I’ve always dreamt of travelling; to seek other states, other cultures and other souls. Being passionately curious and fascinated by the idea of living abroad, I have decided to study in a foreign country. I have always known that I wanted to leave Romania and live in a different country, but I only started taking the first steps towards fulfilling this dream during my high school years. While I was in high school I joined many extracurricular activities such as volunteering clubs, personal development workshops, national and international business related contests as well as internships to improve my CV and make sure that I will get admitted to a university abroad. Furthermore, my high school hosted meetings with Edmundo advisers who informed the students about opportunities of studying abroad, costs and required documentation. Once I expressed my interest in studying abroad I was assigned an adviser to help me with my application. I had many friends who were studying in Denmark at the time and I heard many stories about the mentality of the people, the great welfare system and the interactive teaching methods in Denmark. Furthermore, universities in Denmark are tuition-free which was one of the decisive factors when choosing Denmark as the place where I wanted to study. At first, my parents and especially my grandparents were scared by the idea of me living in a different country all by myself since I was an overprotected child who has never faced real-life challenges before. When my mother realized that I was truly determined to do this and that no one could convince me to let go of the idea, she came around and gave me her full support. Eventually, my grandparents and my father had to come around as well since I was 100 % decided and no matter what they said could have made me change my mind. Of course, I was afraid that I might fail adapting once I got to Denmark or that I won’t be able to get by, but that didn’t stop me from going after my dream; and I am extremely glad it didn’t. The first months here were a little bit tough. It takes time to get used to everything that is new in Copenhagen, but that comes naturally. It’s just as easy as moving to a different city in Romania. People are nice and always willing to help; the universities have special departments that help international students get accustomed to the Danish way of life and surpass the cultural shock. The most difficult thing in Copenhagen is finding accommodation. Although it can seem impossible, it most definitely isn’t. I have always been able to find decent and affordable accommodation on Facebook groups and I have lived in 9 different places since I arrived in Copenhagen. It took quite some time to find long-term accommodation in my case, but eventually everything ended up just fine. If you are persistent, there is always a way to figure out accommodation. Besides figuring out accommodation-related issues, my life in Denmark has been very smooth and I have rapidly adapted to the country. The experience helped me develop as a person. I have learned to handle my problems and be more punctual and responsible. My cooking skills have improved a great deal and I have learned to do many other things that I have never done before in my life (because my parents did those for me). I would recommend everyone who has the will and the financial means to go and study abroad, to stop having second thoughts about it and go for it because it’s a once in a lifetime experience that changes people for the best.
