{"id":180289,"date":"2025-08-25T07:45:20","date_gmt":"2025-08-25T05:45:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/det-giver-mig-livsglaede-at-jeg-dyrker-min-store-passion\/"},"modified":"2025-09-16T09:18:34","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T07:18:34","slug":"student-of-german-ive-found-joy-in-following-my-true-calling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/student-of-german-ive-found-joy-in-following-my-true-calling\/","title":{"rendered":"Student of German: \u00bbI\u2019ve found joy in following my true calling\u00ab"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

First-year reflections<\/p>\n

University Post has spoken to a handful of students now starting their third semester. In this series, they look back on their first year at the University of Copenhagen and share some of their highs and lows.<\/p>\n

Read the other portraits in the series:<\/p>\n

Student of social sciences: \u00bbI honestly wish I had 48 hours in a day\u00ab<\/a><\/p>\n

Student of pharmaceutical sciences: \u00bbWe\u2019re not just training for the pharmacy counter\u00ab<\/a><\/p>\n

Student of physics: \u00bbI was surprised by the high level from day one\u00ab<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

After secondary school, I took two gap years, one of which I spent doing military service in Slagelse. Even though it was great fun, I gradually realised how much I missed nerding out on the German language and immersing myself in literature and history \u2014 just like I did in school. I decided I had to do something about it.<\/p>\n

I actually applied to study German Language and Culture<\/em> at the very last minute. I\u2019ve always loved the subject, but I had never seriously considered studying it because I thought it would automatically lead to becoming a secondary school teacher. I considered Political Science instead \u2014 and I probably would have enjoyed that too. But I decided my choice of degree shouldn\u2019t be based on what kind of job I might get in the future. That made it easy to apply for German. I wanted to choose something I was deeply interested in.<\/p>\n

German is great because it lets me nerd out on both literature and history. Germany is in the heart of Europe, so when you study Germany, you\u2019re in some way also studying all of Europe.<\/p>\n

I was already pretty good at the language when I started. I\u2019ve been watching German news for years and have always had a deep interest in it. But I\u2019ve also become much better over the past year, because university allows you to focus on all the fine details.<\/p>\n

Sick during intro week<\/h3>\n

Before I started, I was unsure whether I had made the right decision, and I didn\u2019t know what to expect. But I was pleasantly surprised right from the start and I\u2019m still really happy with my choice. Even though the academic level is high, I think the instructors are extremely good at supporting those who find it difficult.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, I was ill for part of the intro programme, so I missed a couple of days. Despite that, I could feel that everyone wanted to create a sense of community, and the tutors put a lot of effort into making sure we got off to a good start. And it really worked \u2014 by the following week, we already knew each other\u2019s names. It helped, of course, that there weren\u2019t that many of us.<\/p>\n

Some parts of intro week were held together with the other language subjects at the department. That was great, because we sometimes have joint lectures with them on European culture and history. This means that the social scene also stretches across the language programmes.<\/p>\n

All kinds of students fit in here<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s about letting go and throwing yourself into it \u2014 even when it\u2019s hard.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Language courses have very small classes. In German, there are only about 30 of us in our year cohort. Seventeen of us are majoring in it, and the rest are taking it as a minor. I\u2019ve never tried anything else, so it\u2019s hard for me to compare. But I find it makes for a nice, close-knit, vibe that there aren\u2019t too many of us. It\u2019s also a huge bonus to have so many minor subject students in our year cohort. They already know how the university works, and they\u2019re great at helping with everything from IT problems to figuring out which Friday bar has the cheapest beer.<\/p>\n

There are only three men on my course who are majoring in German. It doesn\u2019t make any difference to me. There are lots of different types of people on the German programme, and there\u2019s space for everyone. I hope no one holds back from applying for a course because of a gender imbalance.<\/p>\n

READ ALSO<\/strong>: Why some degrees only attract women \u2014 and others only men<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

A safe learning environment<\/h3>\n

Learning a new language is intimidating, and you only get good at it if you actively use it. It\u2019s about letting go and throwing yourself into it \u2014 even when it\u2019s hard. Fortunately, there\u2019s space to make mistakes on this programme.<\/p>\n

All our classes are conducted in the foreign language by default. It\u2019s already nerve-wracking to present an analysis of a Goethe poem \u2014 and even more so when you have to do it in German. But we quickly created a safe learning environment, because there aren\u2019t that many of us. We know each other well, and we\u2019re not constantly dealing with new people who might add to the anxiety.<\/p>\n

I see lots of opportunities with a degree in German. I\u2019d love to go on exchange in Vienna, and I\u2019m thinking of taking social science as my minor. My big dream is a job in diplomacy, either at an embassy or in the EU. That way, I could combine my interests in language and culture with my interest in politics.<\/p>\n

Throw yourself into your studies<\/h3>\n

Since starting German, I\u2019ve been reminded that you should follow your heart and pursue what truly interests you. I can really feel that exploring my favourite subject brings me joy. And that\u2019s priceless.<\/p>\n

At university, you manage your own time \u2014 and it\u2019s surprisingly difficult, even though I do think it\u2019s a gift to be able to immerse myself so deeply. In secondary school, the structure is already set up for you, but here you have to create it yourself. I always get things done. But I haven\u2019t quite found my rhythm yet.<\/p>\n

It\u2019ll be great to meet all the new students<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019ll be great to meet all the new students and see how they approach their first year. It\u2019s always fun to watch people go through the same things you did. It makes me realise how far I\u2019ve come.<\/p>\n

My advice to new students is to put in the effort: Show up to class and make the most of it. The teaching really is good, and you learn so much. And I think you should throw yourself into your studies and give it an honest chance.<\/p>\n

The first year was about getting to know the subject. We touched on a lot of things superficially, without diving deep into it. Now we\u2019ll finally get to specialise. I\u2019m looking forward to that.<\/p>\n

READ ALSO<\/strong>: Starting at the University of Copenhagen? Here\u2019s what I wish I\u2019d known<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

This article was first written in Danish and published on 19 August 2025. It has been translated into English and post-edited by Mike Young.<\/em>
\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sigurd Lund has his sights set on diplomacy. 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12:44:35","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":2560,"height":1733,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dsc_1342-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dsc_1342-480x325.jpg","medium-width":480,"medium-height":325,"medium_large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dsc_1342-768x520.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":520,"large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dsc_1342-1280x866.jpg","large-width":1280,"large-height":866,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dsc_1342-1536x1040.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1040,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dsc_1342-2048x1386.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1386,"featured-soft":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dsc_1342-290x196.jpg","featured-soft-width":290,"featured-soft-height":196,"featured-hard":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dsc_1342-290x180.jpg","featured-hard-width":290,"featured-hard-height":180,"narrow":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dsc_1342-700x474.jpg","narrow-width":700,"narrow-height":474,"extended":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dsc_1342-990x670.jpg","extended-width":990,"extended-height":670}},"style":"extended","text_placement":"metadata-below","image_link_url":"","image_link_title":"","caption_prefix":"","enable_alternative_caption":true,"alternative_caption":"Sigurd Lund sees a degree in German as a key to understanding most of Europe."},{"acf_fc_layout":"Standfirst","subject":"First-year reflections","text":"This is a story about what will follow","use_post_excerpt":true},{"acf_fc_layout":"Byline","is_author":false,"contributors":[{"use_registered_user":false,"user":false,"contributor_name":"As told to:","contributor_title":"Student journalist Johanne Dahl Karlsen","contributor_image":false}]},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<div class=\"factbox\">\n<p class=\"factbox-header feature-color\">First-year reflections<\/p>\n<p>University Post has spoken to a handful of students now starting their third semester. In this series, they look back on their first year at the University of Copenhagen and share some of their highs and lows.<\/p>\n<p>Read the other portraits in the series:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/student-of-social-sciences-i-honestly-wish-i-had-48-hours-in-a-day\/\">Student of social sciences: \u00bbI honestly wish I had 48 hours in a day\u00ab<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/student-of-pharmaceutical-sciences-were-not-just-training-for-the-pharmacy-counter\/\">Student of pharmaceutical sciences: \u00bbWe\u2019re not just training for the pharmacy counter\u00ab<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/student-of-physics-i-was-surprised-by-the-high-level-from-day-one\/\">Student of physics: \u00bbI was surprised by the high level from day one\u00ab<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>After secondary school, I took two gap years, one of which I spent doing military service in Slagelse. Even though it was great fun, I gradually realised how much I missed nerding out on the German language and immersing myself in literature and history \u2014 just like I did in school. I decided I had to do something about it.<\/p>\n<p>I actually applied to study <em>German Language and Culture<\/em> at the very last minute. I\u2019ve always loved the subject, but I had never seriously considered studying it because I thought it would automatically lead to becoming a secondary school teacher. I considered Political Science instead \u2014 and I probably would have enjoyed that too. But I decided my choice of degree shouldn\u2019t be based on what kind of job I might get in the future. That made it easy to apply for German. I wanted to choose something I was deeply interested in.<\/p>\n<p>German is great because it lets me nerd out on both literature and history. Germany is in the heart of Europe, so when you study Germany, you\u2019re in some way also studying all of Europe.<\/p>\n<p>I was already pretty good at the language when I started. I\u2019ve been watching German news for years and have always had a deep interest in it. But I\u2019ve also become much better over the past year, because university allows you to focus on all the fine details.<\/p>\n<h3>Sick during intro week<\/h3>\n<p>Before I started, I was unsure whether I had made the right decision, and I didn\u2019t know what to expect. But I was pleasantly surprised right from the start and I\u2019m still really happy with my choice. Even though the academic level is high, I think the instructors are extremely good at supporting those who find it difficult.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, I was ill for part of the intro programme, so I missed a couple of days. Despite that, I could feel that everyone wanted to create a sense of community, and the tutors put a lot of effort into making sure we got off to a good start. And it really worked \u2014 by the following week, we already knew each other\u2019s names. It helped, of course, that there weren\u2019t that many of us.<\/p>\n<p>Some parts of intro week were held together with the other language subjects at the department. That was great, because we sometimes have joint lectures with them on European culture and history. This means that the social scene also stretches across the language programmes.<\/p>\n<h3>All kinds of students fit in here<\/h3>\n<blockquote><p>It\u2019s about letting go and throwing yourself into it \u2014 even when it\u2019s hard.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Language courses have very small classes. In German, there are only about 30 of us in our year cohort. Seventeen of us are majoring in it, and the rest are taking it as a minor. I\u2019ve never tried anything else, so it\u2019s hard for me to compare. But I find it makes for a nice, close-knit, vibe that there aren\u2019t too many of us. It\u2019s also a huge bonus to have so many minor subject students in our year cohort. They already know how the university works, and they\u2019re great at helping with everything from IT problems to figuring out which Friday bar has the cheapest beer.<\/p>\n<p>There are only three men on my course who are majoring in German. It doesn\u2019t make any difference to me. There are lots of different types of people on the German programme, and there\u2019s space for everyone. I hope no one holds back from applying for a course because of a gender imbalance.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ ALSO<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/why-some-degrees-attract-only-women-and-others-only-men\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Why some degrees only attract women \u2014 and others only men<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>A safe learning environment<\/h3>\n<p>Learning a new language is intimidating, and you only get good at it if you actively use it. It\u2019s about letting go and throwing yourself into it \u2014 even when it\u2019s hard. Fortunately, there\u2019s space to make mistakes on this programme.<\/p>\n<p>All our classes are conducted in the foreign language by default. It\u2019s already nerve-wracking to present an analysis of a Goethe poem \u2014 and even more so when you have to do it in German. But we quickly created a safe learning environment, because there aren\u2019t that many of us. We know each other well, and we\u2019re not constantly dealing with new people who might add to the anxiety.<\/p>\n<p>I see lots of opportunities with a degree in German. I\u2019d love to go on exchange in Vienna, and I\u2019m thinking of taking social science as my minor. My big dream is a job in diplomacy, either at an embassy or in the EU. That way, I could combine my interests in language and culture with my interest in politics.<\/p>\n<h3>Throw yourself into your studies<\/h3>\n<p>Since starting German, I\u2019ve been reminded that you should follow your heart and pursue what truly interests you. I can really feel that exploring my favourite subject brings me joy. And that\u2019s priceless.<\/p>\n<p>At university, you manage your own time \u2014 and it\u2019s surprisingly difficult, even though I do think it\u2019s a gift to be able to immerse myself so deeply. In secondary school, the structure is already set up for you, but here you have to create it yourself. I always get things done. But I haven\u2019t quite found my rhythm yet.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>It\u2019ll be great to meet all the new students<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>It\u2019ll be great to meet all the new students and see how they approach their first year. It\u2019s always fun to watch people go through the same things you did. It makes me realise how far I\u2019ve come.<\/p>\n<p>My advice to new students is to put in the effort: Show up to class and make the most of it. The teaching really is good, and you learn so much. And I think you should throw yourself into your studies and give it an honest chance.<\/p>\n<p>The first year was about getting to know the subject. We touched on a lot of things superficially, without diving deep into it. Now we\u2019ll finally get to specialise. I\u2019m looking forward to that.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ ALSO<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/starting-at-the-university-of-copenhagen-heres-what-i-wish-id-known\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Starting at the University of Copenhagen? Here\u2019s what I wish I\u2019d known<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>This article was first written in Danish and published on 19 August 2025. It has been translated into English and post-edited by Mike Young.<\/em><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"ArticleEnd"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Newsletter","lang_select":"en","identifier":"Newsletter","headline":"Get an email with upcoming events and top University of Copenhagen stories","button_text":"Sign up here","class":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"OtherStories","headline":"","hand_picked_posts":false,"references":false,"category":false,"theme":false,"number_of_posts":"4","style":"default"}]},"taxonomyData":{"category":[{"term_id":3792,"name":"Student life","slug":"student-life","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":3792,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":160,"filter":"raw"}],"post_tag":[],"post_format":[],"expression":[{"term_id":15,"name":"News Article","slug":"news_article","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":15,"taxonomy":"expression","description":"","parent":0,"count":11492,"filter":"raw"}],"translation_priority":[{"term_id":5468,"name":"Optional","slug":"optional-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":5468,"taxonomy":"translation_priority","description":"","parent":0,"count":674,"filter":"raw"}]},"featured_media_url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dsc_1342-1280x866.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180289","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/107"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=180289"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180289\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":181237,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180289\/revisions\/181237"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/179969"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=180289"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=180289"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=180289"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}