From Summer 1986 to Summer 1987, I attended 11th grade at Mainland Regional High School in Linwood, New Jersey, USA. During the time, I spent in the USA, I was very fortunate to have the possibility to live with the Leap family, a family that included 3 sons, Christopher (Chris), Gregory (Greg), and Douglas (Doug), as well as their parents, Barbara (Barb) and James (Jim). It was a very new experience for me to live with a family with 3 children. And I recall that I very much liked living with the Leap family in Linwood, New Jersey. For example, I remember some great times playing basketball in the backyard with Chris and Greg. I also recall several amusing times with good laughs around the kitchen table. And I recall a great trip we had to Baltimore, Maryland with friends of the family as well as a wonderful trip to Philadelphia with the church community to see Harlem Globetrotters play. 

Compared with the life I had been living in Denmark, it was quite different to live in the USA. For example, I recall that between classes in high school in the USA, there was a 4 minute break which was just enough time to get what you needed in your locker and walk quickly to the room of your next class. I recall that when I met someone I knew in the hallways, we greeted each other with "Hi, how are you doing?" In the first weeks after I started as a student at the high school, I remember I stopped, when a person asked me this question, reflected on how I was doing, and looked forward to speaking with the person about the question. However, I soon realized that due to the relatively short 4 minute period between classes, there was no time for long conversations. So by observing and listening to what other students did, I learned to simply respond "Great, how are you?", smile and then continue walking / running. The short conversations were a bit of a culture shock, I remember.

Reflecting on my experiences being a part of high school life in New Jersey, I also remember that there were several prizes, which were used to reward students for results they / we had achieved - both academically, in sports and in other areas. That was different from how things were done in Denmark. And I admit that I was very honored to receive the awards "most valuable player" and "the principal's award for a unique contribution." Thank you very much. 

Among other things, which were different in the USA compared with Denmark, were, I remember, food and transportation. For example, I recall being somewhat surprised that in the cafeteria at school, French fries were served relatively often. Another thing that surprised me was that a relatively large number of students were driving around or being driven around in cars - including really cool, colorful cars like Ford Mustang as well as some smaller cars created my Japanese car companies. In Denmark, most students got from A to B by walking or cycling. I think it was only because I did sports after school almost every day that I could keep my weight at a healthy level.

As I came back to Denmark in 1987, I started at Risskov Gymnasium. From the 3 year gymnasium period, I recall, for example, that in one of the big high school projects, the final thesis, I chose to write about the Japanese economy with a friend of mine. I remember we were fascinated by the impressive economic progress of Japan and wanted to better understand factors behind the strong economic performance. I believe that it was because of the knowledge, which I acquired about Japan during the thesis writing process, that I became interested in topics such as total quality management and continuous improvement. In this regard, I remember that as I was an exchange student at HEC Montréal in Canada as a part of my masters education, I chose to learn more about ideas behind total quality management.

Attending high school I acquired a wide range of academic, social, and personal skills. Through work on mathematics, geography and biology, for example, I recall developing the ability to solve problems. Social studies and history provided me with a good understanding of economics, political systems and social structures in different countries. Through reading, writing and doing various exercises, I learned to analyze, evaluate as well as critically assess information and arguments. Learning to ability to think critically is, I experience, of increasing importance. What I also found very valuable during high school education was learning to do research as well as write various reports. Through dialogues we had in different classes, I recall improving my ability to express knowledge and ideas clearly - in Danish, English, German and French. As high school education required much work outside school, I learned to prioritize and organize time effectively. I found out very quickly that high school requires a strong degree of self-discipline and independence. 

What stands out for me from the gymnasium education is also the tests at the end of each year. I recall that because there were relatively few tests during the course of a year, the tests at the end of the year had a relatively strong influence on the final grade. This made me a little nervous, I admit, because I got the impression that I must perform to my very best every time. From the testing period I also remember a 3 person group exam in Math, when we were tested on our math knowledge in a room by the math teacher and another person. I found this group exam very different from several tests / exams, during which lots of focus was put on individual performance. In addition, I recall the positive feedback of the written German exam that the German teacher gave me. I remember he said to me that he was quite impressed by the expression "meiner Meinung nach", which I used. In Danish, English and French, which were other languages I was learning at the time, the sequence of the words used was different.

What I also recall from the 3 year learning period at Risskov Gymnasium was a school project during which each class created an event. In the basement of the gymnasium, the class, which I was a part of, develop a space with games and various kinds of entertainment such as show dance. I remember we had a lot of fun doing this, and that many people liked to come and participate. Through the group project I learned much from working with other students - including listening, communicating, developing and sharing ideas, taking initiative as well as taking responsibility for tasks.

One of the most important aspects of high school is, in my opinion, that the education  fosters curiosity and love of learning. In that respect, high school education prepared me well for higher education studies - both academically and practically.