Denmark: Meredith Kleve

Program: Copenhagen Business School Exchange, Spring

Meredith’s Major: Business

What is your advice for someone considering your program?

There are so many opportunities for you while abroad. Whether it is grabbing dinner with new friends or going to a new museum, there is so much to do. Even if it is something you wouldn’t normally do in the US, give it a try — I always say I will try anything once and I am glad I lived by that in Denmark. I also enjoyed going to class and was able to meet so many new people as a result. Even though attendance wasn’t mandatory and many students don’t go to class, I went to class every time it was held. I met so many people and enjoyed getting to know my professors.

How were your program academics similar or different from taking classes at UW-Madison?

The differences between university in the US versus in Denmark were shocking to me. In Denmark there are not assignments or attendance requirements in class. Grades are completely based off of the final exam for every single class. I felt the curriculum was more focused on theory versus real-life application at Copenhagen Business School. A large majority of the professors are academics versus pivoted business professionals, which was a change in how classes are taught and what information is deemed most important.

What did you learn about yourself or the world because of your experience?

There are lots of stereotypes out there and some are rooted in truth, but the vast majority are not. So many of the tidbits of information I received prior to going abroad turned out not to be true. For instance, everyone said there was no iced coffee in Europe. Not true. There is not iced coffee widely available in Italy. I had no issues finding it in Denmark. Just like how each state in the US is drastically different, every country in Europe is drastically different. I have learned not to group together things you know nothing about and take what other people say with a grain of salt. Forming your own observations and opinions is critical to promote truth in information sharing.