Erasmus Experience in Copenhagen, Denmark by Mateus

Why did you choose to go to Copenhagen, Denmark?

I had heard good things about the city and the school so I wanted to give it a try. Last semester I spent in Hong Kong doing exchange studies at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and it was a great experience but I also wanted to see how things work a bit closer to my home country. But why Copenhagen? Well, because I really like the Scandinavian way of doing things and Copenhagen is a well developed and beautiful city and forerunner in many ways, and of course because the Danish people are the happiest people in the world!

How long is the scholarship? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

The scholarship is for three months and it was 1170€ so 390€ per month.

What is the student lifestyle like in Copenhagen?

I’m doing my exchange studies at the Danish National School of Performing Arts. Students, teachers and the staff have been super nice and helpful with everything. The school is quite small so almost everybody knows each other and the atmosphere is really warm and cozy. The first-year students threw a party at the school every now and then and there’s a lot of events and performances running all the time where people usually meet up.

Would you recommend the city and the university of Copenhagen to other students?

I would recommend the Danish National School of Performing Arts!

What is the food like?

Copenhagen like many other European cities has a lot of different options if you wanna eat outside. Many different kinds of cuisines from around the world. My favorite restaurant area is probably the old meat packing district and the surrounding area in Vesterbro. Most of them are a bit too expensive for student budget but it’s a great place to meet up with friends for a dinner once week…

Bakeries are also very popular and you can find them in almost every street corner. From bakeries and restaurant, you may also find the Danish traditional ‘’open-face sandwich’’ smørrebrød and many other Danish and Scandinavian dishes.

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Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Copenhagen?

It is pretty hard to find a room at a reasonable price even for the locals in Copenhagen. I’ve been living in two different places so far and I’m moving again at the end of April. I think it’s nice to live in different places and meet new people and I don’t have that much stuff with me so it has been pretty easy to move from one place to another. But yeah, it’s not so easy to find a place and the rents are quite expensive. So you better be prepared for that…

How much does it cost to live in Copenhagen?

The city is a bit expensive. Of course, it depends how much you like eating and drinking in a restaurant and how often you go out and how much you pay for the rent… So it's good to have some pocket money along with the scholarship.

Is the language easy to get to grips with? Are there language courses available at the University?

I know the basics of Swedish but still it’s pretty hard to understand Danish, even though they are quite similar. When I read Danish it makes more sense but it’s difficult to understand if someone tries to speak with me. I’m here only for three months so I decided to not take any Danish classes, but I’m trying to learn the basic stuff by myself...

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Copenhagen from your city?

The easiest and cheapest option was flying, but you can also get here by boat and train from Helsinki pretty easily.

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Copenhagen?

There's a lot of nice bars, restaurants and clubs in Vesterbro and also Nørrebro is a pretty hip area. Most of the biggest clubs are in the inner city of Copenhagen.

And for eating? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Copenhagen?

As I said before, I would recommend to check out Vesterbro, the old meatpacking district and the surrounding area, since it is full of good restaurants.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

There's a lot of things to see in the city... I think the best way is just to bike around the city and enjoy the beautiful architecture and people. Louisiana, the museum of modern art is also worthy of checking out!

Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to Copenhagen in the future?

You'll definitely need a bike in Copenhagen!

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