Written by Hunter Jones, University of Copenhagen Fall 2017
Arriving alone to a foreign country is an unsettling experience to say the least; especially when your luggage decides to hang out in Reykjavik for an extra couple of weeks before finally finding its ways to Copenhagen. The initial shock soon eased away as I met a solid group of friends in my Danish language immersion course at KU. Together we struggled through vocab pronunciation exercises each morning, explored the city and its sights in the afternoons, and unwound with a couple Tuborgs after sunset. Despite not retaining a ton of Danish, it was an awesome experience and helped familiarize me to the culture of my new home.
I found the teaching style at KU to be slightly difficult to adjust to at first, but definitely helped to foster a sense of independence and accountability in my work. My university courses were divided between my two majors: Legal Studies and Art History. I was able to meld my areas of study together in my architecture class where I wrote a final research paper on the use of urban design to deter crime in and around Copenhagen. The project was a great way to connect with Danish professionals and see the city from a whole new perspective.
As cliché as it is to say, studying abroad in Copenhagen was a life changing experience that I would not trade for anything. Before leaving, I was a relatively introverted individual and felt a little aimless in life. Studying abroad opened my eyes to my newfound passion of photography, connected me with lifelong friends across the globe, and allowed me to see sights that I’ll never forget. I’m incredibly grateful for ScanDesign and the opportunities that the program enabled!