Meet Lisa

Meet Lisa!

Who are you?
Hi, my name is Lisa. I am 20 years old and from Germany. I am in my 2nd year right now, so I've been living in Freiburg for a year and a half now. I am an Earth and Environmental Science Major but am also very interested in the philosophy of science part of our curriculum. In my free time, I usually like to go dancing at the Tanzbrunnen, which is a meet-up spot in the city-center or enjoy the Dreisam river with friends or a good book.

Why did you choose LAS at UCF?
I chose to study LAS because I wanted to both study environmental sciences and look into the implications of this discipline on a broader scale. I also really liked the idea that students are encouraged to explore and learn outside their own discipline. I think its great that we are encouraged to choose our own curriculum, or rather part of our curriculum, according to what most catches our interest.

Why did you choose your Major?
I did have the idea in mind to choose EES, when I started. However, I could have also imagined myself ending up with any other of the majors, since all of them have interesting aspects and courses. However, I then realized, that what really struck my interest most were the environmental sciences and that I would also be able to take courses from other majors as Electives. I really like the balance of natural sciences in most of my major courses and social sciences as well as humanities in my electives and core.

Did you study abroad? Where?
I was going to go exchange to Madrid this September. Let's see how that works out. (Due to the current corona pandemic)

UPDATE: Yes, it did work out! Read more about Lisa's study abroad time in Madrid.

When you started LAS, what did you find challenging and/or unexpected?
I was really surprised by the vibrant community, which was really in place, basically, from the first moment. Although I am very grateful to be a part of it now, it was a little challenging in the beginning to keep up with so much social and activities and so many great and involved people.

What is the strongest point of the LAS program?
We learn how to think about the reasons and consequences of what we claim before we claim it.

What are typical misconceptions of LAS?
I think many people think, that we don't really study anything in specific at all, that we just discuss.

Are you part of a committee?
I am part of the Intense Committee who organize events and festivities, such as the yearly LAS party as well as camping trips in fall and summer.

What's the 1st/2nd/3rd/4th year like?
For me, the first year was really all about getting to know Freiburg, the LAS program and also me as a student in Freiburg. At Uni, we basically learned to read, write and argue all over again, which seemed frustrating and repetitive at first, but has proven to be one of the most helpful skills I've learned. I also like, that were encouraged to reflect on our expectations of the university and academia in general and to critically question them.
Personally, I learned a lot about myself, what I am most interested in, how I live and work best and what's important to me, also outside of Uni.
My second year is still going on, and I've really loved it so far. I have taken more Major-related courses than core or electives, so I've really gotten to explore my interests in the environmental sciences. Personally, it has been really fun, to enjoy a city which now feels like home.

What is the most fun course you've taken?
That would probably be the course on Geographic Information Systems I took last semester. We basically learned how to use software, with which maps for spatial analysis are created. My group created a map of the European Railsystem in order to compare it to Airtravel in Europe. Although it was definitely a struggle, I think I've never spent so many happy evenings in front of a screen. Plus, I am now a lot more patient with online maps, since I know how much work it is to create one.

What advice would you give to future LAS students?
Just do it. Go with your guts and try out new stuff, both personally and academically, but always remember to check if it is really what you want.
It's completely okay to feel a little lost sometimes, both personally and academically. Use the space we get as students to really study what interests you the most, that will make you realize why you came to study in the first place.

Can you explain LAS in one sentence?
In LAS we are encouraged to follow all our interests and from that knowledge to decide which path we want to follow, while not loosing touch with all the other great opportunities.

(June 2020)