Going to Denmark for a year as an Erasmus student was an opportunity my school offered me for my third and final year. It was an unmissable opportunity to travel and see other cultures, something I’d rarely had the chance to do before.
I arrived at the beginning of August, a month before the start of the new academic year, to take part in a program offered by the host university to learn Danish and be introduced to the local culture.
Denmark is a very welcoming country for foreign students. In addition to this program, the university offered the possibility of finding accommodation and taking care of all the necessary arrangements, so that I only had to pick up the keys when I arrived.
Accommodation is usually a room in a student residence: it’s cheap and the atmosphere is great. So settling in went very well, and the first month spent integrating into the country and with other students from all over the world is a sensational experience.
The rest went just as well. The education system is different from the French one, and in particular from that of the grandes écoles where I come from, so it’s interesting to compare the different approaches. The culture is obviously still Western, but there are differences in the way of thinking, having fun, eating and living. It’s pretty close to the (very positive) idea I had of it, close to the “Nordic” culture you find in other countries like the Netherlands or Sweden.
All in all, a very positive assessment, and an excellent choice of destination for an Erasmus year. The only downside is the higher standard of living than in France, which can be frustrating when it limits the possibilities for outings and discoveries, especially when you’re a student. But you can always manage!
Romain
