How Forward College reminds of Scandinavian culture
Scandinavia has had a tradition of a certain type of post-high school for two centuries. They’re called “Folkehøgskole”, literally translated into “people’s college”. It is usually something high school students attend for one year after high school or military service. This school is not about grades or academia, but rather personal exploration and learning things outside the classroom. One cohort usually consists of around 100 people. There are hundreds of different programs to choose from; from extreme sports, to travel, to theatre.
What are the impacts of a year in a Folkehøgskole? Most people say it was the best year of their life. They were so social, learned so much about life and got much better prepared for a student life after than people who didn’t go. Living in a sense of tribe with 100 people for a year, in a bubble, pursuing experiences in life like going on trips, creating artworks or doing parachuting changes you as a person - for the better.
When they begin at a traditional university which often has tens of thousands of students, they tend to miss that year. All of the sudden, the social landscape becomes much more diluted, and let’s face it, more boring that way. The every-day turns more into work than exploration, but they are prepared and fully charged for it after a year’s break.
This is a deeply Scandinavian thing, and I am not aware of any similar concepts throughout the world. As a substantial number of people attend this school, it seems to have had a profound effect on democracy. People feel more connected to their people. They know themselves better. They know different people from all over the country deeply. I think it raises the general welfare and democratic cohesion of Scandinavian countries.
Forward College challenges traditional academia by also allowing students to learn outside the classroom and travel, and it also has cohorts of around 100 students. In many ways, it is similar to the concept of a Folkehøgskole. The main difference is that we have academics and are real students. Still, travelling to 3 countries, living intimately in the same student housing and getting to know people deeply from all over the world has its effects.
Although I haven’t attended a Folkehøgskole myself, I feel after 2 months at Forward that I relate to that concept. Much of what I’ve explained of the Folkehøgskole is things I’ve experienced myself at this school (apart from parachuting, yet). It is a profound experience. Some might feel like 100 people are too few for a university; but I think about it as an academically accredited Folkehøgskole. It’s the best of both worlds. You are productive and learning things while also getting the deep personal exploration and experiences that follow along a Folkehøgskole. Just as how Folkehøgskole fosters country wide understanding, Forward College fosters global understanding.
