10 tips to judiciously spend your time when locked out of Uni

While the Danish public sector – including the whole staff of the University of Copenhagen –may stop working from the 10th of April because of the expected lockout, 38,600 students will suddenly find themselves classroomless, or in other words, without any warm auditorium to spend the nap. Here is what you could do:

1. Get curious about Danish politics

You were surprised when your professors said they would stop teaching for an undetermined period of time; now you feel confused about the rest of the semester and, most of all, you fear that you will have to cancel your sunny holiday to come and sit in a grey classroom, because exams have been postponed to the middle of the summer.

This anxiety probably comes from the uncertainty surrounding the lockout. Therefore, the best remedy is to get informed and keep updated about what is going on with the Danish government. And don’t just settle for the conversation you overheard at the Friday Bar. Seeking to understand the intricate reasons of the lockout might be a good opportunity to better understand the country you are living in.

2. Join a union

It is common to be member of a union in Denmark. It gives many advantages such as legal advice, discounts, insurances and professional support. For students, it may not seem as necessary to join a union as it is for employees, but it can be interesting to try, or at least think about it and be prepared for later. Who knows? You might end up working in the public sector yourself and have to experience many other lockouts then.

3. Make sure you are insured

It would be a shame to involuntarily hit your neighbour’s brand new bike and notice you do not have an insurance to cover it. (It would be even more a shame if, on this brand new bike, a child was sitting, eating a candy, and if this child fell and broke a tooth on the candy.)

So make sure to get an indboforsikring (also called familieforsikring). It will save you in case of accident, fire, theft or robbery. You might consider getting Danmark sygeforsikring too, to be covered in case of special health issues (such as fixing your teeth or buying medicine). Finally, the most important for you to get as a student is the A-Kasse, which you can join for free while being a student and which will help you financially if you graduate and find yourself without a job.

4. Learn Danish for free – before it is too late

If budget cutting were a sport, the Danish government would be great athletes. In addition to the threat towards public workers’ salary, they have recently decided to stop providing foreigners with free Danish language classes. From the 1st of July, each module will cost DKK 2,000. Nevertheless, each student who will start a new module before this fatal date will still be able to take the class for free. So hurry up!

As ‘summer’ also rimes with ‘graduation’ for some students, start thinking about jobs or internships might be smart. Therefore our fifth advice is:

5. Awake the serial applicant in you

Graduateland, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google, the newspapers, an add at the entrance of a supermarket, a dubious phone number half-cut on a sheet of paper in the street, a name in a conversation, a bottle in the sea … No potential hunting ground should be overlooked: remember that dream jobs often hide in the most unexpected places. Once your targets have been identified, make sure your cover letters and resume are fully charged and … fire!

6. ‘Continue to study as usual’

You may think that making such an unoriginal statement is taking you for a dull student, but since it comes directly from the University of Copenhagen, we find important to mention it. And let’s be honest, it is not the worst advice. So be a good student and reserve some days to study. Start preparing for exams, plan essays, catch-up readings …

Or on the contrary…

7. Read something completely unrelated to your field of study!

Under the duvet on a rainy day, or sitting on a bench in the sun – immersing yourself in a good book is doubtlessly the best treat you can give to yourself. Among other countless benefits, remember reading makes you a more clever, cultivated, happy and (we underline) handsome human being.

8.  Spring-clean your home

Spring is back and soon, a nice sun should follow, revealing with its sharp rays the appetizing layer of dirt, grease and dust accumulated on your windows during the winter.

Denial. Is. Not. Possible. Anymore.

So clean this up, and while you stand here, with soap and rubber gloves, extend the treatment to the rest of the flat. You will be thankful when you’ll lie down into some perfectly fresh and perfumed bed sheets, in the middle of a shiny flat.

NB: Spring-cleaning includes sorting notes and papers for school, as well as cleaning your computer – because yes, computers also need cleaning once in a while. It might be the perfect moment to finally do this back up of data you have been postponing for the last 6 months.

9. Make appointments with fellow students

If possible in the morning – for a brunch or a cup of coffee ­­­­– so you will have an excellent reason to wake-up, move out and stay awake for the rest of the day, as much mentally than socially. Win-win! Going for a walk together (or a run for the most motivated) is also warmly recommended to refresh your precious brains.

10. Extend your Easter holidays …

Whereas workers on strike are not allowed to take holiday after the beginning of the lockout, you are lucky to be free. So enjoy the freedom (soon enough you’ll only have 6 weeks a year). Though be careful not to get locked in the tourist spirit: while a real lockout may never happen, your exams, on the contrary, always will …