Program: ENGR Exchange: Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
Term: Spring 2023
Major: Computer Engineering
Studying abroad definitely changed my outlook on life as a person.
I was put into this new environment with a different culture and I loved it. It was so interesting to be able to live there and see the culture of the people both physically represented and through the surroundings in terms of architecture and deliberate choices for academics and such. I believe I became more open-minded with the program and got to experience a higher quality of life than what is present in the US. I also gained valuable skills during my studies at DTU and I met wonderful people in Denmark and other study abroad students from universities around the world!
Advice for future #TerpsAbroad:
For other LGBT terps I highly recommend going to a country with a positive view on queerness. Most of northern and western europe is a good example as being able to be out and proud over there with vibrant queer communities is amazing and something that is not present in all parts of the world and practicing safe travel is the best kind of travel, especially in our minority. But, the best advice I can give is to have fun and be yourself, make friends who share your views and stay safe!
There was a significant culture shock when I arrived in Denmark.
Having never been to Europe before meant that the experience was that much more special to me getting off that plane after flying overnight to get there in the cold morning in January. What first hit me was the cold, it is extremely cold and windy in Denmark for the majority of the year meaning that as soon as I left the terminal to get on the metro me and the other Maryland students who were on the flight got hit with a blast of freezing air, forcing us to back peddle into the terminal to put on more layers. What I most remember about the first couple of weeks in general was the weather. The sun didn't rise until 10 AM and set at 3 PM meaning you only had a few hours of usable daylight. Of course, I didn't know if there even was a sun over there as the weather was cloudy on most days with a light rain. The first day of sun was a good memory, it was the last day of the introduction week and my group and I were on a tour of the city with our buddy and it also happened to be the best possible weather with clear skies and sunny. It did mean that it was freezing cold and windy but we dealt with it by stopping at all the 7/11's in the city getting coffee on our way. That day was a blast and I'm missing the other members of my introduction group even now.
Advice for future #TerpsAbroad:
It is an experience of a lifetime, being able to see things you never thought you would and go places you never thought you could. My only regret is that I couldn't stay longer.
The hardest part that I didn't anticipate was the prevalence of smoking in Denmark.
I was glad that they didn't smoke indoors but it seemed like everyone over there smoked cigarettes as soon as they went outside which made it a bit difficult to enjoy spaces at times. I did find it interesting with the civility they did it as they have no designated smoking areas over there just the notion that as long as there is sufficient circulation (i.e. outside) they can smoke.
If I hadn't studied abroad, I would have never met the Danish Queen