Denmark – Bianca
Student: Bianca
Course: Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of laws student
Program: Trimester exchange
Describe the city you were living in: the landscape, the culture, the weather etc.
Copenhagen is an amazing place to spend a trimester abroad and I would recommend it to anyone! The city is beautiful, safe and a perfect place to stay if you’re wanting to do more travel around Europe during your studies.
When I arrived, it was winter and extremely cold, so I would recommend packing a lot of layers and preparing yourself. However, the snow is amazing to see, and people spend their time skating on the frozen lakes, getting a cosy drink indoors and spending time in a sauna. However, in the summer, Copenhagen is the best place to be. Everyone is out in the parks enjoying the long days, going for a swim in the canals, and the city is full of fun things to do such as festivals and events.
In terms of culture, the Danes were extremely relaxed and put together. Everyone was very friendly and generating a very safe environment that made travelling alone so much easier.
How did you spend your weekends?
When it was winter, I spent most of my weekend travelling to get away from the extremely cold weather and spend time with the new friends I made. However, I would recommend spending at least a month in your host country before travelling to make sure you’re able to attend all the social events that happen in the first few weeks as that’s how I met most of my friends.
When the weather got warmer, I tried to spend most of my weekends in Copenhagen which I am very grateful I did. Me and my friends would always try to find new and exciting things going on in the city, such as concerts, markets or just having dinner in the park.
How did you make friends and what sort of things did you do together?
I made most of my friends early on through different social events such as university orientation days and other exchange parties. I tried to say yes to everything when I arrived to give myself the best opportunity to find the people I enjoyed spending time with. As most people don’t know anyone and want to make friends, I found it was pretty easy to meet lots of new people, especially in the beginning. Me and my friends spent a lot of time exploring the city, travelling all over Europe and enjoying Copenhagen’s nightlife.
What's your one piece of advice for a student who is preparing to study abroad? How should they prepare?
One piece of advice I would have is to make sure you say yes to everything you can once you’re on exchange. Most of my best memories and closest friends came from me pushing myself to be open to new experiences and out of my comfort zone. Especially the first week can be very busy and overwhelming but it’s important to keep an open mind and push through feelings of homesickness. Moving abroad, while it can be scary and unfamiliar, is one of the best things I’ve ever done and it’s important to keep a positive outlook to get the most out of the experience.
What is the one big thing you will always remember from your experience? Or one big lesson that you learnt?
The whole experience of doing a trimester abroad has allowed me to make the best memories that I will never forget. I will never forget the friendships I’ve made with people from all across the world, the experience of figuring out a new culture and pushing yourself to be in an unfamiliar experience. I will really miss spending time by the canals, having dinner and drinks with my friends in the park and having big group dinners. This experience has taught me to continue to push myself out of my comfort zone and continue saying yes to new opportunities.