We talked about studying in Denmark with Jun Miyatake Ondozabal who studies a Master’s degree in chemistry at University of Copenhagen… stay one more year, in order to finish my master’s degree.
What was the study-start like in Denmark? The study start in Denmark was very hard for me. This was because I was used to a completely different education system in the UK and it took a bit of time to adapt.
What was the hardest and best thing about study start at your Danish university? One of the biggest differences was the exam.
Why did you choose a Danish university for your studies? I have chosen Denmark mainly because I was very interested in a specific chemistry master’s program that was taught at the University of Copenhagen and I wanted to go to another country to continue my studies.
How long have you been studying in
A lot of my exams were oral and as I have never done an oral exam in a chemistry course before, I was very confused as to how to prepare
for
one
in
the
beginning.
Nevertheless, after practicing presentations on the board and expressing my knowledge through speaking, I progressively became more
confident
about
oral
exams.
Furthermore, I had to get used to think and respond quickly to questions that were asked during oral exams. I was always accustomed to
Denmark? And how long are you
taking my time with each question during
planning to study here?
written examinations, so this was and is one of
I have studied in Denmark for about a year now, since September 2015. I am planning to
the hardest parts of an oral exam. Personally, I believe that having oral exams have helped me develop more confidence about explaining the knowledge that I know
Do you have some good advice or
and prepare myself for public speaking scenarios the future.
observations for other international students about school-start in
Are you looking forward to starting
Denmark?
studies again?
Just like me, I believe many of the international students have never done an oral examination
I cannot wait to start my studies again as I will
before studying at a university in Denmark. I
be starting my thesis in August/September
know it may be very hard to adapt in the
2016.
beginning but through practice, we are all able to overcome this barrier. Being able to express
What were your expectations for your
your knowledge orally will help you through
studies in Denmark?
different scenarios in the future including job interviews and work meetings, which we will all
To be honest, I was very unsure of what my
be in at some point in our lives.
studies were going to be like in Denmark. I knew it was going to be a big change considering I would be studying at a high ranked university worldwide. On one hand, I
Great speaking to you Jun! Thanks for your insights!
was worried because I was not sure if I was ready and on the other hand, I was very excited to start my studies in a new country.
Are you a new student?
How was the study start in Denmark different, if at all, from what you imagined it would be like?
Maybe this recap of Jun’s experiences can help or inspire you:
If you have not have oral exams before do not panic! You’ll get a hang of it quickly. Furthermore, these exams will give you useful skills in expressing yourself.
Focus on learning how to present your knowledge orally rather than in writing.
The study start in Denmark was different from what I been used to especially because of the oral exams, which I never had before. The study-start was hard, as I had expected. I had to change a lot about the way I studied and I put emphasis into being able to present my knowledge through speaking rather than just writing.