Week 2

Personal Development

The past week has gone very quickly. There has been lots to do and see, and many great times to remember already!

At the weekend we went on a residential trip to Ishøj - a town just South of Copenhagen. The trip was planned by our tutors for Erasmus students and part of our course. At first I was a little anxious about going as we only had a few classes together, but it was a great way to get to know everyone and find out about different countries and cultures. Having a large class of 37 pupils can feel intimidating at the beginning, but I really appreciated having the time to talk to people and relax with them. Even though it has not snowed in a week, it is still very cold and the snow is not disappearing! One thing I will definately remember from the weekend was seeing a frozen sea! The sand was covered in snow, and the sea looked beautiful.

Going to classes most days has made me feel more relaxed about being here. I am still trying to get into a daily and weekly routine, but going to a familiar place everyday has helped me cope with being away from home. Everytime I venture to the shop or get the train it becomes easier and easier and I am starting to get my sense of direction back - it has only taken 14 days! However, Copenhagen is a big place, and I keep finding a new street or shopping area - I think I will be able to spend four months here without getting bored!

Living with three other students is really helpful when it comes to financial situations - most importantly budgeting. We have found four supermarkets within Ballerup and have started to compare prices for everything - from washing up liquid to milk - I hope everyone is proud!

Cultural Development

We did not have class on Monday after the residential, so Greg and I accompanied Kirsten to 'BabyMusik.' Similar to a parent and toddler group at home, the programme aims to bring parents and children together for educational and social development before the child starts school. What was very different about this programme was the age group of the children - some were as young as 5 months, and no older than 12 months! Kirsten goes to help her neighbour (Monica) who has 5 month old twins - Frederick and Andreas. When we arrived, we were not quite sure what we had let ourselves in for, but Kirsten, the lady who runs the class was really welcoming. We had the job of taking pictures for the parents to take home. Observing the class was very interesting. It was focused around singing and promoting interaction between the mothers and their babies. I found it so interesting to see how even the youngest babies were able to concentrate and interact with the songs - I only heard one baby cry in the whole 90 minutes! Afterwards, Greg and I got to play with the babies, and chat over tea and coffee. We explained to the lady who takes the class that this kind of activity for babies so young is very uncommon at home, and she explained how it was becoming more and more popular in Denmark because of all the benefits - allowing parents to socialise and learn new skills as well as giving them a rest.

Last night we met up with some of the other Erasmus students in the city. We went to a very small bar just off the main shopping street in Copenhagen - Strøget. The bar had a very relaxing atmosphere, and was very cosy - we even got blankets to put over our knees! It was a great way to finish a busy day at university and chat over a drink. The table beside us were playing a traditional game you will find in Danish bars called Kranen. The game looks very odd, but despite the confusing rules, I think we will be trying it out sometime soon!

Professional Development


As I have already mentioned, this weekend we stayed in a youth hostel with our class. The residential, organised by two of our tutors, was the introduction to two modules we will be studying during our time here. The first module, 'Multicultural Education,' was introduced on the Saturday. The tutor was very keen to split us into groups where we didn't know anyone that well. We did a lot of activities surrounding who we are and where we come from. We presented eachother by drawing an outline of ourselves and putting information inside it. I really enjoyed thinking about my background and characteristics as it is not the kind of thing that comes up in converstaion at home! I also thought it would be a great activity to do in an Learning for Life and Work lesson. We then did some rolepaly on multicultural scenarios and it was really interesting to see how people interpret different situations.


The second part of the weekend focussed on another module - 'Compartive Education.' We were split into groups that we will be working in for teaching practise, and asked to explain the education system from our country. Again, this was very refreshing as it made me think reflectively about our education system in Northern Ireland. Sometimes it got frustrating, however, as explaining concepts is quite exhausting. As English is our mother tongue, and other students are still learning parts of it, I often found myself talking too fast and being misunderstood.





This week, in Globalisation and Professional change, we discussed 'Culture Shock.' Realising that I was not the only one going through ups and downs of living in a different country was so reassuring, and very interesting - especially at this stage when the excitement of leaving home is starting to fade, and the realisation that I am living here is setting in.


Danish is still causing a little bit of stress, but I no longer look blankly at a shop assisstant. Hopefully by next week I will have remembered a few more phrases so I can feel more independent here.