Final Program Reflection

Adaptability

I'd like to say I have always been fairly adaptable but this study abroad program taught me to be adaptable while in another country and utilize what is available. The best example of this was when we had to leave The Generator unexpectedly and had no way of getting to our new place of accommodation. Rob had mentioned the route that we were going to take via the tube but I had remembered from a few nights prior that the line he planned on using was closed for maintenance. The entire time we were in London, I was using only a map of the tube to get around instead of the GPS-- as I found the GPS unreliable at times. I used that skill to find a new line to get on for our group to make it to the new hotel. 

Independence/ Responsibility

While in the United States I have always found myself depending on others, especially my mother. While in the program I rarely talked to her and it forced me to be dependent on myself. In our free time, especially in London, I organized outings with 4 or 5 other people where we would go sightseeing or out to eat. My biggest motto for this trip was to leave no one behind so I would constantly be making sure everyone was accounted for. I made sure to always be aware of my surroundings and if we happened to get lost I would simply ask for directions, something I was never comfortable doing before. 

Confidence

One thing I have always had an abundance of in a familiar place was confidence. However, when I was placed in an unfamiliar setting I would lack confidence. Studying abroad helped me boost that confidence in unfamiliar places immensely. Before we left for Europe I was hesitant about my trip to Austria to hike through the Alps. I was nervous because we were going to be completely on our own with no one to fall back on and I had to make the arrangements for accommodations as well as plans for getting there. After staying in London, I gained so much more confidence with navigating and talking to strangers. This gave me the boost I needed to confidently navigate getting to Austria and checking in at the hotel once we got there.

Problem Solving

Throughout this trip there were many instances where problem solving skills were required. The most notable was when I went to Austria. We were all having an amazing time and almost at the top of the mountain when three people in the front of our group stopped and looked up. After catching my breath I said, "What are we looking at?" Isaiah muttered, "I think there are a herd of deer or something up there". Tuula chimes in from behind exclaiming, "Uhh that's a bobcat". I looked up to see a herd of animals that resembled deer with either horns or antlers darting back and forth above us. Next thing I know, the animals make a b-line right for us. Everyone had frozen, except Josie who had hid behind a tree and started crying. I quickly told everyone to pick up rocks and I began to make loud noises while clapping my hands. The combination of noises and clapping scared them off and they pranced off in a different direction. Later, we had come to find out they were not so friendly mountain goats.

Foreign Language

Before we went to Germany, I was a little concerned about the language barrier. After a few days of being there, I began to pick up on the written language. I would translate signs through google and take note of certain words such as exit to better navigate through Munich. I would then be able to recognize and translate some phrases or words which put my mind at ease in regards to the language barrier. In America, I only notice all the English and this study abroad experience has equipped me with this tactic to better navigate a place where the first language isn't English. 

How does it feel to be back?

Sad

Depressed

Happy to be home

Upset I have to drive

Eager to go back

Excited to learn more about other country's history

Motivated to finish school

One thing I miss most about England and Germany is the connectivity and accessibility to get around without using a car. Another thing I miss is the experience of staying in a hostel. Lastly, I miss the food. To stay connected to the food I can look up recipes and attempt to cook what I ate while abroad. I can take mini trips around the states and stay in hostels there. As for the connectivity, I plan on going back to Europe next year. I attempted to ride the bus when I got back to avoid driving, but something that was 15 minutes away by car would have taken me 3 hours to get there.

Design Thinking Reflection

Design Thinking can help identify and/or address issues of sustainability by the use of empathy, collaboration, and keeping people involved in the testing of the solution. The UDL  framework kept in mind what people would need within 1, 5, 10, 15, 30 and 60 minutes. This helped decide what specific designs would best cater to human needs while being sustainable. For example, during our final project we first identified an issue with the use of empathy as well as how might we statements to elaborate the issue and its solution. Brainstorming ideas came in to play to foster creative solutions. With the use of ideas for prototypes and suggestions for feedback we were able to keep a human centered focus to see how the public would react to our ideas in order to make it more efficient. By utilizing Design Thinking we were able to create a creative, potential solution one may not think of without these tactics. 

The issue of sustainability has become a focus in many cities around the world because the viability of our planet is a major concern and is becoming increasingly more urgent. Improving this matter in the United States is slightly more challenging due to the way our cities and residential areas are set up. One invention that could potentially help this issue are adaptive traffic lights. Carbon emissions from cars, among other things, have contributed to global warming. With the use of adaptive traffic lights, people could get places faster as the computer learns patterns and behaviors. This could result in the reduction of time spent on the road due to traffic jams or waiting at lights generating fewer carbon emissions.

Another solution that was observed in England as well as Germany was the federal recycling programs. These programs have been successful at reducing the amount of waste these countries produce. Because the United States does not have a federal recycling program or laws enforcing this, recycling is left up to the individual. In Nottingham, there were community dumpsters for recycling, as well as recycling cans next to garbage cans. Munich utilized these dual recycling and trash cans as well as bottle deposits. If all of these were present in the U.S. and enforced it could be a step in the right direction to reducing the amount of waste produced. 

Environmental History Reflection

Our core classwork in Harlaxton focused on the history of England and Germany, elaborating on how events such as World War II and the Great Stink shaped their economy and cities. The excursions showed us first hand how history shaped and impacted current ways as well as solidified how and why cities were designed with specific needs in mind. For example, in class we learned about the Victoria Embankment and how it contributed to the water pollution solution in the Thames River after the Great Stink. Not only did the embankment help solve the issue of London's sewage system, it led to the revolutionary idea of an underground railway system, all while creating space above for the city to grow. When visiting the embankment, the Docklands Museum, and riding the water taxi on the Thames, the different uses for the river over time were seen. Before World War II, the river was used for the transportation of goods. However, after the docklands were bombed and as the middle class expanded, the river and the land around it developed in to a place of leisure, as seen in the excursion by the water taxi, the parks on the embankment, and as described in the museum. 

After riding the Tube for a few days and using different lines, you could see that the tunnel system was a palimpsest. Some tunnels had lifts and were visibly older by the wear and tear of its build as well as the materials used, while others had escalators and newer construction. In the London Transport Museum, a video of the tube's map was playing starting with the first map of the tube and going year by year showing the addition of new lines increasing London's connectivity. On the other hand, as learned in class, after World War II Germany reconstructed their cities with the focus of transportation by automobiles. Automobile companies became the center of new West Germany consumerism, resulting in the change of the entire city's structure to accommodate cars. Later, there was a push to create a new public network and the U-Bahn began to expand. The difference between London and Munich's public transportation was seen by simply riding the Tube and the U-Bahn. London, compared to Munich, had stores and shops closer together. Because of this, London's underground railway system was more efficient and connective. Getting around via the Tube in London was more convenient due to all the different lines and trains were more frequent. Although these underground railroad systems are similar, the different way both of these cities were built after WWII impacted their public transportation.