Words of Advice - Top 10 Tips

Here are some top 10 things that can help you with studying abroad in Denmark, and Europe in general.

1. The VISA Process

a. The VISA process can be very stressful, confusing, and intimidating for many people.

Make sure to follow the New to Denmark guidelines very closely, or the VISA process

for your respective countries. However, if you happen to not have any of the documents

listed during your appointment in San Francisco, it is still possible to mail your

documents to the office afterwards.

2. Words of Caution

a. Be aware of your surroundings and prioritize your safety. Europe is more dangerous than

people think it is. Many places around the world are more dangerous than you think,

including places like public areas of Asia. These are words not meant to scare you but to

keep you safe. Make sure to be aware of your surroundings, especially in large crowds or

public gatherings since they can be targets of crime. When commuting make sure to be

keenly aware of the traffic, especially when biking.

3. Banking

a. Banking is an important topic to be on top of while you are in Europe. Ensure that you

have a good international card handy whether it be a travel credit card, or a travel debit

card. Having cash in Europe can also be extremely helpful in countries that use lots of

cash such as Germany. (p.s Airports can have bad exchange rates, keep this in mind)

b. Some dormitories or institutions may charge foreign transaction fees for having a foreign

bank account. For example, my dorm at UMEUS Valby charged international students an

extra 500 Danish Kroner for having international bank accounts, and we were not

informed about this beforehand. Keep these things in mind, as you may want to open a

foreign bank account. In general, you may come across a lot of fees that you weren’t

originally aware of.

4. Pickpockets

a. Pickpockets are something that you should be very aware of in Europe since they are

everywhere. Do not underestimate them, even in “safer” countries. Unfortunately, I even

was pickpocketed in Denmark, which is known to have little to none pickpocket activity.

Please be aware of your surroundings, especially in high-traffic days/areas, where many

people are traveling. Try not to let your guard down, even in areas where you think you

may be okay. Many of them are very experienced and can even come at you in a group. It

may be helpful to study pickpocket videos/patterns online.

b. Pickpockets are also common in trains! Make sure that you know where your belongings

are at all times and keep an eye on them. While I have not seen it myself, some have also

said that buses (FlixBus) can be targets.

5. Keeping up with the latest

a. It may be very helpful to follow local social media accounts related to your country to

keep up with their news. Aside from that, you can also follow local bloggers, Facebook

groups, and others active on their social media so you can be aware of local events,

restaurants, holidays, and more.

6. Housing Suggestions

a. Try to choose housing that is best for you in terms of location, distance from campus, and

others. Putting in the effort to apply early for this and choosing the best one for you can

make a huge difference in your day to day life.

7. Saving Money

a. There are many ways to save money in Europe whether it be recycling your bottles,

biking to campus, or finding student deals or general discounts. In countries like

Denmark, there are apps like “TooGood to Go” that give large discounts on food,

pastries, and drinks which may help with your budgeting. Aside from that, when you are

traveling, make sure to book directly with the hostel/hotel itself instead of a search site

like “HostelWorld” doing this may give you a slight discount.

b. Aside from that, while you are abroad you’ll have an EU residence card that you can use

to travel between Schengen countries. If you are under 25 you will likely be eligible for

discounts to historical sites, for example, while in Paris I only had to pay 2 Euros each to

enter the Arc De Triomphe, the Louvre, and the Pantheon. However, my cousin who was

over 25 had to be roughly 20 Euros each to get inside. Your EU residence card can

potentially get you other discounts as well when it comes to train passes, train seats, and

others. Keep this in mind!

8. Traveling

a. When traveling, make sure that you are up to speed with the public transportation systems

in each country that you visit. There may be different rules that you have to follow, and if

you don’t follow these rules that can sometimes lead to having to pay for another ticket or

fines. There are controllers on European public transit systems, and if they catch you

without a ticket they can give you a hefty fine. Some fines can be from $30 to $140,

make sure you have a valid ticket!

b. Try to book your plane tickets, trains, and experiences in advance. These are likely to be

cheaper if you book ahead of time. Aside from that, some experiences can be booked out

months in advance. For example, the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel were

booked months in advance when I arrived in Rome, so I had to queue for three hours to

get a same-day ticket!

9. You will be okay

a. There will be times when you make mistakes—maybe you get fined, miss a flight, or

something else goes wrong—and it might feel like the end of the world at the moment.

But it’s not. Unexpected things happen when you’re out of your comfort zone, but what

matters most is staying calm, thinking clearly, and continuing to move forward.

10. Be prepared to make cultural mistakes

a. My boss told me this right before I left for Denmark and it was one of the best pieces of

advice that I was given for my semester abroad. Yes, be prepared to make cultural

mistakes. Being new to a country makes you bound to do something incorrectly, or be

frustrated with learning a new system. Have patience with yourself and take the time you

need to adjust to the country's new way of doing things. It teaches you a lot about

yourself and about other people and cultures.

I am so grateful to have gotten the opportunity to study abroad in Europe. Making this blog meant a lot to me since I got to share my experiences, and help others along the way with their very own.

Thank you for reading. :)