Planning Ahead in Copenhagen Will Save You

By:

Emily Cortez

Published:

Countries

Demographics

Majors

Regions

Emily Cortez

<i>"Hello" in your host country's language:</i> Hej! <i>Home Institution (your U.S. University/College):</i> Illinois Wesleyan University <i>Expected graduation year:</i> 2024 <i>Destination city & country:</i> Copenhagen, Denmark <i>Program provider:</i> DIS Study Abroad in Scandinavia <i>Major/minor:</i> Psychology with a Specialization in Pediatric Therapy <i>Demographics:</i> Hispanic/Latinx <i>Future career aspirations:</i> My goal is to become a pediatric therapist. I am currently an assistant teacher at the YWCA for after school programs (Kindergarten-5th grade). I have a passion for developmental and learning psychology and, therefore, hope to specialize in therapy for children with abnormalities. I want to consistently work towards improving the accessibility of American psychological healthcare and debunk stigmas surrounding mental illness and different learning disabilities. <i>Top 3 goals for your time abroad:</i> 1. Expand my personal, academic, professional, and cultural knowledge while working towards achieving my goal of seeing global applications of psychology first-hand and being exposed to the historical context of modern practices. 2. Work with my host family to learn more about ethnic cuisine, traditions, and everyday life. 3. Apply what I learn while studying abroad to improve the methods of clinical therapy that are standardized in American psychological healthcare.

Decision making while abroad is an interesting topic. I think especially in Copenhagen, which is quite expensive, you need to plan ahead. Wrongfully planning to not pack a lunch can result in you having to buy lunch, which is expensive. Eating at a restaurant or grabbing to go in Copenhagen is infamously expensive. Planning to spend around $20 everytime you go out to eat or grab to go. So, I think it’s important to make financial decisions on when you can and cant afford to eat out at restaurants or grab to go. I normally am able to stop home in between classes and make a quick lunch if I wasn’t able to pack one in the morning. I normally save the spending money for weekends or when I make plans with friends. If I’m doing homework I normally look for places that offer student discounts or are reasonably priced.

Another decision I’ve had to make frequently is planning ahead in terms of navigation. I’ve had endless instances of going outside to the bus stop right as my bus is leaving. So, it’s a good idea to check the bus times right when you wake up and plan your morning around that. Pacing yourself accordingly to the bus time is something that saved me a lot of time in the mornings and prevented me having to wait for another bus during the morning rush.

I think decision making here forces you to account for every possibility. At home you can find a meal for $5 at mc donalds if you’re in a crunch or I’m able to just drive to where I need to go instead of public transportation. So, it’s not really comparable because it’s so different here. There’s no way to cut corners or find an easier option there’s just planning ahead, pacing yourself both financially and with time, and holding yourself accountable. Becoming familiar with your surroundings naturally happens over time and is a huge help in navigating and making decisions. Over time you spend less money because you remember where the cheaper cafes are and you’ll save time by remembering what buses come more often than others.

My top 5 favorite places to go:

1. Livingroom Cafe – budget friendly

2. Pisserden 8 (vegan options) – student discount

3. H Kitchen (vegan options)

4. Vital Foods (vegan options)

5. Burger King – suprising but if you’re really in a crunch there’s one almost everywhere