Studying Abroad in Denmark: Part 1

About a year ago, in 2023, I had a random idea to study abroad. I didn’t know that this random idea would eventually lead me to Denmark in August 2024. Thanks to some of the dual credit courses I took through Middle College, I was able to complete a lot of my credits to be able to take a semester Abroad. 

After completing quite a lot of paperwork and meetings, I was set to go to Denmark on August 21, 2024 and return on December 21. Just a quick 5 months! Saying goodbye to my friends and family was quite hard, especially since this was the first time I have ever traveled to another country other than Canada. However, even though this experience has brought me some challenges and struggles, I’m so glad I pursued this idea.

After my parents dropped me off at the airport, I felt very overwhelmed as I got in line to board this giant plane with people speaking mostly German. After a quick 9.5 hour flight, I landed in Frankfurt where I felt so lost. No one around me spoke English, and it felt like I was going insane because everything looked so different. After trying to find my gate for over an hour, I realized I had to go through security and customs, which was actually so scary because everyone was speaking German around me, and I felt like an alien.

When I thought things couldn’t get more terrifying, a man in a military uniform with a big gun asked me for my passport and I feared I was going to get taken away by German Polizi.  

But everything turned out okay when I finally found my gate. My tipping point was when I got a bottle of water, and the cap wouldn’t come off. After a couple more hours of waiting in the Frankfurt airport, I boarded my plane to Copenhagen. When I arrived in Denmark, I was so incredibly jet-lagged that everything felt like a dream. My study abroad program took care of me, and I got to sightsee around the city of Copenhagen.

After a couple of days of staying in the city, I took a train to a town called Køge, where I got to meet my host family and go home. Before my arrival, I had been talking with them for a while, so I already knew that they were going to be incredibly welcoming and nice.

After settling into my new home, I started school the following Monday. School was something I was a little worried about, since almost every class is taught in Danish. The nice part about Denmark is that a good number of people can speak English, but everyone mostly speaks Danish or Dansk. However, everyone at my school was very welcoming and nice to me. I have now been in school for almost a month, and I am friends with a lot of the people in my class.

There are so many comparisons between Denmark, and Europe in general, and the U.S. Here are some of the biggest differences I have noticed so far:

• School: Danish school systems are really different from American ones. For one, there is no school spirit and all of the sports are club and separate from school. Going to school is pretty much just for learning.
• Sports: Even with the difference of sports not being integrated into schools compared to most of America, the athletics culture is also different here. Soccer or fodbal is one of the most popular sports in Denmark and Europe. However, it’s kind of the only popular one here other than handball and tennis. There’s some basketball, hockey, even a little football–mostly soccer. I’m playing soccer in a different town, but practice is only a few days a week compared to our everyday practice at SHS. 
• Drinking: This to me has to be one of the craziest things. The drinking age here is 15??? You can buy and drink alcohol at 15/16. Even more insane, my school hosts a party where you can purchase alcohol and drink AT SCHOOL. You’re not allowed to bring any, but you can certainly buy it.
• Transportation: Another huge difference between Denmark and the U.S. Biking is a huge part of Danish culture, with it being the right of way, even before pedestrians. A lot different from Alaska, especially since there’s not even a sidewalk or bike lane on the highway from Bear Lake to town. People also often take the train or metro instead of driving.
• Size: I knew that Denmark and a lot of European countries were small, but I was still so surprised. You could fit the entire country into Alaska 34 times.
• Language: Even though a lot of people can speak English, it’s not something that is super common. I’m definitely trying to learn Danish, and I can read and understand it a little; however, speaking it is rather difficult. A lot of the pronunciations are challenging to understand and remember. I hope by the end of my trip I’ll be able to speak it a little better.

  

There are many other differences I could talk about, but I think it would be an entire book. Honestly, anything you can think of is probably a little bit different here.

I have been so busy with many cool activities and sightseeing. My host family is so nice and shows me a lot of amazing places in Denmark. We went to Tiovli, which is one of the oldest amusement parks in the world, tree climbing, to the beach, and much more.

My favorite part of my trip so far has been taking the train into Copenhagen and walking around the city, going on gorgeous sunset walks, and swimming in the harbors and beaches. My school recently took a trip to Lübeck, Germany, where I got to see even more cool sights. It took a total of around 3.5 hours to travel to a different country, which was so crazy for me. About the same that it takes to travel to Homer.

Overall, my trip has been amazing so far. I’m really glad I decided to pursue this experience. Time is going by fast, I can’t believe I have been here for a month already. I only have three months left before I come back to Alaska. There are definitely a lot of parts that I miss from home. The 10-hour time difference is very difficult, but I am getting more and more used to it. 

While there are a lot of parts that are hard about doing a foreign exchange, I definitely think it is worth it. To quote a lot of our previous foreign exchange students at SHS, “studying abroad is something everyone should do if they can.” I definitely agree with this statement. Anyways, this is my first blog with more to come. 

 Gå havhøges (Go seahawks) .