Courtesy of Mia McKersie
What program are you enrolled in?
DIS Copenhagen
Why did you choose this program?
“I was attracted to the positive psychology course they offer at DIS because Denmark is rated one of the happiest countries and I wanted to investigate why that is.”
How have you adjusted to life abroad?
“I came in swinging—no problems—but now that I’ve reached the halfway point I’ve started to miss the comfort of home and the people there. I’m still happy to be here. I appreciate how fleeting study abroad is, and I am eager to make the most of my time here.”
Were there any cliches that were proven true or false?
“Danish people won’t look at you or talk to strangers in public, but they simultaneously trust society enough to leave their babies outside cafes in strollers while they’re eating inside. They keep to themselves and their friend groups, but they have a lot of trust in their communities which is an interesting dichotomy.”
What is your housing situation? What is that like?
“I’m living in a kollegium which is six floors, each with about 10 abroad students and six Danish residents that live there full time. Each floor shares a kitchen which is cool because there’s always someone around to hang out with, but different standards of cleanliness among residents is a source of juicy drama.”
What is a typical day like? Is there anything similar to Conn? Is there anything very different?
“A typical day includes taking the metro to and from class, doing homework in the beautiful city library, going to the gym down the street from my kollegium and generally dinking around the streets with earbuds in.”
Are you involved in anything outside of classes?
“If you consider my dinking around an extracurricular…”
What is the best part of being abroad?
“The endless new things to see! It’s all very exciting.”
What is the biggest challenge?
“Probably prioritizing rest when there’s so many things to do.”
What advice would you give to people preparing to go away?
“Plan how you’re going to stay in touch with friends and family back home and bring the things you do to relax abroad with you. I didn’t think I’d have time for those things for some reason, but I could use them now.”
What is something you wish you had known that you know now?
“There is beauty, excitement and adventure everywhere. Being in a different culture emphasizes these things because the newness is more obvious, but where I’m from is equally beautiful just in a different way.”
