Study Abroad Report

Brad Uecker

Denmark Study Abroad

Spring Semester 2008

Masters-HRIR

Academic experiences at the partner school

  1. General academic structure:

Students take four courses that are 7.5 credits each. The courses generally meet for around 30 hours per semester. They can meet once a week for 10 weeks or 3 times a week for 4 weeks. Overall the classes do not measure participation or take attendance so it is up to the student to learn the material sufficiently. Half of the courses are strictly a lecture style while other courses relied on case studies. The overall skill of the professors varied greatly. Overall the courses relied heavily on theoretical approaches. Students are graded on one thing for the entire semester. These include four hour closed or open book exam, oral exams, term papers and 48-hour exams based on a case.

  1. Classes taken/ how they compare to courses here:

Project Management Across Cultures: This course was based on numerous case studies and was very enjoyable. The final exam was an oral exam based upon the entire syllabus. This course was demanding but was also the only worthwhile one. This course was highly interactive.

Diversity Management: This course used a variety of lecturers and covered numerous theories. We watched one movie that was eye opening and the exam was a 4000-word essay. There was a little bit of discussion.

De and Re Constructing Leadership: This class met 10 times over a four-week period. Compared to other classes, this professor tried to use a variety of approaches in the lessons. Unfortunately there was only an essay to write so it gave you little incentive to do all of the readings.

Human Resource Management: This course is not recommended (and I’m an HRIR student). It only talked about theory and in regards to practical approaches, there was little to none. The course had an open book exam and, again, is not recommended.

  1. Advising:

I did not require any advising. The only time I saw the advisor was when I handed in my course registration.

  1. Surprises/comparison with academic environment in the U.S:

There was little group work in my classes in Denmark. In the US there is a strong emphasis on this but the Danish professors take into account that most of the students were working full-time as well. The other surprise was the oral exam. It is something that should be adopted into American institutions. You have to prepare as much or more for this type of exam, yet it is finished in 15 minutes and you receive your grade right away.

Logistics at the partner school:

  1. Orientation/Arrival:

After talking to some of the international students at the U of M, it is clear that Copenhagen has us beat. They have an assigned buddy that meets you at the airport and shows you to your apartment. I became great friends with mine and was able to go out and see some of the great, relatively unknown bars and clubs in Copenhagen. Also, it’s more relaxed and my buddy introduced me to a lot of his friends. This network became my main set of local friends, while many others had very few local contacts.

They also have a Danish Crash Course, which is recommended. They have evening activities, which usually involve Carlsberg. The orientation week is also fun with both daytime and nighttime activities. It is all organized by students and is well done.

  1. Housing:

Housing is expensive and not that great. My room was dirtier when I arrived than when I left and I am still being charged. However, it’s hard to blame them as we are only there for a semester and they provide us a place to stay and enjoy perhaps the most fun 6 months of your life.

I lived in Svanevej and would recommend it to anyone who is looking to have a good time and not worry so much about school. There were only about 40 residents and about 30 of us became very good friends. It was completely international and everyone mixed well without any cliques. Some of the other residences are a lot bigger and people tended to stick within their comfort zone (meaning within their same nationality). Also Svanevej is located in the Norrebro area, which is very diverse. There are a lot of immigrants, which gives it a unique personality compared to the rest of Copenhagen.

  1. Meals:

I did not eat at school much but there are nice cafeterias. There are a lot of kebab shops where you can eat relatively cheaply. Most restaurants are pricey for students but are of excellent quality. My room had a small kitchen where I could prepare simple meals and there was a larger shared kitchen in the residence as well. Many weeks we would have a themed meal party (i.e. American breakfast). It was a great way to meet everyone at the beginning of the semester. Also Svanevej has a huge terrace with a couple of grills, so when the weather was nice, we were barbequing a lot.

  1. Transportation:

Public transportation is a beautiful thing in Copenhagen. The buses come often and they run on schedule. They have night busses as well for the nights that you want to stay out late, but not until morning. The Metro runs 24 hours on weekends and the trains run late as well. There are great bike lanes as well. They are as wide as our lanes for parking and run throughout the city. Your bicycle will be your best means of transportation.

  1. Student activity groups:

I didn’t really participate in any. About 20-30 international students kind of formed a soccer club every Saturday, which was great fun.

Host Country Culture
  1. What were some surprises or insights you had into the culture of your host country/school?

Having spent considerable amount of time in Asia, coming to Denmark was not all that much of a culture shock. Everyone speaks English, everything is clean and everyone is helpful. It is a great place to come for your first time abroad. The socialist society is great and the quality of living is very high. One surprise was that the Danes really do drink as much as you think they do.

  1. What are your recommendations for ways that other exchange students can learn about and become immersed in the culture?

MAKE FRIENDS WITH THE LOCALS! The Danes are a lot like Minnesotans. They will help you and be nice to you but at the end of the night they are going home and probably will not make an effort to meet you again. You have to make the effort. You will be glad that you do. Also try not to go to the same places that all of the exchange students go to. It is fun sometimes, but you will not meet locals there.

  1. Did you have the chance to learn a second language? Why or why not?

I started taking Danish, but eventually gave it up as I was only in Denmark for about 10 days from March 13th until April 22nd. It was hard to keep up after that. Also, it was frustrating to try and use it and have the Danes switch immediately into English. I would still recommend trying, as it is always fun to learn a new language.

Social life:

  1. How would you rate your integration with other students from the host university?

I was able to get to know some people right away, though they were not from my courses. I generally prefer to go to class and leave school as quickly as possible. If you are willing to put in effort you will meet people. There is a bar on campus, which is very busy on Thursday nights. Even though I didn’t spend time getting to know people in class, you still recognize faces and it is an easy way to start conversation there.

  1. How would you rate your integration with other international students?

This was not a problem at all and definitely one of the highlights of my trip. Living in the small residence helped and it was great to become good friends with such a variety of people. The key, though, is not to be the stereotypical American. Be sensitive to the other cultures. Take interest in what they do and their languages. Most importantly do not expect everyone to know everything about American culture. It was easy to see early on that some of the other American students would start talking about TV shows from back home and it just causes the international students to get quiet. Know a little bit about soccer and you’ll have a great in.

  1. What were some of the best ways you found to make friends and meet people at the host university?

Go to the common kitchen/living room at night, talk to people and go out! You’re living abroad; don’t spend all of your time in your room on Facebook!

  1. What kinds of after-hours and weekend activities would you recommend for other students?

If you’ve read any of this, you can understand that there is a lot of beer in Copenhagen, but that really isn’t all there is to do. Every Saturday about 20 of the international students got together to play soccer. There are a ton of museums in and around the city and the public transportation is so easy to use that you can get anywhere. Most importantly though, travel! I was only in Denmark for 3 out of the 5 months that I was in Europe. Flights are cheap to get to Warsaw, Berlin and most other places as long as you book early. One other thing about traveling, there is an absolute must do trip that starts from Sweden that takes you to St. Petersburg and Moscow. A woman from Stockholm organizes the transportation and hotels and you are free after that. You will here more about it after you get there.

Other:

  1. Budgeting: how much would you recommend students take with them? How much would you say would be the monthly living expenses in the city you lived in including rent/food/misc. expenses?

I think the rent was about $1000 per month and after that it depends on your lifestyle. I spent at least $200 a week in Copenhagen and less when I was traveling. This money basically took care of entertainment, public transportation, food and drinks.

  1. Do you have suggestions on the types of students who would be well suited to this program?

People who want to have fun and are not so serious about themselves.

  1. Did you need a visa to enter the country? If so, how did you apply for one and how long did it take to receive?

Everyone from the US needs a visa if staying over a 60 (?) days. It was easy to apply for as long as you follow the International Office’s instructions. You don’t have to visit an embassy, which makes it even easier. It was also fast. I had my passport back within a week.

  1. What recommendations would you give to other CSOM students going on this program (to bring, to wear, etc.)?

It depends on the semester and the individual. People there think it is really cold, but it really is not nearly as bad as the winters in Minnesota. You will want warm clothes, and you will want shorts and a swimsuit. Bring a small present for your buddy. They will appreciate it. Also, make sure to bring a rain/wind jacket.

  1. General recommendations for study abroad:

Keep an open mind. Listen more than you speak. Enjoy.

  1. What resources did you use to plan your trip or semester travels that you think other students should know about?

I used Lonely Planet the whole time.

  1. Did you receive a scholarship for your study abroad program? If so, can you tell us about the award, how you found it, and the details of the application process?

No, I didn’t, but I wish I had applied for one.

If you would be willing to be contacted by prospective students to this program, please let us know how we can reach you! Your preferred e-mail (for student contacts), and address/phone (for our office) would be much appreciated!

Email to:

Kirsten Alexejun, International Programs