Black Diamond responds to party chaos claims

Queues and confusion outside the start-of-semester party at the Copenhagen landmark Black Diamond, Royal Library building were due to fire regulations inside, and not due to a bottleneck at the entrance.

And there were 600 people trying to get in, not 2,000 as stated in the University Post. This is according to the Royal Library's Black Diamond building party organisers in a letter-to-the-editor.

International students lack Viking mentality

You could go for a ride on Tivoli’s rollercoaster or try to keep pace with Danish drinkers. But for the real thrill-seekers, the Viking swim on Saturday 18 September offered an authentic celebration of the semester’s start.

Forty enthusiastic international students signed up on Facebook for the event, organized by ESN Copenhagen (Exchange Student Network).

But on the day itself, only six showed up and just two with towels. It is a good thing the Vikings did not rely on Facebook in their day.

Rector welcomes international students

The traditional Matriculation Ceremony at Ceremonial Hall Thursday drew crowds of new international students. They listened attentively to speech made in English by Rector Ralf Hemmingsen.

In his speech, the Little Mermaid took centre stage. Since she has been sent to Shanghai to be part of the 2010 EXPO, Hemmingsen compared the tiny world-famous statue to the newly-arrived international students.

»Perhaps you have something in common with the Little Mermaid: you will recognise the feeling of being in between two cultures,« he said.

Participation is expected

Top 5 places to get free or cheap stuff

For international students arriving in Copenhagen, housing is the top priority.

But once the key to the anticipated dorm room or shared apartment has been collected, it is time to make the tiny bare space feel like home – a cosy refuge from the social whirlwind and new experiences that lie ahead.

For tips on how to decorate on a budget, the Copenhagen way, here is our top 5 list of places to scavenge, barter or buy cheap stuff:

5. Flea markets

Black humour and culture shock at intro event

High summer means new students in town, and the first introductory meeting for international students was held Monday 9 August.

Around 500 curious students packed into the Christian Hansen auditorium at the Faculty of Social Sciences (CSS) Monday afternoon.

See our photo gallery of the event here.

The first hour of the meeting was highly practical: the Danish welfare state has a lot to offer, but requires a whole list of papers to be filled out. Unfamiliar with these, the audience had to take notes continuously.

Culture shock preparation

Carly looking forward to a ´good chat with Mary´

Carly Bodkin, a science student from the University in Brisbane, was shocked to be chosen for the Crown Princess Mary Scholarship.

»I didn’t think I would get it. I wasn’t convinced that my achievements would make me stand out,« she says.

Carly believes that the secret of getting this kind of award is readiness for challenges.

More than just good grades