Sweden: Anastasia Morrow
Program: UW Summer Launch in Sweden: Vikings to Empires, Summer
Anastasia’s Major: Dance
What is your most memorable experience from your program?
Visiting the Vasa Ship, which is a 98 percent authentic ship that was recovered from the Baltic Sea. It is absolutely massive, and displays the wealth of Sweden’s Empire.
What is a custom, food or tradition from your host country that you are taking forward?
I am taking the Swedish custom of Fika with me. Fika is the idea that you sit down with a friend, chat and have a drink or snack and then continue on your day. Fika gives you an opportunity to slow down and enjoy the company of your friends.
I made some of my best friends on my program, and they will benefit my future at UW-Madison as they make the large campus feel more like home.
What challenges or barriers did you face as you prepared to go abroad?
This was my first course at UW-Madison, so I had to get used to the coursework and Canvas layout. Combined with the jetlag of the first few days, this created some stress for myself, and for other students. We learned that we needed to settle in and take our assignments one at a time, and we could get through it. Relying on other students in the program who had become our friends to read our assignments and help us edit them was also a great resource.
What is your advice for someone considering your program?
You should definitely do it! Don’t let the intro essay scare you away from this amazing experience. This course gave me the opportunity to meet and spend two weeks with a professor who I can rely on once I get to campus. That is a very valuable connection.