UNIVERSITY of COPENHAGEN STUDENT FEEDBACK 16-17 Student Profiles

UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN STUDENT FEEDBACK 16-17 Student Profiles

Nana Social Anthropology with International Study Hannah Social Anthropology with International Study

DISCLAIMER: Feedback from former participants is made available by the International Programmes Office to assist students preparing for their time abroad. The comments expressed herein are those of individual students who have previously studied or worked abroad and do not represent the views of the International Programmes Office or the University of Manchester. While every effort is made to ensure the information is accurate and up-to-date it is essential that it is read in conjunction with the Study and Work Abroad Handbook and other official resources provided by the International Programmes Office.

Nana It is very difficult to find accommodation in Copenhagen and is an obstacle faced by most students so it is essential to plan well in advance. The student housing system is called the Copenhagen Housing Foundation and on a specific date and time they release all the student accommodation options, however, it is not guaranteed that students can secure somewhere and there is a very limited amount of affordable options. In the first semester I failed to find anywhere to live in halls so I had to rent privately from a contact that was forwarded by the university - before arrival they email a document of private lessors but I considered many of the options inappropriate for my particular needs and circumstance, for example I was not keen on being a lodger for a family outside of the city etc. Many people are also members of Facebook groups where people advertise rooms and there are websites such as 'findaroommate.com' which have a fee and supposedly increase your chances as a tenant but I did not find this to be true. I moved in to halls in the second semester and moving completely transformed my experience of my year abroad, being with likeminded people in a social environment was what I needed, compared to the first semester which was incredibly lonely because I was living with a really introverted man and found the university was not the best place to meet people initially.

Hannah I was living in accommodation in the southern part of Copenhagen, which was quite far from the city centre. It was called Signalhuset and I found the room through the Housing Foundation. The quality of the room and shared kitchen was amazing but the location was not as ideal - it took a while to cycle into town. I would say that its a great place for international students to live because lots of other international students move there and its a social environment compared to the other options given by the Housing Foundation. It is also one of the cheapest options (although still very expensive). The Housing Foundation can be quite badly organised and have an poor booking system so my recommendation would be to really check emails very often to hear about when they open the system and also to research accommodation before this. What is not very clear is that many options officially listed by the Housing Foundation are not open to international students or have very spaces or even have year long waiting lists. I found reviews of different accommodation on this site ( https://uniavisen.dk/en?s=Dorms+disclosed ) which I found really helpful in deciding where to live. I would recommend living in Norrebro - an area that is cheaper than others and is very central. My biggest recommendation is to get housing through the housing foundation (despite its flaws) - I had friends who ended up paying a lot to live in private accommodation or even renting Airbnb apartments while searching for somewhere to live because they missed out. There is a massive housing shortage in Copenhagen and rent is very high so take what you can get to avoid a stressful start when you arrive.

Nana The style of teaching at the University of Copenhagen is very different to that of UoM. The students are required to participate at every level and the classes are structured like small seminars to maximise student involvement, they are largely student led or discussion based. I found this quite nerve-wracking but was definitely a productive way of learning. The teachers are really engaged and willing to help if you want to talk to them in office-hours for example. The lectures are generally quite long, all of them are at least three hours, depending on your department a lot of them will be four. In terms of assessment they are fairly laid back and they are structured in a way to allow you to do really well if you want to, for example in general you get an opportunity to hand in two drafts before you submit your final piece of coursework.

I selected my modules before arrival but ended up changing most of them once I was there, which is really easy to do although some of the courses specifically for international students fill up quickly. Its important to look up what kind of assessment each module has, some are oral exams, most are coursework based, but the length of the coursework really varies. Some modules have a 36,000 character essay (supposedly 15 pages) at the end whereas others have 3 10,000 character essays throughout the term, which I personally found much more manageable.

Hannah The style of teaching was very different at the University of Copenhagen to Manchester - with three hour long seminars as opposed to a lecture and then a seminar. We had group work, student led lessons and presentations which was not something we did much of in Manchester. Students also choose their essay titles and topics for most assignments, giving much more freedom to your studies. I would say that you have to adjust to being more comfortable speaking out in class as contribution is more important. Marking is much more relaxed and classes tend to be much more mixed in ability.

Module choices are quite limited and I ended up having to pick modules that were very similar to ones I had done in Manchester. However, I would recommend Anthropology of Masculinity, Political Anthropology and Urban Anthropology (good teachers and interesting content, discussions and tasks) I would say avoid Ethnographic approaches to Migration in Scandinavia - very interesting topic but lectures are very repetitive. Nana How did the cost of living compare to Manchester? More expensive I did not set up a Danish bank account because my English bank account has very low transaction fees, some people get cash cards with no transaction fees which are a good idea. Copenhagen is really expensive so I got a job which helped with my finances, if you only speak English good places to job hunt are in the touristy areas such as Nyhavn. I was a childminder for a family that also wanted help with their children's English tuition, I found the job on the Facebook group 'expats in Copenhagen', quite a few Erasmus students found babysitting and nannying jobs on that page.

Hannah How did the cost of living compare to Manchester? More expensive All I can say is that it is very expensive to live in Copenhagen, especially with the bad exchange rate. Danes get highly taxed but also get paid a lot per hour so the cost of living is less for native Danes. For exchange students and tourists it is very expensive and I would highly recommend getting a job or making sure you have a secure form of income.

Nana The University of Copenhagen is spread across several campuses around the city depending on your faculty. My department was the social sciences and the building is in the centre of town so in a great location with easy access to a variety of places. The campus itself is an old hospital building across from Copenhagen's botanical gardens and each department has their own common room where they often hold functions.

It is a small city but this means that you can get to know it really well and carve out a real sense of 'being a local' pretty quickly. The nightlife is probably more low-key than somewhere like Manchester or London but after a bit of searching the options on offer are actually really great. Copenhagen is split into several quite distinct districts so there's more variety than initially meets the eye. There's a great selection of cultural attractions in terms of museums, galleries etc. and an established creative community.

Hannah The University of Copenhagen is much smaller that the University of Manchester, with fewer students and the campuses being much smaller and further spread across the city.

Nana Copenhagen is really easy to get to from England and the airport is a metro ride away from the centre of town

Hannah The train or the metro is easiest option from airport to anywhere in the city.

Nana Copenhagen is really small so most places are a metro / bus ride away, most people buy a bike and then sell it at the end of their placement.

Hannah I would definitely recommend buying a bike when you arrive , it is the cheapest and easiest way around the city and very fun and safe (especially compared to Manchester).

Nana You are assigned a doctor when you apply for a CPR number and healthcare is free.

Hannah Make the most of every invite and social occasion and properly explore your area/city. Try and get involved in as many new activities/ events and as possible (especially things that locals do i.e. the cycling culture in Copenhagen and volunteering at festivals and events). Take it as an opportunity to get out of your comfort zone! UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN STUDENT FEEDBACK 17-18 Student Profiles

Calypso BSocSc(Hons) SocAnth w Int Study Daisy BSocSc(Hons) SocAnth w Int Study Alice BA Eng Lit & American Stds

Calypso Housing was provided by KU's "Housing Foundation". It's unavoidable to use them really, as the city has a housing shortage, but they're not great. Many people have had issues with trying to get their deposits back, and the accommodation I originally booked got cancelled, leaving me with nowhere to live. I ended up having to live somewhere that cost double the rent on my first choice...That being said, my accommodation was right in the centre of Copenhagen. Ideally located and a pleasant place to live. Daisy Finding accommodation is extremely difficult in Copenhagen, and led to many tears. It is organised through the University of Copenhagen Housing Foundation, and most people did eventually find a place to live through this system (although I do know quite a few who never did, and either dropped out as a result or spent the year couchsurfing, which is far from ideal). Despite the anguish, however, I have been very happy with my room. It is far cheaper than most of my friends' places (costs about £350 a month, I think) and is pretty centrally located (takes about 20 minutes to cycle into the centre). I share a kitchen with 12 others, most of whom are Danish, which has been valuable in helping me meet the locals. I have a pretty big room and ensuite, and the residence (called Oresundskolligiet) has loads of services such as a gym and cafe. Alice Accommodation is varied but the standard of the rooms is much higher than manchester's In my opinion, however the company that deals with the accommodation- the housing foundation- are notoriously difficult to get deposits reimbursed so be wary of checking your rooms on arrival. Accommodation is competitive and scarce in Copenhagen so would rommend using he housing foiundation's website.

Calypso Seriously different way of learning. Lectures actually took the form of classes, which last 2 or more often 3 hours. There often isn't a lecture to speak of, the class usually consists of a large group discussion and smaller group discussions based on the readings for the week.

Selected modules in advance - it was easy. Just look up the courses online and make sure you email the course administrator before the deadline with your choices.

Daisy Teaching here is far more based on group discussion and group work, which I found really annoying at first. However, after doing a few group presentations, I realised I could learn a lot from this set up, as a few hours spent discussing a chosen topic with your group creates a very dynamic environment for the sharing of ideas. Another beneficial element is that we have to chose our own essay topics and titles, rather than selecting one from a list. Again, I really struggled with this at first, as the lack of guidance was scary. Ultimately, however, I think this will be especially valuable when writing our dissertations, as I have had some practice in really thinking about what I am interested in and how to construct this into an essay. This said, I did think the standard of teaching was worse than at Manchester, and in many classes I did not feel satisfied with my level of learning - the overreliance on group work meant there was a lack of really stimulating learning on the part of the lecturer.

I think we selected modules before arrival, and it was a pretty straightforward process, and I was able to enrol onto all my desired courses. I really loved the Contemporary South Asia course and the visual anthropology course.

Alice The teaching style is very relaxed and familial o you build close relationships with your tutors which greatly benefited my work. I found the reading load a lot heavier than Manchester but I soon adjusted and its onto difficult to keep up with the class.

Calypso Copenhagen is very expensive. Make a budget and stick to it! You will not have many university contact hours, so it's definitely worth looking for a part time job. They are relatively easy to find and the pay is excellent. The minimum wage is around 110dkk/hour (about £13). Daisy Save as much money as possible, Copenhagen is very expensive!!! I set up a Metro Bank account as this doesn't use transaction fees in Europe; but people who had a paid job needed to set up a Danish bank account. And do not rely on the Erasmus grant, as the system has been very slow and they make you use the Corporate Cash Passport which means you lose SO MUCH money in the transaction fees and exchange rates. It is a TERRIBLE system, and it is only Manchester that uses this, all other universities just transfer the money into the students' bank accounts, which is far more sensible. Also, be aware of the huge deposits (about £1000) that you have to pay to the Housing Foundation, as I know lots of people who did not think of this and were in a lot of trouble because of this - and they are notoriously evil about giving money back, so I hope we get ours! Alice Studying in Copenhagen is not doable on a modest Manchester student budget, the cost of living is far far higher, particularly food. My budget for CPH ended up being nearly triple that at home so would not recommend studying here if money will be difficult as it prevents you from truely exploring Copenhagen. Calypso Copenhagen is such a lovely city to live in, the people are very relaxed and the city is the perfect size for biking around and exploring. It's got a really vibrant student scene and so many great restaurants/bars/cafes. The nightlife is great, and there is always some kind of festival (e.g. art, music, sports...) going on. You can easily access the Danish countryside, beaches and coast from the city. Equally, the city itself has a lot to offer - it's very historical, with many old buildings and castles dotted around, but there is also very modern architecture. One of the best things about the city is its proximity to water - you're always close enough to go for a swim, and in winter for a sauna! It is the kind of city in which you never run out of things to do.

Daisy The University of Copenhagen was a great space - I was mostly based at the central campus, a beautiful building that used to be the municipal hospital. This central location was ideal, as there were loads of places to eat and shops in close proximity, and the botanical gardens sit right next-door. I remember visiting the botanical gardens on my first day at university, and being so excited about the year ahead of me. I love Copenhagen. I am in constant awe of how beautiful it is, and how much there is going on here. That said, winter was very hard. I was constantly freezing, cycling from one place to another, you could never wear enough layers - I wore thermals every day from October to April. During those dark winter months, I did question my decision to come to such a cold and expensive city, when I could be living the high life in Mexico. However, summer has transformed Copenhagen into the dream city. It seems like the shared experience of a long winter encourages Danes to make the most of every minute of sun (especially thanks to this being the best summer on record). All over the city there are beautiful swimming spots, where people lounge by the rivers' edge and then jump in the water. This made essay-writing in the library a little more bearable, as I knew I would be going for a swim as soon as a called it a day. On top of this, there are so many bars, restaurants and cafes that spill into the street, flea markets that are ideal on a hungover Sunday, and numerous festivals (such as the documentary festival, where I volunteered) that ensure the city remains a dynamic place to live.

Alice UCPH is denmark's Largest university, probably similar in size to Manchester but divided into three smaller campuses. I studied on south campus which was home to the faculty of humanities and was a relaxed quiet campus outside of the main city. Denmark is a fantastic country to experience student life in, paritcurly in the capitol city of Copenhagen. The winter months were brutally cold but after Easter the temperature warmed up significantly and the last few months of term were very pleasant. The cycling culture was great to experience.

Calypso Copenhagen is very small - don't bother getting a cab to/from the airport. Most likely you will be living near a metro station or train station, and both of these will ensure you get to the airport much more rapidly than by road. Daisy Flights can be very cheap if booked in advance, and then the metro from the airport to town is very easy. Then try and get a bike as soon as possible!

Alice I joined a university mentor group for international students and one of the mentors picked me up from the airport which was really helpful.

Calypso I rarely used public transport, but when I did it was all super clean, super punctual and reasonably priced. However, Copenhagen is a cycling city so I highly recommend buying a bike to save money! Useful places to look for bikes: DBA (Danish version of gumtree/Ebay), ESN: BUY, GIVE, SELL (a Facebook group for selling unwanted possessions). Everybody speaks English so no need to worry about arranging to meet. Make sure you get the stelnummer (frame number) and check it against the police database (easy enough to do online using your phone) just to check that the bike is not a stolen one.

Daisy The metro can be expensive. Everyone uses a bike, of course! So just get a bike as soon as possible. I was delighted at finding a cheap bike from a shop, but it's cheapness actually meant I spent so much money having it fixed multiple times, that it would have been better to invest in a better bike that wouldn't have broken so often.

Alice Transport is phenomenal, the metro is reliable and easy to use, many students also buy bikes as th cycle lanes are so good in Copenhagen and its an affordable mode of transport.

Calypso When you sign up for a CPR number, the state gives you a GP. Luckily I only had to go once, but the system was very efficient. Furthermore, the prescription fee is cheaper than the UK so that's a plus too! Daisy I never went to the doctors, but it is theoretically very easy once you get your CPR number. I did have emergency dental work when my tooth fell out, and this was surprisingly efficient and cheap. Alice Get your paperwork for CPR numbers done and submitted as early as possible otherwise you end up queuing for hours and hours with other international students who did the paperwork late. Calypso I didn't bring (many) toiletries with me - they take up space, they weigh a lot, and you can buy them out there! Save space for other necessities/home comforts. Also don't forget to bring swimming stuff as it's always useful to have! Daisy Warm clothes for the winter; and waterproof trousers for cycling in the rain. But now I also need more summer clothes... And it is hard to find any nice cheese.

Calypso 1. Save up as much as possible before leaving. 2. Make sure you attend all the orientation events (can be cringey, but are a good way to meet people!). 3. Research what's on in the city before setting out. Facebook is a useful tool for this. Events are a great way to meet people, or a nice thing to attend with new friends! 4. Bring a guidebook 5. Think about opening a Danish bank account, and getting a Danish phone number (you don't need them, but would've been useful at points) Daisy 1. Make the most of everything! Time slips away and there is always so much to see and do. 2. BUT, accept that there will be difficult times, and don't put too much pressure on yourself to have fun 24/7 as it is still normal life and it is ok to give yourself a day off. 3. Don't worry about working too hard, as everyone (in Copenhagen at least) does really well in their essays. 4. Save money, and then spend money! If you've saved for this year, then make this year a fun year by doing trips and activities, as these are the things you will remember. 5. Be open to meeting a range of people, as there is value in everyone; but also learn to love your own company, as you will likely spend much time wandering streets and galleries on your own

Alice Not all international students get their grades vertex (they are only pass/fail) which means you have to adjust to be the only one studying hard around exams and coursework deadlines.