Denmark: Brenna Braun (Our global classroom)
Despite being so large, Copenhagen has a significant student population living in the city. While this is similar to Madison, there are differences worth noting between the University of Copenhagen (KU) and UW Madison. Firstly, while the meeting rooms of both universities resemble each other, the buildings themselves are quite different. At KU, there are several different campuses spread across the city. So, at the City Campus in downtown Copenhagen, there are gorgeous, history-rich buildings that you may find yourself studying in. On the other hand, on the newer campuses like the South Campus or Fredericksburg Campus, the buildings are more modern and minimal. However, no matter where you study at KU, there are sure to be interesting buildings to admire!
Academically, the lectures for a course don’t usually meet three times a week for 50 minutes like is common at UW. Instead, in Copenhagen, the lectures for a course will usually meet only once or sometimes twice a week but will last for at least two hours. For example, my Parasitology course meets every Monday from 1 pm to 5 pm. These longer class times definitely took getting used to and challenged my academic stamina. However, while this can be tiring at first, it is important to note that it is common practice to take a 15-minute break every hour. Another tradition that occurs is having an academic quarter, meaning that a course may begin 15 minutes past its scheduled start time. This practice has its origin in historic times when students relied on church bells to signal when classes began. However, it is important to note that not all faculties have academic quarters, for instance, my humanities course does honor the academic quarter while my science course does not. So, be sure to check on the first day if your courses do, otherwise you may find yourself alone in a classroom for a while like I did!
Brenna Braun
Hometown: Manitowoc, Wisconsin
Major: Biology & Global Health
Program: University of Copenhagen Exchange