Hello all! I’ve been studying in Denmark for about a month now, and while I’ve been here for only a short time, it feels like it’s been a year. With this post, I’ll take you through a typical day in the life of a student studying abroad in Denmark, as well as a day as a tourist.
As a chemical engineering student, a typical day in Denmark starts early. I normally make myself some coffee with creamer, and grab my bookbag and lab manual to prepare for the day’s lab. From the student housing, I would leave around 30 minutes until the time of my lab, walking with my partner through Danish suburbia to Denmark Technical University. The walk was around 20 minutes, and consisted of many twists, turns, and some hills. We passed a railroad, a few lakes, some farm animals, and many houses.
Eventually, we’d arrive at the laboratory. The weather here in Denmark is quite unpredictable– similar to Alabama’s bipolar thunderstorms. It was important to always bring an umbrella.
My lab partner and I would quickly get to work, being able to perform some cool unit operations similar to the large-scale operations in industry. (Some would say: preparing us for the real world). After lab, we would walk back to Base Camp (a cool, abstract building for students) and eat lunch. Typically, Danish hotdogs were a first choice and Danish Squash (orange-carbonated soda) were chosen as a cheap and tasty meal. The rest of the day would be devoted to our rigorous program- reading, reporting, and writing. Breaks would be taken periodically, but our efforts were supplemented with many energy drinks.
Now, as an American tourist, a typical day in Denmark starts at a reasonable time (9:00 AM ish) and is much slower than a lab day. I would still make some coffee or tea, but I’d typically grab some breakfast before a fun day in the city. The local gas station sold bakery items like no other– nothing I’ve ever seen in America. The croissants here are huge– about 3x bigger than the one’s sold at Starbucks. After that, I would meet up with some friends and take the S-tog (S-train) into Copenhagen [or a bordering area called Norreport]. We would normally spend the whole day in Copenhagen, walking around, looking at cool buildings/areas, and shopping. We would break for a quick lunch, but then we’d go right back to exploring. I love the fashion in Denmark– since most people don’t dress like Danes in America. The Danes dress very simply, but prioritize sustainability, ethic sourcing, and quality- over quantity. A lot of the clothing was really expensive– but worth it for the quality I obtained.
Finally, we’d take the S-tog back toe Base Camp and relax with some board games or socialization. This cycle would repeat quite often– amidst the chaos of lab report and academic efforts. Overall, I wouldn’t trade this opportuity for the world.