Hi, I’m Rebecca Davidson! I am a junior Management major in Mays Business School. I am currently studying at Copenhagen Business School in Copenhagen, Denmark.
I have been here in Copenhagen, Denmark for 5 weeks! It has already been such a life-changing, transformative experience for me. Denmark is a small country and Copenhagen, the capital, is home to over 602,000 of them. Adjusting to life in another country is much easier in a city with the size and excitement of Copenhagen. In Copenhagen, there are many neighborhoods with different vibes and attractions. The main city center has luxury shopping, historic castles, and the famous Nyhavn. N?rrebro and the Meatpacking District are the younger, more diverse neighborhoods with beautiful parks and hip restaurants. My university has buildings spread across the Fredriksberg, a residential neighborhood. The city is divided by canals and is extremely bike-friendly; It is said that there are more bikes than people here. Though it was intimidating at first, I now love biking around with no place more than a 30 minute bike ride. Copenhagen also has an efficient metro system that runs 24hrs a day and is incredibly clean and reliable.
My favorite thing about Denmark is the people. I soon learned that Danes are polite, giving, warm and silly. They love to use the term hygge, have impeccable English, and love their beer. I live in a dorm with mainly Danish students and have found it to be the biggest blessing of the semester so far; I get to live alongside Danes and experience their culture firsthand. Danes are known for their Scandinavian style featuring cozy layers, minimalist pieces, sneakers, and lots of black. Denmark is governed by a sort of unspoken law called Janteloven or Jante’s Law. The main aspect of this law is, “You are not to think you are anything special.” Though this sounds dark, it is actually a beautiful aspect of Danish life. The best example is how you will see a CEO biking to work just like everyone else. It promotes generosity and humility like nothing I’ve ever seen.
My university in Denmark has really impressed me! Copenhagen Business School is one of the most prestigious business schools in Europe and is very globally-focused. Before I arrived, I had my classes and schedule already laid out. My only complaint is that my class schedule varies in time and location by week. I am enrolled in 4 classes, 2 in Quarter 1, 1 in Quarter 2 and 1 for the full semester. My classes are engaging and taught from a different perspective. My professors are experts in their field and are from all over the world from London to Singapore. I don’t have many assignments, but lots of textbook reading and case studies.
I’m really excited for the next 3 months of living here and I’m so glad I chose Copenhagen to study for the semester!
