Copenhagen University, Denmark

Hej from Denmark! I am now 7 weeks into my time abroad and am loving setting up a life in the beautiful and vibrant city of Copenhagen. We have experienced some of the coldest temperatures known to the country in years (-10 degrees!), and I cannot wait to start wearing less layers and appreciate 20 degrees as ‘summer weather’ just as the locals do! Then again, watching the snow float down outside my window and walking across a frozen lake are unique memories I’ll never forget.

I am absolutely in love with my housing – I am staying at Basecamp a late 1700s military barracks turned student accommodation in 2016.

My bias aside, our building is situated in one of the best locations in the city- opposite the Kongens Have (the King’s Garden) and Rosenborg Palace (see picture) and also close to shops and nightlife. I have met a number of great people, lots of Aussies and Kiwis admittedly and they’re already making my time abroad the best 6 months of my life. Group dinners are lots of fun as well, I cannot wait to do this more when I return home

What I am yet to get used to is the price of coffee in Denmark- at an average of $7 a coffee and being on a student budget, I have had to make friends with instant coffee. However, I have tracked ‘home’ priced coffee at a café along Copenhagen’s lakes called Zaggi’s – 15dkk coffee (approx. $2.50-$3AUD). Be sure to visit if you make it to Copenhagen. Also, be sure to experience a Danish brunch where you order around 20 little plates to feed a table of 4 – it’s the best way to sample the whole menu.

I also encourage you to attend your Host university’s orientation day/week. It is the best way to meet other students and learn the ins and outs of life in your host city, for instance, learning how not to annoy the Danish locals when cycling around the city. Speaking of, when purchasing your bike ensure you have someone who knows a thing or two about bikes to come along with you or you can risk being sold a dud.

Finally, become a ‘yes’ person- mingle with the locals and international students as much as you can, try many new things and go away on weekend trips whenever possible and you’re sure to have an incredible time abroad.

Leaving behind family and friends was not an easy decision but to say no to an opportunity to live and study abroad with relatively minimal commitments is something I could never turn down and I know I will be forever grateful to myself for taking the plunge.

Please email me if you have any questions about studying abroad in Copenhagen!

Laura Bernhardt
11417779
Bachelor of Laws and Communication (Public Communication)
Kobenhavn Universitet
Denmark