Year Abroad 2011/2012 chat thread

I'm off to Vancouver in September - can't wait!

What is everyone doing with regards luggage? What are peoples weight limits and are they going to ship some stuff out etc? I have a 20kilo limit and don't know what I'm going to do because I definitely think I need to take more than that!

I'm going to University of Sheffield in September, but only for a semester. Definitely looking forward to it
Btw, I'm from Copenhagen - it's a lovely place, you should be very excited. You can always take short weekend trips to Vienna and Prague, plane tickets aren't very expensive and there are also trains and busses. Copenhagen is quite central and we have good links to most of Europe :P All the exchange students I've spoken with have also been to Russia for some reason, so you can look forward to that.

And good luck learning Danish

I have 20kg and my suitcase weighs 5 kilos without anything in it! And then 10kg cabin. I reckon I will try to reduce what I think I need to take as much as possible, it's going to be hard though - I came home from uni last year with 2 cars full of stuff But if I really need to (which, knowing me, I probably will) I will get some stuff shipped. Someone recommended this company to me http://www.parcelsplease.co.uk/ I think it will mainly be clothes that I need, plus when I go it will be the end of summer but when I come home for Christmas it will be winter so I will need a wider selection.

After my exams, which I really should be revising for right now.

Haha, thank you for the luck (I most definitely need it!). When do you leave for Sheffield? Would be good to have a local contact who can tell me the best deals for banking, mobile phone etc!
I'm flying out on the 2nd and I'm starting to get really nervous! I have a place at Bispebjerg Kollegiet...is Bispebjerg an ok area? Also, is your home institution KU?

Let me know if you need any UK advice..I don't know Sheffield at all, but I'll be more than happy to help you with anything I can.

Oooh, Bispebjerg kollgiet is very pretty and modern. You’re lucky you have a place to stay. I go to Copenhagen Business School, and a lot of the international students coming here are still looking for accommodation. It’s really hard to find anything good in Copenhagen that’s affordable :P
The area is okay. You’ll meet a few sketchy types, but you really can’t avoid that anywhere in Copenhagen, so don’t worry, just don't go alone at night and whatever everyone's always saying anyway and it’s close to a train station, so getting anywhere will be nice and easy

The best mobile phone deal at the moment is from CallMe. They have cheap calling, cheap texts and as an added bonus it’s really cheap to call international landlines (NOT cellphones!!), in case you want to call home or something, so I’d definitely recommend that. Plus, you can pick the last digits of your number, which is pretty cool :P

I leave for Sheffield 18 September, I’ll be more than happy to help you with anything Also, if you're not planning on getting a bike (if you do, get a cheap one, bikes often disappear in Copenhagen), you should be ready to pay about 300 DKK for a monthly pass, but then you can drive around as much as you want in Copenhagen. It's totally worth it and covers busses, trains and metro. Get zone 01 and 02, that's central Copenhagen and all you'll ever need.

Also, I'm totally planning on bringing two suitcases, I don't even care :P 23kg is just NOT enough, what about all my shoes?!

x

Also, how much can I expect to pay for a haircut in CPH? I have very long hair (waist-length) if that makes any difference.

Aaaah, BlackBerry <3 I have one too, but then realised how stupidly expensive Blackberry internet service is :P 3 and Telenor are the only ones offering it in Denmark, and it costs the same (130DKK + whichever other deal you want pr. month - free texts, free calling, whatevers), so it doesn’t matter which one you pick. What sort of Blackberry deals do they have in UK?

Well, if this winter is ANYTHING like last winter, you’re gonna need warm boots :P Listen to your mum. Mothers are always right for some reason, it’s just not fair. Also, if you don’t get the monthly pass but still take the bus/train/metro be sure to buy a ticket EVERY time. Fines are freaking expensive (750DKK), and they check often :P

Haircuts depend a LOT on where you go, and from what I’ve heard from the exchange students they think it’s quite expensive. You can get a haircut at the hairdresser school (done by a student, but with a teacher watching) for 100 DKK, that’s definitely the cheapest you’ll find in Copenhagen. If you’re willing to pay more, and actually want an educated hairdresser, I can recommend CPH Hair on Sønderboulevard. A haircut costs around 320 DKK there, but they’re very very good.

Aaaaaaah, 2 weeks!!! SO EXCITING!

I actually do have a question about UK xD People keep telling me to expect lots of rain… Just exactly how much rain should I expect?! Like… every day? Every week? The entire autumn? Will I need to bring a pair of wellies and several umbrellas?

I actually do have a question about UK xD People keep telling me to expect lots of rain… Just exactly how much rain should I expect?! Like… every day? Every week? The entire autumn? Will I need to bring a pair of wellies and several umbrellas?

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Hahahaha, lovely. Yeah, I’m going to Sheffield, so so SO excited now, still waiting for my accommodation offer though! Any idea which stores sell cheap wellies? Also, where can I get cheap kitchen stuff, like plates, frying pans, cutlery? From what I understand the uni doesn’t provide any of that, right?

You can get your CPR number as soon as you have your residence permit and proof of where you’re studying. At CBS the international office takes care of the residence permit, they have to sign some things and stuff, but it’s very quickly done. I don’t think there’s a fixed term, but you definitely won’t find anything as cheap as what you have now :P

Hmm, I don’t think it costs anything to open a bank account, but you will need your CPR number first. I’d recommend Danske Bank as they’re found almost everywhere you might need a bank in Copenhagen (shopping street, close to night clubs, every shopping centre), and they’re usually nice and helpful.

Oh jeez, £50? I might just not cut my hair the entire semester :P



Hahahaha, lovely. Yeah, I’m going to Sheffield, so so SO excited now, still waiting for my accommodation offer though! Any idea which stores sell cheap wellies? Also, where can I get cheap kitchen stuff, like plates, frying pans, cutlery? From what I understand the uni doesn’t provide any of that, right?

Which accomodation have you applied for?

How much do you pay for your phone each month and what do you get? (if you don't mind me asking)?

Atm I have a contract through my dad’s job, so I pay almost nothing (50DKK for unlimited texting and 120 minutes), but it doesn’t include blackberry internet service, which really sucks, I’m stealing wi-fi wherever I can >.< The contract runs out in December though, and I think I’m going to get a deal through 3 or Telenor when I get back from Sheffield. I have heard better things about 3 than Telenor but switching to Telenor is free, whereas 3 makes you pay 249DKK just to sign up. I think I'll end up getting BIS + 1GB and then add unlimited texting, so in the end it'll be 180DKK pr. month, which isn't too bad.

Ooh, is that really all it costs? I looked at 3s website and I thought I'd have to pay 350DKK, or something like that, per month Are these rolling contracts or are they for a set term?

Any other general tips for CPH?

The 180 is with Telenor and I think it's with the cheapest deal ever and you'd still have to pay for all the minutes you use :P It's a rolling contract, but I think you'll have to go to one of their stores to get it set up. There's one near the shopping street and KU though, so it shouldn't be too difficult.

Oh the package thing. If you're not there when they deliver it, they'll leave a note telling you to pick it up at the posthouse the following day Hmm... other tips... If you ever want to eat out and not blow your budget I can recommend café Dalle Valle: 1/2 price on all the food Saturday to Tuesday. They have lots to pick from and it tastes fine

Hmmm, I don't know. I'm tempted to just get a really cheap deal and not bother with the BIS. You said the BIS costs 150DKK without anything else, right?

By the way, where do you live at the moment? Are you in a college or do you have a flat?

Ooh, that place looks nice! Are those prices average for CPH? Thanks for all your help!