Where are you from?
How does your home country/city compare to New York?
I am from Denmark. I live in a little village with around 400 people living there, all knowing each other by first name. New York is very different: everything is fast, buildings touching the sky, lots of ambition, capitalism and a melting pot of cultures.
Have you been to another EF school? If yes, which one(s)?
No. New York have always been the intended destination since I was here in December 2016.
Who was your best friend here? How did you meet? What is he/she like?
My best friend here is Kajsa from Sweden. We meet the first day and she is a dramatic but loving and understanding person that is always there when it’s needed.
Do you have any plans to visit friends that you met here after your course ends? Where?
I am going to Madrid already in March to visit a good friend from Belgium and in September I will go to Sweden to visit my Swedish friends.
What was the best day you had here? Please describe and give details.
The day I walked all the way from Tarrytown to Times Square on Broadway. It was a cold November day and I was walking with a good friend for 12 hours. It was a long and interesting walk where the change in neighboorhood and density of the city changed as we came closer to the center. We were completely exhausted when we got to Times Square but it was a great walk.
What was a challenge that you faced here at EF New York? Please describe and give details.
Sometimes i felt a cultural challenge when dealing with people very different from me. Challenging in a good way. Trying to communicate and to bond with people very different from you was not always succesful and harder than first expected. The cultural barrier was harder to break down compared to what I thought.
What did you miss the most from home?
I miss the small freedoms like drinking in the streets and hanging out in parks after dust. I miss the more slowed down approach to life, and I miss not having to sign forms constantly.
Which teacher inspired you the most? Why?
Without a doubt Robert from my SPIN international affairs Spin class. He has provoked, challenged and debated with me. He encourages debate and doesn’t stay neutral which makes the classes interesting and inspiring. No doubt best teacher I have had here at EF.
Which staff member at EF New York was the most influential or helpful to you?
The Gaines RA Joey is a fantastic staff member. He knows what is going on around him and speaks to students with respect. And then he is just an amazing and loving person that I will miss very much when I leave.
What were some of your favorite classroom activities?
The discussions in Robert’s class has been my all-time favorite because the debates often got heated and Robert didn’t hesitate to get in there with his own opinions.
Which SPIN class do you feel that you have learned the most from?
My spin classes with Robert without a doubt. We have been challenged to think out of the box and to answer complex questions about the world. And we were never let off the hook. Robert would always challenge our ideas if our claims were without sufficient evidence.
Do you feel like you have improved? In which ways?
Very much yes. But I realized how much the real-life experience and talking to people outside of class was what really made me improve. Living in a country where you are forced to speak the language are the greatest way of learning a language.
What is your favorite place in Tarrytown?
The river park on the other side of the station. A beautiful place with nature and silence. You can hear the water, the wind in the trees and meet sweet local people from Tarrytown. And still in that harmony you can see the skyline of New York in all its lights and glory.
What is your favorite place in New York City?
Like picking your favorite child. But Central Park have a very special place in my heart. A place where the seasons show and where creative souls from all over New York come to study, play music or hang out. Just walking around observing people is amazing and I will miss it so much.
Are you ready to go back? What is the next chapter of your life going to be?
Yes and no. I am looking forward to seeing my family and friends again, but I am sure that already after 2 weeks I will be ready to go back to the busy City. Next chapter for me is to start studying and moving out. A lot of thing will happen in the next months and I will look back at my time here with a smile on my face.
Name: Magnus Ebsen Bøgelund Pedersen
Booking Number: DKC930793
E-Mail: Magnusp2@gmail.com