Semester Abroad In Copenhagen

Hi, I’m Jess a third year marine biology student and I have just returned from my semester abroad in Copenhagen! I had an amazing time and learnt a lot. I would really recommend studying abroad if you can, it’s an incredible opportunity.

Copenhagen

Copenhagen is an amazing city. It’s quite small, so it’s very easy to explore by walking or cycling. There is so much to do! There are loads of cool bars, beautiful art galleries, amazing vintage shopping, and quirky coffee shops.

In the summer there are flea markets, outdoor DJ nights, and everyone swims in the sea. In the winter there is ice skating, Christmas markets and music events.

I went bouldering a lot and found it a really good way of making friends. It is a bit expensive, but there are loads of really big climbing gyms.

The public transport is amazing (if a bit expensive), and the metro runs all night so it’s easy to get home from a night out. The nightlife is good. Some clubs are 23+ and expensive (a bit like clubbing in London), but there are so many bars that most people hang out there. In the summer there is a lot of open air bars, courtyards and socialising outside.

I found Danish people to be super friendly and welcoming. Everyone is very cool, and their positive attitude for life has made me view things differently. There is also amazing fashion in Copenhagen.

Everyone speaks fluent English and all my lectures were taught in English. I never found there to be a language barrier. It is helpful to learn key words in Danish, but you will also pick these up while you’re away.

Moving away

When you are first considering a study abroad, I really recommend researching the places you will be going extensively. Look up the cost of living in your area, the module choices, the social opportunities, and the housing availability. It is so helpful to know all these things before you go so you can just enjoy your time when you get there.

It’s also important to consider that you will be away from your friends and living in a new place (at times it felt a bit like I was in first year again). Although it is hard at first, if you are open to making friends, you can meet amazing people and learn a lot about yourself too.

Getting a Danish visa and all the correct documents is a bit of an admin nightmare, if you have any specific questions about this feel to get in touch with me via Instagram (linked at the bottom)

Uni life

I went to the University of Copenhagen (KU). The university is so nice, and the teaching style is very different from the UK. The class sizes were as small as 14, and you could get a lot of help and attention from your lecturers. I found there was a lot of group work, which really helped me to make friends with people in my lectures and to meet Danish students.

There are multiple campuses, so I would really recommend checking which campus you will be on and finding accommodation near there.

Accommodation  

The University of Copenhagen offers accommodation through the housing foundation. They have multiple accommodations across the city, and it means you live with international students. I found this very social and a good way to make friends with people in the same position as you.

I stayed in Signalhuset, which was a bit far from the city and my campus but there is really good public transport around Copenhagen so it only took me 15 minutes on the metro to get to the city centre. It was the most affordable option and really nice with a social lounge, nice kitchen. It had everything you need.

Social life  

Getting housing through the housing foundation is good because you can easily make friends with other international students. A lot of the accommodations have shared kitchens with around 20 people, so you have a lot of opportunities to make friends.

I also attended some Erasmus socials, from which I made a core group of friends. Even though in the beginning it is a bit intimidating to make yourself go to these events, you will quickly find that everyone is very open to making friends because they are in the same position as you.

Making friends in lectures was also very helpful. Everyone in Denmark is super cool and welcoming, and I made a good group of friends who were able to show me where all the students socialise. It was also really nice to have a group of people who already knew Copenhagen well and could take me to the non-touristy spots in the city.

Overall, I’m so happy I did a semester in Copenhagen. I really, really enjoyed it and fell in love with the city. If I have the opportunity to live there again, I would love to return.

Even though moving to a different country on my own was scary at first, I made really good friends. Having to do this definitely improved my friendship making skills and has made me feel much more confident in my ability to talk to anyone. I found one semester was bit short to be away, as I felt by the end I had really good friends that I would have loved to have spent more time exploring with them. Copenhagen is also an expensive city to live, it’s good to be aware of this and save up before you go away. If you are considering a study abroad in Copenhagen, I’m very happy to answer any questions! My Instagram is @jess._s._

Some photos from my trip –>