5 Reflections from Studying Abroad in Copenhagen

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College Study Abroad

Study abroad will change your life! We asked alumni to reflect on their time abroad and share a few tips to help future students prepare for the journey ahead. Check out what Kathryn C., from Saint John Fisher College, had to say about her time study abroad in Copenhagen!

Why did you chose to study abroad?

I have known since I was in high school that I would study abroad in college. When I began looking at study abroad locations, I was contemplating between Australia and Denmark but finding out that my mom had studied a year abroad in Billund, Denmark really stuck with me. I choose Copenhagen, Denmark in the hopes of understanding the stories and impact that Denmark made on her as well.

What is one thing you wish you knew (or one piece of advice you would give yourself) before studying abroad? 

One thing that I wish I knew or was given the advice of was to spend more on travels than trinkets and shopping. I spent a little more on airfare than I would of liked but the memories and places I visited with friends was worth the extra money.

In what ways did you see yourself grow and change while abroad? 

The ways that I saw myself change and grow was by being more open to meeting new people without fear. With my mom studying abroad in a  different part of Denmark, this made me want to meet the people who were important to her. I spent about a weekend each with her host parents, host sister, and both of her best friends/family learning about their connections and memories. Spending four different weekends away from my friends in the program defiantly made me miss a few amazing places they traveled to but It was worth that in order to have a deeper connection to my mom!

What was the biggest culture shock you faced? How did you adapt?

The biggest culture shock for me was the fact that they bike everywhere in Denmark. The transition to biking everywhere was a quick adaption. To this day I still miss biking everyday and interacting with other Danish individuals on the road!

How would you summarize your study abroad experience in one word? 

Transformative