My Exchange at The University of Copenhagen
When I began my degree, I knew I wanted to go on a semester abroad. As one of my majors is Politics and International Relations, I thought it was important to travel and experience other parts of the world. Thus, I found the 360 International exchange programme on the university website when I decided to go on exchange in my second year.
Copenhagen was my second choice for an exchange host university – my first pick was Bologna, Italy. To be honest, I was a little disappointed when I first got the news that I was heading to Copenhagen. My friends and family asked why I had decided to go to Denmark on exchange, but I didn’t really know what to tell them. I didn’t know much about Danish history or culture – and what even was Danish food?
After spending a semester in Copenhagen, though, I couldn’t be happier about my placement here. The places I’ve been, people I’ve met, and opportunities I’ve had mean that I can’t wait to come back to Denmark.
Copenhagen is an incredible city. Every building is beautifully designed. The public spaces are clean and functional. The public transport is plentiful, reliable, and fast (there was a driverless metro line directly between my accommodation and the city centre that ran every seven minutes, 24/7!) The city centre is highly walkable, and it’s enjoyable to wander through the beautiful old buildings in town. My favourite thing about Copenhagen, though, is the feeling of coziness and friendship that is present throughout the city. This ‘hyggelig’ feeling (pronounced ‘hoo-guh-lee’) is something that Denmark is known for, but that I didn’t quite grasp until I lived in Copenhagen. It’s seen in all the cafes and bars, which are full of Danes socialising after work, every day of the week; or in how friends often invite each other over for community dinners. I hope to bring some ‘hygge’ back to NZ when I return – but in the meantime, I can’t recommend visiting Denmark enough.
When I arrived in Copenhagen, I signed up to volunteer at Studenterhuset, the student cafe. I wasn’t sure what to expect, as I hardly spoke any Danish and had never worked in a cafe before. But wow – I loved it! Volunteering at Studenterhuset was one of – if not the – highlight of my exchange. The community of volunteers was a fantastic way to meet other exchange students and Danes alike. Volunteers get free filter coffee and tea, and 50% off all other items, along with free drink and food vouchers (in a city like Copenhagen, where a cappuccino costs about 45DKK, this saves a lot!) Plus, the cafe is a lovely place to spend a study day or catch up with friends. I recommend signing up to everyone going to Copenhagen.
I also really enjoyed the relaxed teaching style in Danish classrooms. Group work and class engagement was prioritised – classes became a conversation between the students and the professor, rather than a one-way lecture. We were also given many coffee breaks – about 15 minutes per hour of class. This was a great way to keep the students engaged.
My accommodation in Copenhagen was run through the Housing Foundation, an organisation that provides affordable housing to students. I stayed in Signalhuset, which is an apartment complex on Amager (pronounced: ah-mah), the lower island of Copenhagen. To be honest, the Housing Foundation isn’t the best: they have terrible Google reviews and a reputation for refusing to give back housing deposits. I also had a bit of trouble with their booking portal – due to the time zone difference, I had to stay up two nights in a row trying to book my housing! Nevertheless, I ended up in a nice flat with three other exchange students, with individual bedrooms, a shared kitchen and two shared bathrooms. My housing cost was about 3500DKK a month (plus a one-off 6500DKK administration fee) – a steal for Copenhagen!
Now, for the food. Danish food is certainly unique. While not all the dishes were to my liking, I really enjoyed trying out some of the traditional Danish foods – particularly around Christmastime! I’ve noted down a few of my favourite dishes below.
Favourites:
– Glögg: Danish mulled wine. This is everywhere in December, and for a good reason!
– Æbleskiver: Fried doughballs, dipped in jam and powdered sugar. The name literally means ‘apple slices’, although there’s no apple in this food! This is a Christmas snack that grandparents are known to love.
– Smørrebrød: Rye bread with various toppings. This is the food that every tourist in Denmark tries – but be prepared for a lot of mayonnaise!
– Filter coffee: the Danes drink a crazy amount of filter coffee. Is it good? No. Am I now addicted to it? Yes.
Thanks for reading my exchange review, and I hope that you’re now considering going on exchange yourself. Here are some final words of advice for students thinking about going to Copenhagen:
1. All the Danes speak English, but learning how to say a few words (particularly place names) will really help you out.
2. Save more than you think you need – some costs (like the price of a visa – mine cost about $1000NZD) might surprise you, and you want to have the flexibility to travel and go out a bit when you’re on exchange.
3. Get involved in as much as you can – volunteering, working, clubs, etc.
4. Do it!!!
Q&A
What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?
In my political science course, it was fascinating to hear a range of perspectives from students who came from all over Europe and beyond. The students in my course were almost all on exchange, so I got to hear many different stories. It was particularly interesting to discuss issues such as migration and hear how people from different backgrounds responded.
Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?
Volunteering! I volunteered at Studenterhuset, the student cafe, during my exchange semester in Copenhagen. You get experience as a barista and bartender as well as free filter coffee, tea, and bar vouchers, and you meet a wonderful and supportive community of volunteers. Studenterhuset runs heaps of events throughout the year, and it’s a great place to study as well! You can sign up to be a volunteer here: https://studenterhuset.com/bliv-frivillig/. It was the highlight of my trip, I 100% recommend it.
What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?
1. Explore the suburbs of Copenhagen! Copenhagen has many surrounding suburbs and all of them have unique personalities. My personal favourites are Fredriksberg (upscale, lots of cafes – I call it the Ponsonby of CPH) and Norrebro (best. kebabs. ever.)
2. …but, don’t forget to see the rest of Denmark as well! I took a bus from Copenhagen, to Aarhus, to Aalborg, on a 2-day road trip. It was great to see Denmark outside the capital city. Aarhus is home to the biggest art gallery in Scandanavia (Aros), and Aalborg had the most lovely Christmas market.
3. Put yourself out there and get involved! While Scandanavians have a bit of a reputation for being cold to strangers, I found that this wasn’t true at all, as long as you made an effort to meet them instead of only speaking to other international students. I met lots of wonderful Danish friends from volunteering and at the place I worked.
How much did you budget for your exchange? Was this enough? Were there any lessons learned that would help future students budget for their own exchange?
I wasn’t sure what the cost of going to Copenhagen would be, so I didn’t have a strict budget in mind. I’d heard that it was very expensive, so I was pleasantly surprised when I found many things were similar / only slightly more expensive than Auckland.
I ended up paying:
Rent: about 3500DKK / month + a one-off 6500DKK administration fee (breaks down to approx. $1050NZD a month).
Groceries: 1500 – 2500DKK / month (approx. $400-600NZD per month).
Eating out for breakfast or lunch is about the same as Auckland (approx. $30 NZD), but dinner is a bit more expensive (between $50-100 NZD).
One thing I underestimated was the cost of extra trips – I went to Italy a couple of times, and the cost of flights and accommodation (and all the pasta I ate) definitely added up!
What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?
Ironically, what I learnt most from exchange was what was important to me back home. The things that I missed most (expected and unexpected) taught me what I should prioritise in my life when I returned.
Final Comments
If you have the opportunity to go on exchange, do it!
Tags: 2023, Arts/Humanities, Design, Report