Arabella Camunez arrived in Denmark ready for a different style of learning. She also found a welcoming community, an abundance of castles and winter days with only a few hours of daylight.
Arabella, a member of Caltech’s Class of 2027 studying chemical engineering, spent fall 2025 at the Technical University of Denmark, known as DTU, through Caltech’s Copenhagen Scholars Program.
“I have really enjoyed my time at the Danish Technical University,” Arabella wrote. “Both the international students I have met and the Danish students and locals I’ve met have been very friendly and welcoming.”
A different classroom
One of the biggest adjustments was the difference between DTU’s semester system and Caltech’s quarter system. At DTU, Arabella said, courses meet once a week for four-hour blocks, usually divided between lecture and problem-solving or practice time. Her classes also relied heavily on group projects and final exams rather than regular assignments.
“All my classes involved a couple of big group projects and a final, and that was everything we had to submit,” she wrote. “The lack of regular assignments to turn in meant you needed intrinsic motivation to study and stay on top of everything.”
Arabella also noted that many professors have an open-door policy for students seeking help. “There is basically an open-door policy with a lot of professors about asking questions and getting help, but it can be somewhat intimidating,” she wrote. “I only used that policy when I was in a group with Danish students who knew how to take advantage of it.”
The semester itself took some getting used to. “The semester system feels significantly longer than the quarter system I have grown accustomed to, so about 12 weeks into the semester it did begin feeling very long,” she wrote. “However, we did get a week-long fall break in October!”
Finding community
Outside the classroom, Arabella found community through her orientation group, campus clubs and a church she began attending. At the beginning of the term, exchange students are assigned to “buddy groups” for orientation week. Arabella said her group quickly became close.
“I got really lucky and my group got on fantastically and many of us stayed friends throughout the entire semester,” she wrote.
A club fair during the first week introduced students to a wide range of organizations, including sports teams, performance groups, affinity groups and other activities. Arabella also made friends through the DTU choir, which provided opportunities to perform around Copenhagen. The choir sang at the Copenhagen Half-Marathon and the Carlsberg Christmas Tree Lighting.
“I met some of my closest friends in the DTU choir,” she wrote.
Exploring Denmark and beyond
Arabella also took advantage of opportunities to explore Denmark and nearby Sweden. DTU is located in Lyngby, about 40 minutes from central Copenhagen by public transit. “Denmark’s public transportation system made it possible to travel widely. There is a very thorough public transit system which made it possible to get just about everywhere,” she said.
In September, she took advantage of K7 Week, an event offering people under 26 free or reduced admission to museums and performances. She visited about eight museums and attended an opera during the week.
She also visited Dyrehaven, a park near campus known for its deer, and traveled to several castles. Her favorites were Frederiksborg Castle in Hillerød and Kronborg Castle in Helsingør, the setting of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” Both castles are less than an hour from Copenhagen by train. “I also love castles so I went to as many as I could,” she wrote. Arabella also took day trips to Odense, the hometown of fairy-tale author Hans Christian Andersen, and Lund, Sweden.
Adjusting to winter
The Danish winter brought another adjustment. Around November and especially into December, Arabella said, the days became increasingly short, with only about seven to eight hours of daylight. “Take Vitamin D! I am not exaggerating,” she wrote.
As the days grew darker, Christmas markets began appearing throughout the city. “Finally, towards the end of the semester when it starts getting dark early, the Christmas markets start popping up which are delightful,” she wrote.
Despite the challenges of the semester, Arabella said the experience was one she would recommend to other Caltech students. “I had a wonderful time during my experience in Denmark and would highly recommend studying abroad at DTU,” she wrote. “Just bring a lot more layers than you need in SoCal.”
Interested in Studying Abroad?
Students interested in an adventure at DTU or any of the Caltech Study Abroad Programs can find information through Caltech’s Fellowships Advising and Study Abroad Office at fasa.caltech.edu/.
The FASA Office is putting on a general info session “Welcome to Study Abroad” on Wednesday, October 7th at 12pm in 153 Noyes. More info is on our office events page fasa.caltech.edu/events or reach out at FASAoffice@caltech.edu. We are also in Instagram at instagram.com/fasa.caltech/.
All photos by Arabella Camunez.
Appreciating the museums in Copenhagen.
A park.
Weekend trip to Stockholm.
Trip to Bulgaria during fall break.