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.

Danes are ‘cold’ say international students

Most international students who come to Denmark to study return home as soon as they are qualified, more often than not because they are lonely and consider their Danish counterparts ‘cold’, or often ‘aloof’, writes Seven59.dk and B.dk.

In a new survey by the Ungdommens Analyse Enhed (UAE) (Youth Analysis Unit) 22-year old Ana Gomes from Portugal was just one of many who felt that Danes just aren’t that ‘open’ towards foreign students.

Mads Engholm, senior consultant at UAE, says it’s fairly obvious that people won’t stay in a place where they don’t feel part of the community.

Top ten: Free fun things to do in Copenhagen

Copenhagen is an expensive city. Like everywhere else though, the best things come for free – or nearly free.

Follow our picture gallery here and find ten things that are free, or nearly-free, in the Copenhagen area.

We have ranked them from 10 to 1, with the best for the end.

Maybe you have a few cheap tips of your own? Write them in the comments section below, and let others in on the secret!

uniavis@adm.ku.dk

Copenhagen’s Olympics hope makes Danish finals

Scottish international student Anneka Hastings will now be playing in the Danish volleyball finals. This is clear after her team Holte beat Fortuna Odense Tuesday. In the finals this April, Holte will face Brøndby.

With her 20 hour-a-week training and Olympic ambitions, Anneka has gained a following of fans among the community of international students at the University of Copenhagen.

Student network associated with drunken revelry

Excessive drinking is accepted, and even promoted, by the Erasmus Student Network (ESN). This is in spite of discreet warnings by their financial backers in the International Office, growing student criticism, and a party that could have gone badly wrong.

Asians feel pressure to drink

The Northern European culture of binge drinking can lead to uncomfortable situations for students from parts of the world where alcohol plays a smaller role in social events.

Zhichao Xue, a Chinese student of Human Biology tasted her first beer and wine at a party in Copenhagen. She found that it was hard to say no.

»They were my new classmates and I felt there was some pressure to drink in a gathering with so many Danes. I could not say no,« she explains.

In India, drinking is not everywhere

Copenhagen nights out end in black-outs, vomiting

If Saturday night is a black hole in your memory, and you have no idea how you staggered home, you are not alone.

And if the worst that has happened to you after one too many Carlsberg is memory black-out, then you are perhaps one of the lucky ones.

This is according to the latest University Post Drinks and Drugs survey. The survey, though unscientific, seems to confirm an earlier straw survey by the University Post that puts the average consumption at 11.8 alcohol units a week.

Drunken frolics could have ended badly

For one exchange student, a night out ended in a potentially lethal prank, according to a written account in the latest University Post ‘Drugs and Drinks’ survey:

»The most stupid thing I did was during my last Erasmus party,« the student writes.

»Me and one of my friends swam across the harbour between Amelienborg palace and the Opera House at 6 am. It was lots of fun, but we were drunk and it could have turned in a really bad way.«

At this point, the distance across the harbour is 300 metres across.

Fortunately the student in question lived to tell the tale.

Guide: Copenhagen for beginners

Find a place to stay

There is no magic formula for finding a cheap, central place to stay in Copenhagen, but here are the University Post’s tips for getting a new home from home.

Meet your Mentor

Mentors can show you where to get the cheapest coffee on campus, how to log on to the intranet and what real Danes eat for lunch. Read more about the mentor programme here.

Party organisers apologise on Facebook

Dear internationals, Danish buddies and friends,

We are very sorry for the technical problems and the early finish of the Christmas Party at K-3 nightclub. In order to give you a full picture of what happened last night, we started our party at 22:00 as promised. The nightclub was ready to receive at least the 790 people who have signed up on the facebook event.