Study trips. The greatest and most surprising experiences

Seeing Catalonians protest in the streets, going to the stadium to see FC Barcelona play or getting closer to ones classmates – what made the lasting impressions on this fall’s study trips? We have asked the students.

During this term the final year STX and HF students have been on either study or exchange trips. The IB1 students go in the spring term.

An exchange trip offers hosting in private homes with teenagers attending an upper-secondary programme at schools that Grenaa Gymnasium has exchange agreements with. On study trips accommodation is usually hotels or hostels.

To many of our students the study- or exchange trip is one of the highlights during their years at Grenaa Gymnasium. Below is a collection of comments that illustrate this.

Maria Josiasen 2.q Study trip to Praque
“The best experience was the photo safari that took us through the city. You got to see the city in a new way, and because you planned the route yourself there was no stress and you saw many new and interesting things.”
“A study trip allows you to get to know your classmates better and you feel closer. I also find that you learn about yourself, because you also get to do things on your own.”

Alberte Lind 3.akm Exchange trip to Barcelona
“The best experience was to stay with Lola. It was great to join her in her everyday life and to get a new friend.”

Rasmus Tøttrup 3.xw Study trip to Rome
“The greatest experience was definitely the impressive architecture that you see all over the city, like Colosseum, the Monument of Vittorio Emmanuele and many more, but especially Pantheon was overwhelmingly beautiful with its optic illusion that leads the eye to the sky.”

“I have gained an insight into ancient Rome that is referred to so often. The whole trip gave me an impression of a very different culture that existed a thousand years ago. It is in many ways eye-opening.”

Mathilde Bager 3.us Exchange trip to USA
“What made the biggest impression on me while in Boston was to experience the hospitality of the Americans, the interest they showed for Denmark and to be reassured that not all Americans support Donald Trump.”

“It is a very unique thing to be on an exchange trip and experience the culture with no filter. It is fantastic. To me it was a golden opportunity to widen my horizon and se new aspects of other people’s way of living.”

Lavrentia 3.t Exchange trip to Kenya
“I was surprised that in Kibera they were able to uphold a living in spite of the poverty. The students at the school we visited there all had dreams for their future similar to ours.”

Ofelia Nielsen 3.akm Exchange trip to Barcelona
“The most surprising experience was to see Catalonians revolt in the streets.”

Sebastian 3.akm Exchange trip to Barcelona
“The best experience was to se FC Barcelona play.”

Naida Stubbe 2.p Study trip to Prague
“The best thing about the trip was that you had time to be together with your friends whithout the feeling all the time that it was school related. It is good to be on a study trip because it is different and you get to know one another in a different way that strengthens the bonds within the class.”

Julie Bowman 3.t Exchange trip to Kenya
“In Denmark it is your grades that might prevent you from becoming educated. In Kenya you might be immensely talented, but it is other factors that might prevent you from achieving.”

Casper Berner 3.us Exchange trip to USA

”It is amazing that one week is all it takes for you bond with people and make new friends that you keep in touch with.”

“Their museums are impressive. For example the Museum of Science in Boston. They far surpass Danish museums because they have much more money to put into it. They are huge – you will walk and walk and not reach the end.”

Lærke Møller 3.t Exchange trip to Kenya
“At Nairobi Academy’s boarding school boys and girls are separated. They only meet for meals. They switch between Swahili and English all the time.”

Oskar Friis 3.xw Study trip to Rome
“So many things were great and I liked that the programme was tight. Even if we were there for only 3,5 days, it seems to me that we got a really good impression of what Rome is and what one could return a second time and see.”

“The coolest we did was the “Skip the Line Colosseum Tour” and when we walked through an older part of the city with fine little streets and restaurants. I also like the pilgrims’ route and I would definitely like to do more of that kind. The lake was like the perfect cherry on top of the cake – a perfect view that summed up all we had seen during the day.”

Anna Pedersen 3.akm Exchange trip to Barcelona
“The best experience was to be together all of the class the last two days and just have a nice time. Although, the exchange itself was awesome too.”

Magnus Ernst 3.akm Udvekslingsrejse til Barcelona
”I guess, the most stunning experience was La Sagrada Familia. It was so different from what you might expect beforehand and also the interior was very surprising after having seen the outside.”

Nadia Rode 2.p Study trip to Prague
“I think it was great that we did other things apart from visiting sights, that we went climbing for example. It was also nice to have plenty of free time where we could decide for ourselves.”

“You bond well on a trip like this and become friends also outside school.”

Bjarke Enevold 3.us Exchangetrip to USA

”Some Americans don’t even know there is a country called Denmark, but we hear about them on an everyday basis. We are just not on their agenda the same way they are on ours. This makes you reflect.”

“The greatest experience was the basketball match at a big stadium. It was huge, an you were caught up by the atmosphere even if you didn’t know anything about basket ball.”

Niels Aksel Schmidt 3.xw Study trip to Rome

“This trip gave me many good memories and I have become closer to my classmates.”