No point in learning Danish

For full-degree student Riccardo Mioli from Italy, learning Danish seemed like a good idea when he first arrived in Copenhagen. Now, one year later, he has changed his mind.

»In the beginning I wanted to learn Danish. But after 6 or 7 months here, when I still didn’t know any Danish, it seemed like a waste of time to start. Now I have given up.«

It is easy to survive in Copenhagen only speaking in English, and the Danes quickly switch over if they hear someone struggling with the tricky guttural Danish pronunciation, he says.

Colombian student: We were ‘better mentors’

We did not have to wait long to see the reaction to a Faculty of Humanities Mentor Group decision to no longer use international students as mentors.

Colombian student Mauro Castaño is one of the international mentors who has been kicked out, and he finds the decision rude.

He himself had a Danish mentor when he arrived to Denmark and it was, he says, a complete disaster. The mentor couldn’t care less about him, he says.

International students valuable mentors

Non-Danes kicked out of mentor group

For three semesters now, international students have, together with Danes, been mentors of exchange students at the Faculty of Humanities.

International mentors proved to be good mentors as they already had experienced the same coming-to-Denmark situation.

But now, the Faculty of Humanities has got rid of all non-Danish mentors. Danes are more appropriate for the task due to their knowledge of Denmark and, therefore, they can integrate better the newcomers, the Faculty argues.

Danes know Denmark

Students reveal the best 'worst' stories

Thefts, broken windows on your head and airport welcomes that turn out not to be for you. Only a few examples of what internationals have experienced since their arrival.

The University Post asked newcomers at two separate orientation meetings to remember the worst thing that happened to them since they got to Copenhagen.

We have chosen a top 10 out of 75 newcomers’ downers. Sorry if your submitted story didn't make the list: Our independent jury chose them only based on sensationalism, and, well, awkwardness.

1. Learnt Danish by seeing naked dude

See the new internationals at orientation meeting

Getting to the orientation meeting proved to be a hassle for some students.

First you had to find the KUA lecture hall. For some students it proved such a difficult task, that they arrived up to an hour late.

Then, once you arrived, you were overloaded with flyers. Studenterhuset, USG and Erasmus to name a few. University Post was also there to give out our postcards which also serve as a free drink voucher at our Party March 16, 2012.

1/3 of full degree students homeless on arrival

A whole 29 per cent, almost a third, of full degree students do not have a place to live upon arriving in Copenhagen.

This is according to a recent study that also shows that three out of every five full degree students must find their accommodation on their own and three out of five full degree students are forced to move during their stay.