Everyone asks why I chose a place like Denmark, and more specifically Denmark Technical University. Without a doubt you will be asked countless times if you study abroad, both during and after your journey. Here are my three reasons and some ramblings.
First was location. When you choose where you want to study abroad, it's easy to pick some typical European country like France or Spain like most people choose. I'm not denying those are great places, but don't think the other lesser known ones aren't as fun or have less to offer.
Denmark is actually very strategically placed in terms of other European countries if you want to be a tourist. Because of its location between central Europe and the Scandinavian countries, its a great gateway to see potentially all of Europe. That could also allow for travel to the Baltic region.
The second main reason was language. Danish is a really difficult language to learn in my opinion. Luckily, they speak a ton of English. According to Wikipedia, there is an 87℅ English literacy rate in Denmark. Granted that's for the entire country, which likely includes many people who don't have a full grasp on the language. But the Danish people in the greater Copenhagen area have a very strong understanding of English. This is especially apparent with students, since that's who you will interact with most of the time.
Since I was only there for a semester I chose not to learn the Danish language because I wouldn't learn enough in a few months to really be useful. Plus, in my humble and objective opinion, learning a language that only 6 million people know isn't worth it with only a few months to learn it. If you're there for a year, definitely learn it by taking the free course offered. On a side note, I didn't get my CPR number until March, so I couldn't sign up for the free class anyway.
The last big reason was the course offering. DTU offered a few unique classes that UIUC didn't have. For me, that was Cryptology 1, Data Compression, and Introduction to Nanotechnology. UIUC had no such classes. On a side note, I'm kind of surprised our strong CS department didn't have a cryptology and data compression class.
Those were just my top reasons. Everyone has their own reasons for studying abroad in their country of choice. As always, if you have questions about how to choose or if Denmark is right for you, don't hesitate to ask!
First was location. When you choose where you want to study abroad, it's easy to pick some typical European country like France or Spain like most people choose. I'm not denying those are great places, but don't think the other lesser known ones aren't as fun or have less to offer.
Denmark is actually very strategically placed in terms of other European countries if you want to be a tourist. Because of its location between central Europe and the Scandinavian countries, its a great gateway to see potentially all of Europe. That could also allow for travel to the Baltic region.
The second main reason was language. Danish is a really difficult language to learn in my opinion. Luckily, they speak a ton of English. According to Wikipedia, there is an 87℅ English literacy rate in Denmark. Granted that's for the entire country, which likely includes many people who don't have a full grasp on the language. But the Danish people in the greater Copenhagen area have a very strong understanding of English. This is especially apparent with students, since that's who you will interact with most of the time.
Since I was only there for a semester I chose not to learn the Danish language because I wouldn't learn enough in a few months to really be useful. Plus, in my humble and objective opinion, learning a language that only 6 million people know isn't worth it with only a few months to learn it. If you're there for a year, definitely learn it by taking the free course offered. On a side note, I didn't get my CPR number until March, so I couldn't sign up for the free class anyway.
The last big reason was the course offering. DTU offered a few unique classes that UIUC didn't have. For me, that was Cryptology 1, Data Compression, and Introduction to Nanotechnology. UIUC had no such classes. On a side note, I'm kind of surprised our strong CS department didn't have a cryptology and data compression class.
Those were just my top reasons. Everyone has their own reasons for studying abroad in their country of choice. As always, if you have questions about how to choose or if Denmark is right for you, don't hesitate to ask!
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