Environmental Science with Business Management student Madelenn may have initially doubted her decision to study at Roskilde Universitet in Denmark, but she struck an important balance between the excitement of making new friends, studying and the importance of taking time out for herself.

When I accepted my place at Roskilde Universitet in Denmark, I began to dream about my life studying abroad: making lots of friends, experiencing a new culture, being independent. In theory, it sounded amazing, but then the days leading up to my departure passed quickly, and I began to question my decision. I was going to be leaving London, moving to a new country on my own and starting from scratch a completely new story.

That wasn’t the last time I questioned my decision, or even questioned myself. Was I really brave enough to do this? A year later, having finally completed my exchange, it was possibly the best decision I ever made. Not only did I make all those friends, experience a new culture and live an independent life, but the biggest reward was learning about myself.

If I could give anyone considering a year abroad a piece of advice, it would be to simply do it.

Looking back, I don’t think it’s possible to spend a year living abroad and come back exactly the same person. The experience challenged me, pushed me out of my comfort zone, and gave me memories and friendships that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. That said, it’s inevitable to look back and think about what I could have done differently. Unfortunately, I can’t magically turn back time to August 2025, but I can advise those considering a year abroad.

One thing this year abroad taught me was being self-disciplined and organised. I learnt this when I thought I had plenty of time to apply for university halls, but demand was so high that the rooms were already gone before I could even apply. At the time, this felt like the biggest disaster, but (another thing I learnt is that everything always happens for the best) I ended up finding a flat privately that happened to be on campus, was cheaper and actually right next to the university halls.

Once I overcame that hurdle, I began to wonder, Will I still make friends despite not living in halls? Thankfully, the university organises three days of onboarding for all the exchange students, a perfect way to meet people, mingle, and learn more about student life at my host university. And that’s exactly what happened! Not only did I meet people, but I also made friends for life from every corner of the globe, introducing me to new cultures, foods, and languages. Despite all these differences, what brought everyone together was that we were all in the same situation: nervous, curious, but also excited.

As someone who would describe themselves as fairly introverted, I was gladly surprised by how easy it was to make friends. When everyone arrives in a new country knowing very few people, conversations happen naturally, and friendships form much quicker than you might expect.

Despite all the excitement- the friendships, exploring Denmark, and busy university life- studying abroad strangely involved a surprising amount of time alone. At first, the idea felt intimidating and isolating, yet those quieter moments ended up being some of the most important. Away from the familiarity of home, there is now nowhere to hide from yourself. Through boredom, introspection, uncertainty (and eventually confidence), I learned who I was when nobody was around to define me. I realised Anthony Bourdain was right, the person who returned home was not quite the same person who had left.

And what did I do with all this free time? Aside from studying, I filled my time with yoga and hip-hop dance classes, both hosted and led by the campus gym. Yoga quickly fitted into my routine; twice a week, my friends and I would go to yoga, come back, make dinner together and play Catan. It was like our little ritual. Alone, however, I started learning how to crochet (and successfully made a scarf and a skirt), read books ranging from Dostoevsky to Virginia Woolf, and watched films – including a few Danish ones (I recommend Ordet, 1955). The best hobby I picked up, and I urge every exchange student to do this, was journaling. Not only do I have my memories and camera roll to look back on, but I now have a daily written account of how I felt on all those days.

But how was I able to do it all: travelling, studying, and simply living abroad? Thankfully, through my summer job, I was able to save where possible. And luckily, the Turing Scheme grant filled the financial gaps my summer job couldn’t, allowing me to enjoy my year abroad stress-free about my finances. The support gave me freedom to participate fully in student life.

If there’s one thing to take away from this, it’s to save up where you can, keep an open mind, and take the opportunity. You don’t need to have everything figured out before you leave (apart from your visa and accommodation, of course!); just have an open mind, embrace the unexpected and see where the experience takes you. You might end up having one of the best years of your life…