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Hey y’all! My name is Tori Henderson. I’m a kinesiology major in the College of Education and Health Professions (COEHP). This summer I studied abroad for 3 weeks in Copenhagen, Denmark and 3 weeks in Stockholm, Sweden through the DIS program.
ULTIMATE GUIDE TO SCANDINAVIA + ADVICE
Copenhagen, Denmark
Copenhagen might have been my favorite of the two. It was a larger city than I’m used to, but it had a compact and “homey” feel to it. The colorful buildings and architecture that date back to the 1700-1800’s make you feel safe. The transportation system was incredibly easy and took you just about anywhere you needed to go. The city is extremely walkable- not to mention the beautiful views you see on your walk. The number of bikes constantly moving through the city was a bit overwhelming at first, but it becomes normal after a week or so. There are more bikes than cars and chances are you might almost get hit by one trying to cross the road (I’m mostly joking). I got the metro card since it tends to rain quite often in Copenhagen, but part of me wishes I did the bike pass since it is such a large part of the culture.
I took “Sports Medicine: Performance and Fatigue” and it was a super interesting class. It had a focus on human posture and its effects on growth and performance. My professor was Italian and was very passionate about what he taught, which made it that much easier to come to class every day. He made it very clear that at the end of the day that your grades do not define you, your experiences do, so he always made sure we were doing hands on learning and not stressing about grades. This was an extremely refreshing concept since I tend to hold a large amount of self-worth in my grades. This was one of my favorite parts of studying abroad because as I was learning information relevant to my major, I was also learning how to not be consumed in my studies 24/7. I will definitely be carrying this mindset into my senior year.
With all of that said, I had a lot of free time to explore the city. It’s not always super warm and sunny in Copenhagen, so when it was, everyone gathered and sunbathed. Every free patch of grass would be covered by a picnic blanket and happy humans. I have listed a few of my favorite places and recommendations below, but I recommend finding a friend and just wandering around after class because that is the easiest way to find the best places. Seeing the town from the water is a must if you visit - DIS offers a canal tour that was a beautiful experience. If you’re a sunset person, there isn’t a bad one in Copenhagen. The whole sky bleeds color so it feels as though the sunset is wrapping around you. I recommend watching it from the Nyhavn strip or finding a rooftop.
Reffen Street Food (20+ food trucks)
- Wilders Plads Food Trucks
- Nyhavn (Pinterest location)
- Bastard Café (board games + food)
- Bertels Salon (cheesecake)
- Tivoli
- Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek Museum
- Copenhagen Contemporary Art Museum
- The King’s Garden
- The Round Tower
- Rosenborg Castle
- Christianborg Castle
- National Art Musuem of Denmark
- Fresh Bagels (best bagels by DIS)
- Rumors
- Stereo Bar
- Italiano
- JUMP IN THE CANAL!!!!!
Stockholm is a very close second to Copenhagen. It is a larger city that is much more spread out. The transportation system can be intimidating at first since it is very complex, but after a few days you will figure it out (Apple/Google maps will save your life). I took my study tour during the second week here and traveled to Dublin, Ireland. I loved getting to visit another country while abroad, but it did make it a bit more difficult to settle into Stockholm.
While in Stockholm, I took “Precision Medicine: Tailored Treatment in Clinical Practice”. This was the perfect course for a pre-medical student. It had a focus on oncology which was super interesting. We also compared the healthcare systems in Sweden and Ireland throughout the course. The best part of the course were the hospital visits. My favorite was a visit to a wing of a hospital that specialized in breast cancer. We got to watch mammograms and ultrasounds being done on patients. We also got to witness a core-needle biopsy. Although it doesn’t count as clinical experience, I am very grateful for the exposure we were given. The course was heavily genetics based but I wouldn’t shy from it if genetics isn’t your favorite (it’s not mine!).
I didn’t have near as much time to explore the city since my course was heavier and we took a 5 day trip to Ireland, but I still have several recommendations. During my session, we were there for midsummer. I HIGHLY recommend scheduling your time in Sweden during midsummer. It was the most beautiful weekend and the easiest way to immerse yourself in Swedish culture. Skansen is the place to be during midsummers weekend or you could find a beach and relax. Stockholm is made up of cluster of islands - it is called the Stockholm Archipelago. With that said, seeing Stockholm from the water is a great idea. There are also many tours and ferries you can take from island to island. Stockholm also doesn’t have a bad sunset, especially if you watch it from Monteliusvagen. It is a bit of a hike up to the top, but the view is well worth it
- Gastabud (incredible Swedish food)
- Mister French (waterfront restaurant/bar)
- Thaiboat
- La Neta (if you miss Tex-Mex)
- Monteliusvagen (sunset lookout point)
- ABBA museum
- Baras Stalle
- Langholmsbadet (beach)
- Skansen
- Fotografiska
- Gamla Stan (old town)
- Subway art
- Icebar (oldest permanent icebar!)
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, I can’t recommend studying abroad enough. A lot of people joked around with me before I left and even while I was there that I was going to come back a changed person. I didn’t realize completely at the time but studying abroad changed my outlook on life entirely. I met the most incredible people, and I satisfied my desire to travel and explore. I have always wanted to travel but I haven’t had opportunities to. This summer has sparked something inside of me that has been waiting to be lit. I feel like I have a stronger passion for living life rather than just going through the motions. All in all, if you have even been slightly considering studying abroad, do it. The anxiety and nerves that come with going somewhere unknown dissolve as soon as you get there and are encapsulated in the beauty around you. I thought 6 weeks was forever, but now that I’m back home I’m already planning my next trip to Europe. It is 100% worth it.
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Kinesiology major Tori Henderson spent the Summer 2022 term in Copenhagen, Denmark and Stockholm, Sweden with DIS with support from the Office of Study Abroad Scholarship.You can start planning your adventure abroad today! Dive in to our Explore page at https://studyabroad.uark.edu/explore/index.php, and start your program search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/
