Pros and Cons of Copenhagen Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

There were a lot of resources available to students within the campus libraries. These helped significantly with the end-of-term research papers I had to write. However, I didn't find the classes to be too challenging or rigorous on account of only having one final paper. Lectures were largely unnecessary for me and I didn't find the professors to be particularly helpful, solely because the project was an individual research assessment that was very independent. They'd answer questions in class, but were very slow to respond to emails and didn't have scheduled office hours so it could be difficult to get help outside of the classroom.

On-site administration of your program

They were helpful once you could actually get into contact with them. However, office hours are very reduced compared to what you'd expect in America. Sometimes they'd only be open once or twice a week, during a very specific window of time. This could make it hard to get your questions answered in a timely manner, though everyone I spoke to was very friendly and helpful whenever I was able to actually talk to them.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in Signalhuset, and absolutely loved it. The apartments were nice and homey, and I had no issues with maintenance at all. Everything worked properly and was clean upon arrival. The beds were comfortable and I loved the unique roommate situation Signalhuset offered.

Food in Copenhagen is very good, but expensive. Keep this in mind when planning on studying abroad here. The campus dining was awesome and cheap, but any restaurants in the city were insanely expensive. I only had class once a week, so I didn't eat on campus very regularly. Groceries were also pretty pricey, so even cooking for yourself was difficult unless you stuck to basics like rice and pasta.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Everyone in Copenhagen spoke English and was friendly, so it wasn't a hard adjustment to make. However, I wouldn't say it's easy to "integrate" into local culture. Danes aren't the most extroverted when compared to Americans, so I didn't end up meeting or befriending too many locals. I did make a lot of friends with other international students from all over the world, though, which was great.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I never had any health issues, so cannot accurately review this portion. I was issued a healthcare card upon arrival, so I knew who to call if anything arose and was already assigned a doctor on the card. Denmark seemed to be a very healthy country so there weren't any vaccines I needed or special precautions to take.

I never felt safe or uncomfortable in Copenhagen, even late at night. I know some people had issues with pickpocketing, but that seemed very few and far between. Simple awareness of your belongings will go a long way and overall I felt like Copenhagen was very safe.

I loved Copenhagen, but if I had the option to do it again, I'd likely go elsewhere. The dreary weather really had a negative impact on me, and if I'd went to a cheaper country (Spain, for example), I think I could've gone out more and made the most out of my funds. However, I still really loved Copenhagen! It was a good opportunity to visit a country I otherwise likely wouldn't have seen.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

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• Apartment

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• International Students

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• International Students

• Meeting new people
• Living in a "less known" place (for example, most American tourists in Europe will see the UK or Rome or Paris. Few go to Scandinavia)
• Having no language barrier was very nice, as everyone spoke English

• The expectations for my final papers were not made very clear, so there was very little direction with that and it was hard to get in touch with professors when this was the case

The Avid Adventurer