my semester abroad!

The possibility of living in an entirely different country short-term seemed like something impossible to me leading up to my departure. I had never traveled outside of the country before, let alone taken a plane by myself (to the point where I, in a panic, messaged my PI asking how baggage claims worked). As the time to leave for Sweden grew closer, I felt like somehow I would somehow miss my flight and my overall semester abroad. But I made it! And I am forever grateful that I did.

It’s very cliche, but I feel like I found myself while I was abroad. Prior to study abroad, I would say that I felt a sense of imposter syndrome within my major. There was a feeling that I needed to be doing something important at all times in order to prove that I belonged in my courses and in my research. However, that led to a feeling of burnout and personal disgust when I could no longer do tasks or articulate myself in a manner that I was proud of.

Lagom: “not too much, not too little”

During my time in Sweden, I feel like I was swept into the concept of Lagom, which roughly translates to “just right”. My coursework was incredibly manageable and I was not working on research that semester. So, I had time to discover old and new things that I enjoyed. I went thrift-store hopping near Slussen, found new favorite food spots (Village Bagels and Dubbla Deli, I miss you dearly…), indulged in princess cake from Vette-Katten, did a yoga + ice plunge + sauna trip despite not knowing how to swim, explored the archipelago, Uppsala and so much more.

Alongside my personal adventures, I’m also grateful for the classes I took.

Scandinavian Textiles and Fashion Workshop

As a STEM major, I feel like I don’t often have the opportunity to take art classes, let alone a fashion course. So, I took Scandinavian Textiles and Fashion Workshop and loved that class dearly. I know how to hand-sew (only via back-stitch), so learning about fabrics, draping, crochet, and making personal fashion collections and sketches made me flex my creative muscle. Prior to college, I used to draw as a hobby but as responsibilities increased, that got pushed to the side, so it was so fun to draw again! 2026, I want to try upcycling to hopefully work up to being more confident creating patterns and sewing clothes for myself.

Gender, Sexuality, Race, and Equality in Scandinavia

I’m also grateful for my core course: Gender, Sexuality, Race, and Equality in Scandinavia. All of our courses had field studies, where we went out into Stockholm and had a field-trip that related to the course. However, a lot of the field studies we had for GSRE were really eye-opening and helped show the concepts we were learning in a real-world context. One field study that really impacted me was a homeless tour we took, where a former homeless person guided us around Stockholm and told us about her experiences in specific spots as a homeless person. I feel that the manners in which homelessness is discussed is very detached from the people affected by it. So, hearing and seeing what our tour guide did to survive hit hard.

This class motivated me to at the very least minor in sociology (debating double-majoring). Furthermore, while I knew I wanted to do something related to human-centered computing, taking this course made me realize that HCI goes beyond the end-user but the societal factors that influence who is the user and the ways in which they interact with technology. For instance, when we design software:

• Is the idealized end user (or the UX persona) inclusive of all users?
• Do we prioritize those who are relatively familiar with existing technologies?
• If so, who does that exclude?
• Where do those exclusions fall in terms of socioeconomic status?
• Where do they fall in terms of age?
• How do these exclusions manifest in terms of the demographics of users? I feel like these are questions that arise now, since taking this course.

Artificial Intelligence & Data-Driven Information Visualization

My CS related courses (Artificial Intelligence, Data-Driven Information Visualization) helped me gain confidence in my skills. In AI, I discussed anything with my classmates, and initially I felt unsure in everything I said and added an “but I might be wrong” addendum to everything. But, my homework partner would complement me on my skills, saying that I carried in terms of the homework. When I talked about possible algorithm implementations with a different classmate, it felt like a back and forth discussion that I was actually a part of, rather than a handwave and my suggestions being ignored. Instances like that made me want to cry tears of joy, because they made me feel like I truly belonged in my major. Through those experiences, I feel that I have more confidence to speak up during pair-programming sessions, and I will carry that confidence through the rest of undergrad and beyond.

The same can be said for my data visualization course! Although I’m not the biggest fan of JavaScript, I’ve learned many practical skills in terms of building software, and I got to combine my love of public transit with my final project and create a departure tracker for Stockholm’s public transit system. I also learned how to create charts via d3.js and Observable, which will prove useful during my Honors thesis.

Country roads, take me home to the place, I belong. Berlin.

Finally, through study tours I got to explore more of Europe! During my time abroad, I visited Karlstad, Oslo, Copenhagen and Berlin (My favorite. My LinkedIn header is a picture I took while there.). I loved the ducks of Karlstad, the sailboats of Copenhagen, the seagulls of Oslo, and will always remember the old man who waltzed with me to Country Roads at Murphy’s Irish Pub in Berlin. I love the grit the city has, as well as its artistic freedom (evident by the beautiful graffiti that is embraced by the city). When I was there, I feel like I got to bond with my classmates on a deeper level (from near-death experiences near Berghain to wandering the city), and I still keep in touch with them to this day! I never thought I would be able to travel to so many countries so soon, so I am very thankful to DIS for that!

Study abroad!

As a new member of my major’s student advisory board, I think the one thing I want to emphasize and make easier for students is the process of studying abroad. I’ve heard many CS majors say that studying abroad doesn’t fit into their schedule due to the lack of CS classes. However, I feel like that is because a lot of programs that are advertised often are aimed at humanities majors (I found my program entirely by chance).

While I do attend a liberal arts college and one can do gen-eds abroad, it is so important for STEM majors, especially CS majors to step outside of the grey concrete building that is Olin-Rice and learn outside of that. Have experiences that decenter you the programmer and make you think more about the people that your work impacts, people within your nation sure, but internationally as well. For instance, doing an AI field study at Tobii Dynavox made me realize that coding isn’t just algorithms or designing front-end platforms but working with researchers and scientists on making accessible interfaces that respond quickly to eye-tracking or touch input for those who are non-verbal or cannot use their hands. These real world experiences shape the way in which you think about the code you write and the software you create.

Furthermore, as an FGLI student, the thought of studying abroad intially seemed financially daunting, but through scholarships from my college and my study abroad program, I got to live, eat, and travel essentially for free. So, for CS students or students in general: Study abroad!