Details

• Denmark
• BaWiSo-23
• Undergraduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months

1. Preparation

The only real way to prepare for the application process is to achieve a strong GPA during the first 1.5 years at WU. Beyond that, the application process feels quite unfair. Some candidates are required to attend an in-person interview, others a group interview, while some only have an online interview. In my case, I only had to submit a presentation video in which I answered several questions. This interview component accounted for 40% of the overall evaluation, and if you do not receive a (1.0), it can significantly hurt your chances, as it did in my case. -> However I also heard that the application process changed slightly. The biggest challenge when moving to Copenhagen is finding housing. Everything else is relatively straightforward. Since we are in the EU, you don’t need to take care of much before moving, you can live in Copenhagen for up to three months without a residence permit. However, if you want to work or receive government benefits, you will need a residence certificate and a CPR number. Appointments for these can take up to two months, so if you want to get started right away, it’s best to book them already two months before. I would also recommend getting a credit card with low exchange fees from Danish kroner to euros. Almost everything is paid by card, and during my entire stay I never actually used cash or had Danish kroner in my hand.

2. Accommodation

Finding accommodation is very difficult. Even some friends who are staying long-term struggled to find private housing, despite searching for four months. While it is possible, it is usually hard to find a suitable contract, as most private rentals require a minimum lease of one year. The best chance to secure private housing is to find a Danish student who is also going on exchange and is subletting their apartment. CBS does offer accommodation through CBS Housing. Overall, the options are fine, and I have never heard anyone complain excessively. However, they are definitely not good value for money. The rooms are usually small, and rent is often around €1,000 per month. I personally stayed at Basecamp, where almost all residents were international students, mainly because the rent is quite high, at around €1,100 per month. Basecamp has a great community. I met many friends there, and the common areas are excellent. The was a gym, a cinema room, study rooms, common kitchens and rooms where you could hang out at night and also predrink before our nights out. My room was very small but had its own bathroom and kitchen. The bed was only 80 cm wide, which was sometimes annoying, but you get used to these conditions over time. One important recommendation: despite what CBS Housing says, the application process is effectively first come, first served. They may insist that it is not, but in practice it is. A friend of mine applied within one minute and was the seventh applicant; she received her first choice. I submitted my application two days late (after repeatedly hearing that it was not first come, first served) and initially did not receive any residence. After several months of searching and discussions, CBS Housing eventually offered me accommodation, which was by far the most expensive option.

3. Academic life at host university

CBS was quite far from my dorm, around 25 minutes by metro plus walking, or about 35 minutes by bike. Since commuting by metro costs around €7 per day or about €100 with a monthly ticket, I mostly chose to bike. At least in the beginning, I biked to university regularly. Later on, to be honest, I only went to CBS about twice a week for important lectures. It was simply too far for me, so I started studying more often at other universities or libraries in the city. Copenhagen has many beautiful libraries as well. In addition, CBS is spread across Frederiksberg, so you always need to check where your lecture is taking place. One of the biggest differences compared to WU is that CBS has no attendance requirements. That said, attending lectures is still helpful if you want to perform well in exams, and students are aware of that. As a result, there are usually still at least 50% of students attending lectures, especially if the professor is good. This also means that students who attend tend to pay attention and actively participate, unlike at WU, where many students attend mainly because attendance is mandatory. Comparing courses is not easy. CBS offers both demanding and well-structured courses, and with their teaching style, you can definitely learn a lot. However, many of my friends chose the easiest courses, which are usually electives where you only need to write a paper at the end. Some of them just used AI tools extensively for these papers. I know people who went to CBS only during the introduction week and never again, yet still passed all their courses. In the end, it depends on your personal goals for the exchange. Overall, I would say that passing courses at CBS is generally not very difficult, as failure rates are low. However, achieving a top grade (a 12, which is comparable to a 1 in Austria) requires heavy preparation or writing a truly strong paper that incorporates many aspects from the lectures. One important recommendation when choosing courses at CBS: be careful not to select only Q2 and full-year courses. Otherwise, you may end up having to take four exams in December, right when you are saying goodbye to friends and moving out. This can be very stressful.

5. Every day life in the host country

Copenhagen is a very lovely city, especially during the summer. Public transportation works well, runs 24/7, and is generally reliable, but it is quite expensive, as there is no semester ticket like in Vienna. As a result, almost everyone gets around by bike, people bike everywhere, even after a night out, as long as they still can. Overall, Copenhagen is a very safe city. However, when going out to bars and clubs, some people can occasionally be a bit aggressive, which is also the case in many other countries. One thing to keep in mind is to avoid speaking negatively about Denmark, as locals can be quite sensitive about this. Copenhagen really has everything. In summer, you spend most of your time outdoors, sitting by the canals, swimming, relaxing, or visiting cafés in the city center. The pastries in Copenhagen are outstanding. In winter, you naturally spend more time indoors, but this usually coincides with a more intensive study period, so it works out well. There are many Danish traditions and celebrations you can take part in, which are also great opportunities to socialize with other students. Going out is obviously a big part of the exchange semester as well. I have been to many Nordic cities and quite a few across Europe, and Copenhagen is still one of the best cities for nightlife. There are countless great bars, nice clubs, and fun venues, and the city has a good atmosphere. Also if you look out for the nordic culture you will find everything you want, but realistically you will stay more with other exchangies :) And yeah alcohol sadly is really expensive, for a 0.5 beer you pay 9 euros, but there are obviously cool and cheap student bars as well. However, to my costs before u can add a few thound euros for alcohol. Food outside is also insanely expensive. Travelling as well, all these u can safe however, so it is not included in my costs estimation. However I spent around 15.000 euros in total. Denmark is also a very sporty country. I played on the CBS football team during my first month, but since Copenhagen is such a strong running city, my friends and I became really enthusiastic about running. I eventually stopped playing football and started running almost every day. We joined different running clubs and even created our own, which was a lot of fun. For more information feel free to write me an email: lkspircher@gmail.com or text me on IG: lukaspircher_

6. Testimonial

My exchange semester was an unforgettable experience, shaped above all by the international friendships I made, the incredibly beautiful city of Copenhagen, and the opportunity to study in a new academic environment. Living and learning alongside students from all over the world broadened my perspective both academically and personally. The open teaching style at CBS, combined with the vibrant city life and strong sense of community, made the exchange a truly special and enriching experience that I would highly recommend.