Josh Milston

I went on exchange to the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) in Copenhagen in Semester 2, 2007. I had known quite a few people who had been on exchange to other universities, and they had told me exchange was the greatest thing in the world. I was skeptical of this, and nervous as well that my exchange wouldn’t turn out so good like everyone else’s had. Happily, I couldn’t have been more wrong. 

Exchange is the most fantastic thing you could ever do, and I consider it the greatest decision of my life to have done it. DTU prides itself on being an international university, and this was reflected by the wide variety of students that I met there. I made friends with people from all over the globe, from Brazil to Norway to Latvia. Because most that go on exchange have a great attitude and want to meet as many people as possible, people you meet there are just such great fun and want to have the best time as possible.

DTU as a university had both good and bad points. There wasn’t a wide variety of clubs and societies, but the social life was really good. Every Tuesday night there is an ‘international night’ at the student bar, which is a great way to meet new people. Every Thursday there is a fantastic (and really cheap) student club, so I suggest to not pick subjects that have classes on Friday morning. There are a few parties on Campus each semester, but usually exchange students either party in house or go out to places in central Copenhagen.

DTU is essentially an engineering university, so there are a wide variety of courses to choose from when having to match UNSW subjects. The DTU website can all be seen in English, with detailed course descriptions. Make sure though that you only consider the classes that are offered in English (there are many of these). The international office is usually quite efficient as well if you need assistance. Classes over there were quite similar to here at UNSW, with possibly more emphasis on group work. Having English as a first language helps immensely and makes classes seem a lot easier, because for everyone else it is much harder to take a course that isn’t given in their native language.

Denmark, if you ignore the cold and gloomy weather, is also a really nice country to live in. While Danish is the native language, everyone there speaks English and it is even considered rude to ask someone if they do speak English. DTU is located only a minute bike ride from the train station, and then about a 15 minute train ride into the centre of Copenhagen.

In summary, exchange at DTU was the greatest experience of my life, and I wish it never ended. You meet so many people and learn so much about different cultures and lifestyles. I encourage everyone who has the opportunity to go on exchange – I’m sure it’s something that you will definitely not regret. If you have any questions about exchange at DTU I’ll be happy to answer them – just drop me an email at y2joshhhroberto@hotmailjlo.com. Enjoy your exchange experience!