TIA HERE with my second to last post on Denmark. If you're thinking of studying abroad (or not), or thinking specifically of studying abroad in Copenhagen (or not), or are even more specifically thinking of studying abroad with DIS in Copenhagen (or not), this post is for you. Here are all of the reasons why I think you should study abroad in Denmark (through the Danish Institute for Study Abroad):
TIA HERE with a quick list of some tips that I think may help future DIS students prepare for arrival in Denmark! There's also some info for those who are thinking of applying but are not sure yet. Hope you make a decision that you are happy with in the end, after considering all of the factors.
TIA HERE with a short visual tour of my living quarters for the past four months. When I first heard I was going to be in a triple, I imagined a cramped space with beds practically piled on top of one another. I could not have been more wrong! My triple with roommates Kayla and Robin was enormous with wood paneled floors and large, beautiful windows facing Vestergade. Being in the apartment above DIS offices gave us excellent wifi privileges and easy access to classes (a two minute walk, tops). I could not have gotten a better room in the entirety of DIS. Even my roommates and housemates were a perfect match!
TIA HERE sporting photos and video from my trip to Amager Strand (name of the metro stop), where you can find the nearest beach around Copenhagen. Per usual, I feel as if the video and photos speak more to the experience than I ever could, simply because beaches are much the same everywhere and the only difference between a Copenhagen beach and a Florida beach is the holistic feeling you get from being there. Nonetheless, I'll try my best to capture it.
TIA HERE with some sweet pics of Copenhagen's famous theme park "Tivoli Gardens," which, believe it or not, is the second oldest amusement park in the world (and Denmark). What's study abroad in Copenhagen without a little visit?
TIA HERE with a story I never thought I'd live to tell: 1) because I didn't know there were cat cafés in places that are not Asia and 2) because I am allergic to cats (or, at least, I thought I was). But despite all odds, here in Copenhagen, Denmark, there is a cat caféthat is aptly called Café Miao. What's a cat café? you might be wondering. It's exactly what it sounds like: a typical café with the addition of cats roaming around at their own leisure. It's like eating in a pet shop, minus the cages, but also minus the concern that the animals will take your food--cats have more dignity than that, and they also are forbidden from eating the food so they are more used to just hanging around while people eat. If you don't want to eat anything, for just 50 DKK ($8.50) you can step inside the cat room for as long as you like and just pet cats. Or, if you're like me and my friends Alanna and Katya, you can buy some food at a minimum of 50 DKK and have a nice meal in addition to petting cats.
TIA HERE with a word of warning: don't walk into a Danish grocery store without a plan. You think, like any common fool may think, that things will be similar to the way they are in America, and to some extent they are. But more likely, you will find yourself wandering the halls of Netto with a dazed look on your face as the foreign words pop out at you with mocking faces. Not to worry! For all of you Americans new to Copenhagen, I have some advice that will make you look like a real Dane in your nearest Netto, Fotex, etc. etc.
TIA HERE and this week I did a little interview/panel/open discussion with four of my LLC-mates, asking them all kinds of questions revolving around our apartment, the Living Learning Community we're a part of, and what it's like to live in Copenhagen through DIS in general. Meet Joey, Katya, Alanna, and Kayla (from left to right). All five of us, in addition to nine other people (and our Social and Residential Advisor) stay together in a six bedroom apartment in the center of Copenhagen. Our LLC is the "Creative Writing" LLC, meaning that we all have a similar interest in writing and hope to continue exploring that interest abroad. Here are the nine short videos covering some questions I posed that should hopefully give future DIS students a better idea of what it's like to live in Copenagen, an LLC, and/or our specific LLC. There's also an outtakes/blooper reel for those wanting a little more info and a better sense of what we're like as people. Enjoy!
First up! I ask everyone what their first impressions of the LLC and Copenhagen were, and how they may have changed since being here for a month. My first impression, unlike theirs, revolved more around the living space than the people. I couldn't believe how big the room was! Even though it was a triple, it was nothing like one of the forced triples I was used to seeing in the U.S. My roommates and I all got a corner of the huge room, and we all received a desk, chair, trashcan, table lamp, floor lamp, magnetic whiteboard (with three to four magnets), cubby, closet, power strip, and clothing drawer. The room has wood-paneled floors and three large windows that swing open to welcome in a view of the street below. Talk about a dream apartment!
TIA HERE and I can't believe it. This is only my fourth day in Denmark and I already feel completely at home. You think things moved fast freshman year? Try studying abroad and you'll feel as if a century has passed in the span of an hour--that you've known the people around you for weeks and that you're ready to move in to the city you're now afraid to leave. But it's only been four days--and I'm four months from leaving.
TIA HERE with some of my pre-Denmark thoughts and experience thus far with DIS. Currently, I'm sitting in the Jacksonville airport (I'm writing this on August 16th, for your reference), ready to fly to JFK in New York City (the irony) then head off to Copenhagen. I thought, for anyone interested in going to Denmark through DIS or just interested in studying abroad in general, it may be interesting to just log how I feel before the semester starts and then write one of these again when I'm on my way back home in December.
