Eesti
I’ve been living here in Copenhagen for months now. WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE??
After the first very hectic months I have finally found some time to do a little bit of sightseeing in Copenhagen and I am even more satisfied with my decision to come to Denmark.
On the 25th of February (loooong time ago already) I finally decided to go and explore this city I’m living in (Yep, it was the first time for me to go and discover…). I joined my Estonian friend who was visiting her mom here in Copenhagen and we went to the famous Street Food Festival/Market in Papiroen ( Paper Island) – it was soooooo nice. A certain must-see place.
It was a rainy Saturday when we were there and daaamn how packed it was– so many different people from around the world, all there to have a nice chill day with good food and drinks. I ate an amazing filled pancake with chocolate and bananas but as I’ve been there more than that one time, I can totally recommend duck’n’chips on the left corner in the building as well as super-delicious cheesecake with caramel as well as different kinds of mojitos and so on and so on.. There is everything to every taste from vegan and healthy to salty and unhealthy (lotsss of burgers!!).
On the same day, after visiting food market I went to Copenhagen Library. I had to do some research for the project I’m participating in and therefore decided to go there with my roommate Anna. The library itself is so modern and beautiful. It is just next to the canal and looks amazing inside out + it’s a perfect place, not far from my home, to study in a quiet environment.
Daily fun fact: my very first day of exploring Copenhagen was exciting BUT as usual, the whole day was filled with endless rain – not fun, Denmark, not fun!
After that relaxing day, I had to get back on track and study. CBS is different than any other university I have enrolled in so far (3 universities is not bad, right?). At CBS you have to choose 4 subjects per semester (if you are an exchange student) each being 7,5 ECTS which is much more than any subject at EBS and you have to pass them all. These four 7,5 ECTS subjects are, in turn, divided into 2 & 2 or 3 & 1 or in any way you could divide them into quarters meaning that you finish one class within 8 weeks. Sounds good, right? At first it seemed so easy, because who couldn’t do only 2 subjects at the time? And when you have 1-2 days off in a week, you have plenty of time to study and prepare, right? It sure sounds so easily doable but in real life CBS has this methodology of teaching that most of the learning is done outside the class basically meaning that you are supposed to read a lot. If you don’t read, you just won’t understand anything in class…
On Sundays I usually read for my International Business Strategy class, on every other day I try to allocate my time for Accounting and Statistics classes. In total it would be like 3 times 700 pages and guess what, almost everyone actually reads all of that.
When I first came here and heard about that teaching logic I thought who’s going to read it anyways. I had never really put any emphasis on readings back in Estonia because it was normal to understand in class, but here…. well, I’m now used to skipping Thursday’s parties because I have Strategy class on Friday morning at 8am and I can’t go there without reading. I’m also used to reading prior to every Accounting class just to find the formulas and exercises quicker and not to lose time because I have not read. I also think that it might be the reason why everyone who graduates CBS has better chance to be employed to a great firm – you just have to be very independent, hard-working, goal-minded and able to work under time-pressure otherwise you will just fail the class. I don’t find this teaching strategy too easy or good but it has its benefits.
Talking a bit more about Copenhagen – Copenhagen consists of a number of different city quarters, each of which has something special. Wherever you are, you can feel how the vibe and style changes when you move from one quarter to another. I live in Vesterbro which was once the red light district of Copenhagen, filled with prostitutes and drug dealers, but after a gentrification process, it has become a popular place to live. Vesterbro is also the place for the hipsters. It is filled with second hand stores, small cafés and bars selling craft beers and old school cocktails. Additionally, Vesterbro is also very near to the center of the city (ca 10min of biking) and therefore, no party is too far and no sight will not be seen because it’s always near to go BUT if the weather is bad (raining, as it always is), Vesterbro has its own partying and restaurant area called Meatpacking District so there really is no need to leave this lovely neighbourhood at all. Besides, Vesterbro Copenhagen has also areas called Norrebro, Osterbro, Frederiksberg etc and probably the most interesting and the best known part called Christianshavn. It is a colourful and endlessly controversial city part. Definitely a unique place here. Talking about the history of Christianshavn, in 1971 an abandoned military area was taken over by squatters. They claimed the area as a free city, free of taxes and run by their own laws. New settlers poured into this alternative area and the social experiment of a few free thinkers became a permanent feature of the city. For now, Christiania has survived and adapted and it is still a vibrant alternative hub in the city with around 1000 people permanently living in the area.
To sum it up, it’s probably this one neighbourhood you wouldn’t expect to see in a historic and very elegant Copenhagen but it has it all to impress for sure, so come and visit! (read more: https://uniavisen.dk/en/guide-to-copenhagen-city-areas-and-neighbourhoods/ ; http://www.visitdenmark.com/copenhagen/attractions/christiania)
That’s a little insight to my thoughts on uni and Copenhagen. As always, I cannot end this post without expressing my happiness on being able to live here. It’s hard but it’s worth it and I’m so sorry if my last paragraph about Copenhagen seemed like a cheap advertising campaign. It really is a diverse city with an awesome atmosphere wherever you go. I love it.
Until next time.
Ciao!
Lisanna
Photos: Lisanna Pihlak
Editor: Kärt Mättikas
