Britney – Copenhagen Business School – Denmark
Semester 2, 2022
Bachelor of Business
I study a Bachelor of Business (International Business). I went on exchange to Copenhagen, Denmark where I studied at Copenhagen Business School (CBS). My exchange experience was incredible as this allowed me to travel and live independently in a new city with its own culture, natural beauty, breathtaking architecture and university lifestyle.
When preparing to depart Australia, I recommend completing all documentation as early as you can to ease the stress as the months draw closer to your departure. I would also highly recommend saving for this trip as there are several areas to explore in this wonderful city and activities to do that will enhance your experience and make you love the city as much as I did.
King’s Garden
I have gained so much confidence in myself to achieve things independently. I am so grateful to QUT for this amazing opportunity and enabling me to represent QUT in my host university CBS. During this exchange semester, I made the best of friends, explored a new city, participated in their traditions, learnt about their culture, tried the Danish delicacies. I visited the Queen of Denmark’s palace popularly known as Amalienborg Palace which has beautiful architectural design and is centrally located for people to walk around and observe. I also visited places such as Nyhavn with the postcard perfect view of the colourful houses alongside with boats docked around, the Little Mermaid, King’s Garden which is the country’s oldest royal garden, a Copenhagen street food spot known as Reffen, one of the oldest amusement parks known as the Tivoli Gardens and the intricately designed Marble Church (Marmorkirken) and went for a walk around The Lakes.
The Lakes
Copenhagen Architecture
Tivoli Gardens
As Denmark is known for its incredible biking culture, I was thrilled to rent a bike of my own. It made travelling even more enjoyable as I could bike to and from university and other areas with ease. Give it a try!
Biking around CBS
A minor challenge I experienced in Denmark was the language barrier however, many Danes also speak English so they could help out. My advice would be getting the Duolingo app and learning Danish as it greatly helped in settling into a new environment. Learning a language during my exchange was so valuable as I learnt basic greetings when talking to the locals.
CBS is such a structured university and is very inclusive of all students. Being an exchange student, I was allocated a buddy from CBS who was very kind and helpful during my stay in Copenhagen. We have become closer friends after my exchange and we have continued to stay in touch. CBS had really fun activities for exchange students beginning with an orientation week which comprised of a campus tour, a city tour of Copenhagen, traditional Danish folk dancing, a canal tour, a start of semester event and various other events to meet fellow exchange students from all around the world. This exchange in Denmark showed me how the Danes valued their patriotism for their country which makes them have a strong sense of pride and belonging. In return, I was delighted to share some cultural concepts about Australia with them.
Copenhagen Architecture
While studying at CBS, I made friends with some Danes and they would happily teach me Danish words such ‘hygge’ meaning cosy and relaxed which is a defining characteristic of Danish culture which I observed among several Danes. Other Danish words I learnt while on exchange were ‘hej’(hello), ‘tak‘(thank you) and ‘undskyld’(excuse me). I found the Danish language very interesting to learn about and ever since then I have been learning more Danish every day. Now, I have a newfound interest to learn the dialect. This brought to light the similarities and differences of two countries, and it was very interesting learning and experiencing it firsthand in the country. Life in Denmark is similar to Australia as they value leisure time as much as they do work. This allows them to create a balance wherein they spend an equal amount of time with family and friends whilst also working.
My advice for students travelling to Copenhagen would be to make the most of every day by exploring the area around, seeing the beauty of Copenhagen and attending the social events led by the CBS exchange team where you can meet new people. I would also advise trying new foods, if anything, you might even end up loving it. With the confidence I gained while studying overseas, I was able to meet new people and learn about the Danish culture whilst also incorporating parts of their lifestyle into my own daily activities. I am so grateful to have had this amazing opportunity to go on an exchange semester in Copenhagen Denmark as it was the best decision I made with this experience strengthening my confidence skills in all aspects of my life.
The Lakes
Find out how you can apply for exchange via the QUT Student Exchange website.
