Euan – Copenhagen Business School – Denmark
Semester 1, 2020
Bachelor of Business / Bachelor of Creative Industries
I currently study a double degree in Business and Creative Industries, however due to the difficulty in finding a university that has overlapping subjects in both areas, I decided that I would simply drop Creative Industries for the semester. After many trial and error, I ended up choosing Copenhagen Business School (CBS) and I am so happy that I did.
University Life
Studying at CBS was significantly different to that at QUT. CBS takes itself very seriously in terms of its teaching and professionalism, which I found quite difficult to get over. My QUT lecturers are usually more casual and approachable, whereas I found the CBS lecturers very stern and formal. This isn’t to say that it was impossible to learn, it was just an adjustment that I had to get used to. To add to this, all my subjects were around 2 – 3 hours per lecture and the lectures took place three times a week. In total, there was up to 9 contact hours a week per subject which was a significant adjustment for me.
Housing
Housing was stressful as CBS utilise a first-come, first-serve approach, but luckily enough, I was able to get the dorm I wanted. I stayed in Kongens Tværvej (I never learnt how to pronounce this) which was an old 1900’s Danish house, with 18 other people. With shared kitchens and bathrooms it was impossible not to talk to people, and once we had all met, we got on like a house on fire. All the other student accommodations were made up of large apartment buildings with each offering different features to fit any kind of person, so be sure to put in the research before you apply.
Friends
CBS made it incredibly easy to make friends. From the get-go they assign you a buddy (a Danish domestic student), who will pick you up from the airport and most likely offer to show you around. They become your first point of contact whenever you have a question about the CBS, Denmark, or anything else. Then CBS goes the extra mile by organising two introduction weeks (these you have to pay for) for the international students to meet and make friends. From bowling to folk dancing to clubbing to city tours, it is definitely worth the money and helped me make so many great friends!
Quick Tips to Save Money
- Get a Rejsekort card for the metro. You can get university discounts and when there is no Uber or any rideshare app, you’ll use it a lot.
- Get a bike! Download Swapfiets and get a bike for $15 a month with free repairs. Everyone rides a bike and you should too! Fun fact: did you know that Copenhageners cycle the equivalent to 35 times around the world every day?
- Keep your grocery bill down by shopping at Lidl. Look up Foodsharing CPH for free groceries twice a week.
- Make use of the cheap airfares around Europe. Check Skyscanner frequently and you can score some incredible deals.
