Now being in week 10 of my 14-week term I thought I would offer some reflections on the difference in all things classes and assignments in hopes to both offer an insiders point of view but some tips as well so that if you are thinking about going abroad this will help you to feel more prepared.  

Classes 

At KU the classes are two hours long per module. This was an adjustment from Glasgow’s system of splitting up into one hour slots of a lecture and a seminar. At KU these elements are bundled together. Despite getting a 15 minute break in the middle it does take some adjustment to stay focused on one topic.  

Preparation for class and engagement in class 

If you are ever to come to KU make sure to do your reading ! You will not only enjoy the class a lot more because you know what is going on but you will be prepared if the lecturer is ever to pick on you and sometimes they do ! Often you will get up to 50 pages of reading per class so it is a tough lesson to learn but worth it.  

Term length  

In comparison to Glasgow university Copenhagen university’s term goes into the middle of May. With the term being 14 weeks. Exams then can go into the middle of June however I am lucky with mine finishing early June. Having been used to being finished with university early May it is another adjustment. However it does mean there is more interesting content to look at and does feel like you are covering a lot of what is relevant to the module.  

Assignments 

As previous blogs of mine have alluded to the assignments are very different here from Glasow University. Firstly you can work in groups and they recommend it, whether that be in groups of 2 or 3 you will be marked individually on your contribution but it does allow for helpful discussions to make your own work better. As well as this a lot of my exams are free essays. This means that I am to come up with my own research question and I do all of my own work based on the course content to do well. The deadlines for these exams are all government defined and are at the end of May. However due to the fact that these essay questions are defined by you, you can start them at any time and personally I am trying to start now and would recommend to start as soon as possible if your host university is similar. It gives you a more relaxed essay writing experience and allows you to also enjoy your city a bit more too.  

I hope this offers you an insight into my reflections on the academic system in Copenhagen and maybe gives some tips that you can apply to both your own go abroad experience or even your current time at the university of Glasgow. As always if you have any questions don’t hesitate to message.  

• A photo of the view from the south campus library on a rainy day  

~ Rosie (Go Abroad Ambassador 2023/24)