By Heidi Mustafa
Last year, I was lucky enough to spend a year abroad studying at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. I am currently in my fourth year at Queen Mary University London studying International Relations, and spent my third year studying Political Science as part of my degree. This article will give a ‘brief’ outline into the application process, my academic and social life abroad, and settling back into reality. If you know me, you’ll know that talking about this is my favourite thing to do.
Application
I started the application roughly around October the year before, where I had to choose and rank up to five different destinations for universities I wanted to attend. Each university and school within the university is linked to different universities worldwide, so I had a selection to choose from. I ended up getting accepted into Københavns Universitet (University of Copenhagen), after my personal statement and grades has also been taken into account. The hard part was over and the fun was about to begin…
Moving-in Process
I arrived at the end of August, giving me time to settle into my accommodation, meet my flatmates and get accustomed to my environment. KU had an app where we could meet other exchange students also attending the university that semester, where I ended up meeting some of my closest friends.
In all honesty, I knew nothing about Denmark that would help me in my year abroad, meaning that I was going in blind, but I think that was part of the thrill. In Denmark, as well as the other Scandinavian countries, everyone speaks perfect English, so getting around was never an issue. Naturally, I would communicate with people in English, and Danes would be excited to converse when they found out I wasn’t fluent in Danish. A couple months in, I started taking Danish classes – a free program set up by the Danish government for newcomers into the country – so now I can pretty much hold a conversation in Danish. But don’t test me on that.
Culture Clash
Now let’s talk culture clashes. The main thing I would say that differs between Copenhagen and London is the vibe. In London, everyone seems so depressed, in a bad mood, and always in a rush to get somewhere – myself included. It’s just the personality trait that comes with being a Londoner. But in Copenhagen, I would rarely see someone who wasn’t smiling. Everyone seemed so chilled and relaxed, and always in a good mood, a reflection of how well their government treats them. Everyone would follow rules, such as never crossing the street unless it was a green light. Every time I did this, I would get weird stares where people would acknowledge my foreign presence. Many people working in the capital, however, were people who had relocated, so I knew I wasn’t alone.
Uni Life
When I first moved in, one of my flatmates had told me ‘university is a part-time hustle. You could have a full-time job, juggle a degree, and still have free time on your hands’, and he was so right. I was in classes for roughly 6 hours a week, which lectures and seminars combined. The university had four different campuses, mine being right in the city centre. I could attend my classes, and have so much time to kill during the day. I don’t think I was ever once stressed over uni work, seminar prep or assignment deadlines during my time abroad, so guess the environment you’re in really does affect this. Although the method of teaching was not what I was used to, it was interesting to learn and study in a different environment, surrounded by other exchange, as well as home, students.
Consulate Internship
While I was on my exchange, I also took up an internship at the Consulate of the Republic of Kosovo in Copenhagen. I just dropped them an email, explaining my situation, and asked to get involved in any opportunities that they had going. I was warmly welcomed by the small but friendly group who worked in the Consulate, where I ended up working up until the end of my exchange. I would complete a number of research and admin tasks, but a lot of the time would be filled with hearty laughter and bonding over our roots. What with the Albanian Embassy right next door, many of my days at work were memorable and fun, spending time with what felt like a family abroad. Halfway through my time there, I helped organise and attended the celebration for Kosovo’s 15 years of independence, where I sent out invites to all the embassies and consulates located in Copenhagen, as well as a number of businessmen, politicians, and important Albanian figures integrated in the Danish community. Here, where I managed to network and converse with a number of amazing people.
Leisure
Night life wasn’t the best in Copenhagen, but I always managed to have a good time when I did decide to spend my evenings out in the city centre. No matter what time of day it was, I would always feel safe. It could be 3PM or 3AM, and I would never feel scared or wonder how I would get home (what with the metro being available 24/7 – London could never).
Copenhagen was CRAZY expensive. In fact, it has the most expensive Starbucks in the world. So if you thought the cost of living in London was bad, think again. CPH was a good place to travel from, with Sweden (Malmö) being literally a 15 min train from my accommodation, and the airport being even closer. I would visit Sweden more times than I’ll admit, as well as travelling to other European destinations during the year. The summer was undoubtedly the best time though, with people going swimming every day in the lakes and rivers, going to the beach (10 mins from me), attending street parties and concerts, and just enjoying the good vibes. Christmas time was also magical!
Back to reality
Settling back into life in the UK has been hard. I’ve experienced what they call a ‘reverse culture shock’, which I know my other friends who have returned from exchanges have also gone through. It’s as if you’ve put your ‘real’ life on pause for a year, and come back and pressed play, not realising that time has kept going in your presence, as weird as it sounds. My time abroad has made me realise for sure that in the future, I’d want to work or live abroad, at least for a longer period of time. It has taught me how to be more independent, live in a country where I am an outsider, and interact with different groups of people I wouldn’t usually – both in a social and academic sense. I would highly recommend taking some sort of time abroad as part of a degree, course, or work placement, as mine was life-changing to say the last. Also, add Copenhagen to your travel bucket list if you haven’t already!
Thank you ALSA for allowing me to talk about my experience & please drop me a message if you want to discuss anything related to my blog!
LinkedIn: Heidi Mustafa
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