by his passion for genuinely helping people and focusing on making long term impacts in people’s lives. In the US, I feel like services for homeless individuals are focused on the short term and getting people quickly back on their feet, which doesn’t always actually target the root problems. The approach that Germany took had inspired me greatly and reminded me of why I originally sought out to join the social work field.
4. The personal and academic discoveries that I experienced made the study abroad trip one that I will never forget. Speaking to the social workers and touring the facilities in Germany was absolutely valuable and transformative as it inspired and motivated me to work towards my original goals. Working in the US, it is easy to fall into the belief that things must be done the way they always have been done. Seeing how differently mental health is treated in Europe reminded me that there are countless different approaches and ways to change our outlook and system. I absolutely needed this reminder, and I will never forget the stories of recovery and rehabilitation that I heard about. As I go on to work in the medical field, I will remember what I saw in Europe and how different approaches and outlooks are vital to giving each person the treatment that they deserve.
