Copenhagen

I have been in Copenhagen for nearly 6 weeks and my time here so far has been amazing. I am loving absolutely everything about the city and it’s people.

The city itself is beautiful, clean, and incredibly functional. The transport runs on time, always. The danish recycling system is incomparable. The bike paths and road rules are consistently followed. It is the most progressive city I have ever visited.

My first task when I arrived in Copenhagen was to buy a bike. This was incredibly easy, there are a million websites / Facebook groups which help with this. There are more bikes in central Copenhagen than people. Hence, the clean city. Soon after purchasing my bike, I had to learn the road rules. The Danes are very serious about their bike rules, and they ride fast. Coming from Australia where we drive on the other side of the road, it was a bit tricky at first but I quickly got the hang of it.

The Danish people are equally amazing. They all speak English, and are super friendly, and consistently go out of their way to help you. But what I have come to learn in the past 6 weeks is that they are incredibly abrupt. They do not bother with little niceties that are more common in Australian culture. For example, the teachers here are very to the point. If you don’t pay attention and miss something in class, they will not help you out. The education system is far more centred on independent learning. All the final exams here are worth 100% and are usually oral as well, which I think is both good and bad. It means there is a lot of risk on a twenty minute exam, but a lot of reward in the sense that there is less work to do during the semester.

Copenhagen itself is an incredibly expensive city to live in. As an exchange student living on a tight budget, it has been a difficult adjustment. I have nearly given up coffee, as they cost $6-8 here. Eating out for dinner with wine is no longer an option. There are affordable breakfast / brunch / lunch places but it requires a lot of prior research to find the good ones!

All in all, I am loving my time in Copenhagen. I would highly recommend this city to anyone who is thinking of going on exchange – as long as you can ride a bike!

Lucy Jedlin, 11645064