Getting Ahead on Finals

As classes are coming to an end in Copenhagen, I have felt a mix of emotions. On one hand, it is bittersweet to be finishing up my coursework. On the other hand, with all of the final projects on my plate I am glad to see the finish line in sight.

At DIS, there is a lot of emphasis on group work in a lot of my courses. I have had multiple presentations and still have one more presentation to go before closing out the semester. I have also had many papers and am finally working through my last one! The only exam I have is for my Danish language and culture course which everyone in a Danish course has to take at the end of the semester. The format of this exam is 2.5 minutes of conversation with a partner and 2.5 minutes of questions. Thankfully we are able to write and practice our conversation script before the exam and see a list of the questions that could possibly asked!

Throughout the past week or two of working on final projects and papers, I have discovered a few strategies that have made the assignments feel less stressful. A few weeks before my projects were due (most of them were due within the same few days), I started thinking about how much time they would take me and came up with a plan of action to make it less stressful. I started a few of my papers and projects well before their deadlines so I had the chance to slowly work through them while still being ahead of the deadline. This ensured that I had plenty of time to work on my other projects without feeling rushed. The due date for most of my papers and projects is in a week and I have so far completed everything besides 1 project and 1 paper!

Another thing I have tried to prioritize is getting out to enjoy the beautiful weather! This past week has been incredibly nice in Copenhagen and I have been enjoying working on papers and final assignments outside. This past Friday, I visited the botanical garden and sat in the grass while I studied for my Danish exam! Sometimes it can feel like you are missing out on enjoying the weather because it can be easier to focus and get work done indoors. If you are able to find one or two assignments or pieces of an assignment that can be done outdoors, I encourage you to take the opportunity to find a fun place to sit in the sun while you study! It was a huge mood booster!

For future students, I would encourage you to look ahead at the course syllabi. Like I mentioned before, a lot of times final assignments for different courses all end up being due within the same few days. If you are aware of this ahead of time you might be able to get some of them out of the way early. This is especially helpful since our last day of classes is only a few days before we leave to fly back home. Being able to have the majority of your assignments out of the way before your final week here will allow you to enjoy your last few moments in Copenhagen and the beautiful weather that the spring brings!