Greetings From Copenhagen

Patricia Welte and Magdalena Falkner are spending their semester abroad at the University College Copenhagen (KP) and report on their experiences

Why did you choose this particular partner university?

We chose KP College because we were basically interested in getting to know Scandinavia. Above all, because Scandinavian social systems have a “good reputation”, I wanted to learn more about them and about Social Work in Denmark during my semester abroad. KP College was recommended to us by a previous graduate of the semester abroad as a good university with a diverse range of courses, which was an additional incentive. Last but not least, we were of course particularly interested in the city of Copenhagen and were looking forward to living there for a few months.

How do you like the university city? How do you experience the culture of the host country?

Copenhagen is a diverse city that has a lot to offer. Especially if you have the opportunity to spend several months there, you will notice how diverse and varied the different parts of the city are. From modern architecture to the historic old town, there is a lot to see in the coastal capital. Nevertheless, the city is still easy to navigate and you can quickly gain a general overview, which also pays off when visiting friends and family, as the “most important” monuments can easily be visited within a short trip.

As it can be quite dark and uncomfortable, especially in the cold season, a comfortable and cozy atmosphere is very important in Danish culture. This is why the Danish word “hygge” is used, which means creating a pleasant atmosphere in everyday life. Otherwise, I found the Danes to be quite reserved, but nonetheless always helpful.

Is there anything else you would like to tell us?

One opportunity you have in Denmark and Scandinavia is to see the beautiful natural areas, places and various cities. In addition to university, we were able to use our free time to travel. We were able to see different parts of Denmark and also plan excursions to Sweden and Norway. Many things are easily accessible by train or car from Copenhagen and not too far away. This is also something we would recommend to everyone for the semester abroad!

Where do you see the biggest differences between your host university and MCI?

The design of the courses and the examination modes were very different to those at MCI. At the KP College, the focus of the teaching units was primarily on the joint exchange of ideas between the whole group or working in small groups. Courses were usually held in a “more relaxed” setting and the main focus was on discussing prepared topics and exchanging different perspectives. This was combined with a variety of excursions, group work and the development of own project ideas. In addition, there were fewer different subjects, but two large modules that were divided into subsections. These were each concluded with an oral examination at the end of the 10-week modules.

What has been the biggest challenge so far during your semester abroad?

In summary, we would say that there were no “too big” challenges during the semester abroad. At the beginning, of course, you have to get to know the new city, the new university and new people, which took us some time to get used to. Apart from that, we would say that the approaches and basic knowledge of the different students can be quite different, because as a group you are made up of different semesters, countries and individual experiences. As a result, you are sometimes confronted with very different ideas and opinions, which then have to be solved or discussed together as a group.