Our first day at school in Denmark started with a brief walk from our residence to the campus. The morning was cold, but we were all excited. The school building seemed new and tidy, with big windows and airy rooms. When we arrived, we met one of the teachers from Denmark, and he introduced us to a brief tour and an explanation of the classrooms, common rooms, and – most importantly – the workshop.
Right from the start, we could feel a real difference in the air. It was all more relaxed, but still very structured. The students here call their teachers by first names, and the tone between them is friendly but respectful. It was something that we were not accustomed to, but we liked it.
During our first workshop session, we were introduced to pneumatics. We learned the basics: how pneumatic systems work, where they’re used in industry, and how we must protect ourselves. Then it was time for us to get our hands dirty. We put together tubes, valves, and cylinders, initially creating simple circuits and then trying more complex systems. Some of us had some background in pneumatics, so we helped each other out and worked in pairs.
The workshop itself was well-supplied, with a generous amount of materials and tools to share. The greatest surprise was the level of trust – we could play around and mess up without any problem, which helped us to learn faster. The trainers took us by the hand but did not overshadow us, which created a feeling of autonomy.
For the next few days, we received practical lessons. We were practicing different technical activities like fitting parts, testing pressure levels, and correcting circuits. We did have some theoretical classes at school but most of the time learning was experiential in nature.
We came back to the dorms at night, sometimes tired, but always proud of what we had achieved. We talked about progress at supper and shared tips with each other. There were new skills and more confidence every day.
This process of learning through practice was one we all relished. It was not a process of memorizing theory; it was a matter of applying knowledge in real situations. That made the experience not only educational but also great fun.
