Culture Shock: My Danish Experience

By Arthur Simonet  

A double degree in a Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics and a Bachelor of Public Policy  

2023 Semester 2, Exchange at the Copenhagen Business School, Denmark  

In Semester 2 2023, I spent just over 6 months on exchange at the University of Copenhagen, in Denmark.  I’m originally from France – so you might think that going to Europe for my exchange was more or less a trip back home! Yet, my experience of culture shock was like none I had ever been through. The most surprising part? Culture shock never struck me as much on exchange as it did when I returned home, in Canberra.If you’ve moved to a different city or country, and felt completely outside your familiar environment - disoriented; surprised or even confused by your new life – you were very likely experiencing some of the symptoms of culture shock. 

My experience arriving in Copenhagen was no different. The language spoken by those around me looked and sounded like nothing I had ever heard – and going grocery shopping on my first day (without knowing what I was looking at) was incredibly overwhelming.  The Danes, I quickly found out, are also adamant about not crossing the road when the pedestrian light is red. And I cannot go on without mentioning the very steep learning curve involved in understanding the hand-signalling to safely ride my bike around the Danish capital (which involved a few near-crashes, to say the least)! 

Little did I realise that these were only the simple manifestations of culture shock. The others were far more subtle; they took much longer reveal themselves. The real culture shock did not hit in the days following my arrival. It came through the time it took me to understand and experience the Danish way-of-life myself.  After multiple interactions with students at university and locals in cafes, I noticed small-talk was simply not a thing. People would look at me with confusion when I greeted them by asking: “How are you going?”, as is so common in Australia. After multiple trips on the metro, I also began to realise that the Danes value their private space in public so much more than they did back in Canberra. No one would ever dare take an empty seat next to another traveller unless it was the last left, and this just stood out so much to me! 

Subtle moments of realisation like this happened throughout my exchange, and I think that beyond all the teaching for my university courses (one of which was entirely about Danish culture), it was out and about in everyday life where the true learning happened during my time overseas. With hindsight, these became some of my most memorable moments. 

Returning to Australia – and Reverse Culture Shock 

The second part of my experience was without a doubt the one that surprised me the most - and it happened upon my return to Canberra. For me, this was the most significant revelation of culture shock. 

I think there is something inherently human about wanting to accustom yourself to the way-of-life in the place you happen to live. As the months went by in Denmark, I never registered that the country’s culture – which felt so foreign to me at first – was the culture I subconsciously had tried to make my own. I too began valuing my private space, and cutting-out the small talk. And returning to Canberra, I felt like the place I actually called home did not any longer fit me or my personal way-of-life. Within my first few days back at ANU, I was completely overwhelmed: 

“Since when were people so ‘talkative’? It feels so superficial!” 

“Why do all my friends own cars? Some of my friends in Europe didn’t even want to get their driver’s license.” 

“People here, including my friends, are so outgoing!” 

“Why is it that so many of the people I know here are focused on working part-time jobs and studying at the same time? No one in Copenhagen did that!” 

“Why do people seem to have such different taste when it comes to the design of their houses, shops and public spaces?” 

Aspects of the day-to-day in Australia, which had likely always been features of my life in Australia before leaving, had suddenly become shocks. They made me feel like a complete foreigner; but I had returned home. Over the weeks that followed, I had a lot of difficulty accepting how critical and uncomfortable I had become with certain parts of the life and culture I had left in Canberra before the exchange.I realised that there was an extremely positive side to this too – all of a sudden, I saw so much value in the things around me that had previously seemed trivial! The space and nature in Canberra felt so refreshing, and the relaxed nature of the people felt more comforting than ever. This emotional rollercoaster after returning was, without a doubt, the part I least expected from an exchange in Denmark. Yet, I’ve realised the perspective and hindsight I gained about my home by stepping back from life at ANU while was one of the greatest (and perhaps less commonly discussed) aspects of studying overseas. 

There isn’t one way to lead your life. The possibilities – whether in terms of the values you adopt, the way you dress, or the priorities you set out - simply are endless. I think that to see this freedom we have to choose our own ways of life, seeing how your life can be lived elsewhere is invaluable. This was the most important lesson I learned on exchange, and what made the experience one of the best of my life.