Hello, future students!
Until my final year of Secondary School, I had never seriously considered studying abroad. I expected to remain in my home country and continue my education there.
Then a close friend, who had started studying in Denmark a year earlier, told me about his experience. I found his stories interesting, but at first, I still had no real intention of following the same path.
Everything changed around January, when I suddenly thought that studying abroad might actually be possible for me.
Denmark quickly became my priority, partly because tuition was free for EU students. My family would not have been able to cover both high tuition fees and living expenses, so this made an international education financially realistic.
I began researching universities, reading student forums, and exploring archived discussions on Kastu’s website. At first, the entire idea seemed very distant and difficult to achieve.
But the more I learned, the more I understood that a goal may feel impossible simply because you have not yet taken the first step towards it.
After several weeks of research, I became certain that I wanted to apply to Denmark. My original first choice was Tourism Management, but I later changed it to Natural and Cultural Heritage Management.
I have never regretted that decision.
The next important step was speaking to my parents. Their support was essential because without financial help, I would probably have needed to work and save for another year or two before leaving.
At first, they reacted cautiously. They knew very little about studying abroad and had never dealt with this process before. I explained everything I had learned, and with each conversation, they became more supportive.
Then the application process began.
I had to collect information about the subjects and number of hours I had studied since the tenth year of Secondary School. I also needed an academic transcript, although my grades were honestly quite average.
The motivation letter worried me much more.
I expected it to be difficult to write, but once I started, I could hardly stop. I had taken part in many activities and gained different experiences, so I had plenty to say. The real challenge was reducing my letter to fit the required character limit.
Every experience felt important, and removing parts of my story was surprisingly difficult. Eventually, however, I completed the letter and moved on to the Kastu English language test.
I practised with previous test exercises and felt reasonably confident, although I was still nervous when the test day arrived. I passed with a result that was not perfect but was more than sufficient.
By the beginning of March, my application had been submitted to the Danish universities.
Then came the hardest part: waiting.
I received my answer on 19 May. The day before, I had written to the university asking about my application, and the following day, the message finally arrived:
I had been accepted.
It was one of the happiest days of my life.
I still needed to complete my final examinations and send my Secondary School diploma, but after receiving the offer, those steps felt much less frightening. In fact, I performed better in my examinations than I had expected, probably because I no longer felt the same pressure and uncertainty.
After graduation, I submitted my diploma, received my final study contract, and prepared to leave.
Arriving in Denmark
I travelled to Denmark at the end of August. Before arriving, I already knew that the new international students would spend their first two weeks together near the North Sea.
The location was quiet, surrounded by beautiful nature, and far away from the usual noise of city life. It became the perfect place for us to meet each other before classes began.
When I arrived in Hjørring, a university employee was already waiting for me. His role was to help newly arrived international students settle in. Another student was also there to support us as part of his university project.
I was shy and suddenly had to switch from speaking my native language to English. Even when your English is good, using it continuously from the moment you arrive can feel strange at first.
I soon discovered that I was the first new international student to arrive.
Over the following days, students from Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Portugal, and my home country joined us. Because our international group was small, we received a great deal of personal attention and support.
Instead of feeling like one student among thousands, we felt like a new community being welcomed together.
During those first weeks, we travelled daily to the UCN campus in Hjørring. My first reaction when I saw the university was simple: I could not believe how modern it was.
The campus had recently been renovated and offered almost everything a student could need: a large library, sports facilities, a swimming pool, a sauna, music rooms, dining spaces, and areas where students could meet and relax.
There was also a Friday bar where students gathered to talk, play games, and spend time together. It made the campus feel like more than just a place for lectures.
Practical studies and international life
The teaching system was one of the biggest differences I experienced.
Our studies were based strongly on teamwork and practical projects. Instead of only memorising theory, we worked in groups of three to five students and used what we learned to develop ideas and solve problems.
Usually, each semester centred around one larger project. My group, for example, developed a concept for a themed restaurant with an unusual architectural design, water effects, and a complete customer experience.
Projects like this allowed us to combine creativity, planning, teamwork, and business thinking.
We were not learning simply to pass the next exam. We were learning how to turn an idea into something that could exist in the real world.
The programme also included a long internship that could be completed in a country of our choice. Knowing that the studies could eventually take us to another part of the world made the programme feel even more international.
Another valuable opportunity was free Danish language classes. I decided to take them because learning the local language helps you understand the culture and become more connected to everyday life.
After only a few months, I could already use some basic phrases and understand simple conversations.
Becoming independent
Life in Denmark was not only about university.
I shared a large apartment with other international students, while more of our classmates lived one floor below us. This meant that almost our entire international group lived in the same building.
We quickly became close. During the first weeks, there were plenty of parties and celebrations, although eventually we realised that we also had projects, classes, and responsibilities.
Living together taught us how to communicate, compromise, organise our time, and adapt to different habits.
Danish culture also felt very different. People generally seemed calm, polite, and in no hurry. At first, they could appear reserved, but once you got to know them, they were friendly and helpful.
Living in a smaller city also had important advantages. Accommodation was more affordable, distances were shorter, and the university community felt much more personal.
A smaller city may not sound as exciting as a major student destination, but it can offer lower living costs, closer friendships, more individual support, and a stronger sense of belonging.
Of course, finding work in Denmark can still be difficult, especially without speaking Danish. Students should arrive with realistic expectations and enough savings to support themselves during the first months.
But a smaller and less crowded student city may offer better opportunities than a place where thousands of international students are competing for the same accommodation and part-time jobs.
Looking back, I am amazed by how quickly everything changed.
At the beginning of my final year of Secondary School, studying abroad felt like a distant and almost impossible idea. A few months later, I had been accepted. Soon after that, I was living in Denmark, studying in English, learning a new language, and building friendships with people from across Europe.
My advice is to research carefully, speak openly with your family, and ask current students as many questions as possible.
Do not assume that average grades, limited finances, or initial fear automatically mean that studying abroad is not for you.
If you are prepared to work towards the goal step by step, something that once seemed unreachable can become your everyday life.
Do not be afraid to choose a smaller city, a programme you had not originally considered, or a direction that feels unfamiliar. Sometimes those unexpected choices give you the strongest community and the most valuable experience.
The beginning may be nervous and confusing, but that is how independence starts.
Take the opportunity seriously, prepare well, and allow yourself to discover how far one brave decision can take you.
