Danish student makes a return trip
Stine Trolle visited the United State for the first time for a high school foreign exchange program in Minnesota.
Five years later, Trolle returned to the Midwest to study abroad at NDSU.
“I like the atmosphere of the North and the people and culture too,” Trolle said. “ Plus, I get to live close to the people I lived with when I was here as an exchange student in 1999.”
Having the opportunity to return as a study abroad student was something that Trolle said she had to work hard for though.
Students from Denmark are able to either study abroad through an exchange program, which Trolle said is paid for by the student’s school, or as a free mover, where students must pay for the entire trip themselves.
“You have to be among the top ranked percentage in your class to be an exchange student,” Trolle said.
Students are also required to pass a TOFFL test, which Trolle said tests a student’s English speaking skills.
Trolle grew up in Kolding, Denmark, a town with a population of a little more than 55,000 people, according to www.denmark.dk.
Trolle said her older brother and younger sister both live in Aarhus, Denmark, a town about one mile from Kolding.
Trolle said, the major difference between Denmark and North Dakota is the lay out of the education system.
“Our school system is way different then American school systems,” Trolle said. “Students work more independently in Denmark. Here they make you do assignment after assignment where as in Denmark, you are just assigned readings and you take a final at the end of the semester.”
Trolle said that in Denmark students start out in basic school, similar to elementary school, at age six and finish at age 16.
Following basic school, Trolle said students are either given a year off or they can attend one year of boarding school.
“I was an exchange student the year after I graduated from my basic school,” Trolle said. “It’s pretty common for students to do that.”
After students finish basic school, Trolle said they can go to either the Kolding Amts Gymnasium, business school or technical school.
Trolle said she attended the Kolding Amts Gymnasium, which is a three-year program where students take mostly general based courses such as science, English, math and other general education courses.
Trolle said it’s common for students to take a year or two off after they graduate from the Gymnasium.
“This is the time when students go figure out what they want to do and depending on their GPA, which college they want to go to,” Trolle said.
Trolle was accepted to Aarhus School of Business where she plans to graduate with a bachelors in business communication and business English and a masters in business communication.
“I’m doing the softer courses such as English, communication and journalism and not taking any of the finance classes,” Trolle said. “It takes three years to get your bachelor’s degree and two years to get a master’s degree.”
The only disadvantage Trolle said she has at NDSU is not as much independence.
“ I don’t have a car here, so I can’t go wherever I want to,” Trolle said. “People here have just taken me in and ask me to do stuff and they don’t take no for an answer.”
Trolle said another big difference is how outgoing Americans are when compared to Danish people.
“You guys are outgoing and very forward,” Trolle said. “ Danes are open too, but only to a certain extent. If you get to know a Dane you will know them your whole life because friendships are really intense.”
Trolle said that although she misses her family and friends back home, studying abroad at NDSU has been a great experience.
“I would wish that it would be recommended at each school, and that more of the programs at NDSU would tell people to go.” Trolle said. “I think it would open up a broader understanding of the world, especially in the years when you are in college … those are the years that you have the time to go out and see the world.”