Motivation
I always wanted to do an exchange but it was something that always seemed quite out of my comfort zone. However, once commencing university I had seen and met a lot of people who had gone on an exchange and said it was one of the best experiences. Since I knew I had always wanted to do an exchange and travel and experience new cultures, meet new people, see a different way of life etc, I knew that if I did not take the opportunity I was so fortunate to have because of UQ, I would really regret it (despite it seeming scary and unknown at first).
Personal Development
While I feel like there are so many areas of my life and myself which have developed and grown over this six-month experience, I think the biggest change has been my confidence. Going into the exchange I was entering a city I had never travelled to before and I knew absolutely no one (no one from UQ or even Brisbane was at DTU) so I felt a bit intimidated to make new friends. However, over the course of the semester I met so so many incredible and supportive friends and made a whole friend group and life for myself in such a small amount of time. It really gave me so much confidence in knowing that I could throw myself into a situation and place where I knew no one and where it was completely unknown, and come away with so many close friends. I know now that I can have the confidence to do similar back in my life in Brisbane and also when entering the workforce.
Academic Development
One of the main academic challenges I experienced was the difference in teaching styles. It was very different in both teaching and class layout than at UQ (and something which took a while to get used to). I found the teaching style not compatible with my learning style - they did a lot of lecturing and then threw us into challenging questions which we would take home and do ourselves (which were also more difficult than any example done in class). I found it hard to listen and then immediately apply knowledge that was only talked at me, and apply it to questions and problem solving. In this regard, I enjoy the UQ teaching style of tutorials and hands on sessions to work through questions. However, DTU did have a very practical side to it as well (a lot of hands on projects and physical building/creating) which UQ doesn't have. I found I really enjoyed this practical side of DTU. In regards to the lecture style - I was able to overcome this by forming groups within my classes and working with others.
Professional Development
The main skills I have developed is an increase in confidence. I believe I am more confident in myself and approaching situations which I believe will be very beneficial when navigating future employability situations.
Costs
I made a monthly budgeting spreadsheet to allocate for necessities such as rent, transport and groceries (which I felt was especially necessary for Copenhagen as it is quite an expensive city). I always paid my rent as soon as it was due, and used the remainder of the money in my account for the rest of the month before transferring more for rent for the next month. This meant I wasn't tempted to overspend or dip into the money I had allocated for rent. I also had additional sections for social activities in my spreadsheet which I would allocate to from my savings. Had I gone over my groceries or another category in the necessity expense section, I would reduce how much I had for social categories.
Funding
The funding was very beneficial to my exchange. It came right when my next month of rent was due so I was able to pay my rent plus allocate the rest to groceries. This meant my necessity section of my budgeting was taken care of for the month, and allowed me to do some travel whilst on exchange. It meant the money I had allocated for the month could be used on new experiences and places.
Accommodation
I found out about my accommodation through UQ when applying for exchange. It was through BDTU (part of DTU) and they had many options. My accommodation (Lundtofte) was a one room apartment in an apartment complex on campus with other international students. It was extremely good and very convenient for everything. It had a common kitchen and great outdoor space which made it so easy to meet friends. My advice to future students is to definitely choose accommodation with shared kitchens/common areas. It makes it so much easier to meet new people.
Highlight
The highlight of my experience was all the close friends I was able to make from around the world. I have never met so many open minded and positive people all in one place before. I believe if you are on exchange, you have to be open minded to new experiences - and that is exactly what I found. I met so many amazing people and learnt so much about the lifestyles in other countries.
Advice/Top Tips
My main advice would be to remain open minded and challenge yourself. A six month exchange goes so quickly and if you don't enjoy it, it will be over with before you know it anyways. You may as well take advantage of being in a new place with so many opportunities and challenge yourself. It really is a once in a lifetime opportunity and to take hold of every experience there is to offer helps you grow so much.
