Embarking on a Journey to a New Country: Why Denmark?

Excitement, anxious, happy, sad, scared, worried, uncertain, every emotion just run through me when I held my visa for Denmark. Once a dream, now was in my hands. Months of effort and of course a lot of patience I was holding in my hand that day. From not believing that it would happen to taking my flight to a new country for higher studies, oh, my god! a long journey it was, but that was just the start. Standing on the rooftop salling in Aarhus, taking a deep breath, I said to myself which I said when I started ‘Believe, you got this’ 🙂

Why Denmark?

Very often I get asked, why I chose Denmark. Simple, because Denmark also chose me. My only dream was studying. I wasn’t looking for a specific degree, but was keen about what I am learning in it. I wanted something, that gives me freedom to build my own way through it. I was not just looking to up skill, but was more keen about re-grooming myself and unlearning what is not necessary. I was keen on stretching myself from comfortable every-days, to try something very new. Explore business angle of looking into an engineering problem and not rocket science, a humble aspiration, I guess it was. With all this, I was also keen on getting into an english speaking country. I guess this particular ‘want’ built a beautiful story. Oh yeah, Denmark is a non-english speaking country, but that’s why I said, Denmark chose me 🙂

After researching and applying in Australia, where I thought I got lucky, I almost, gave up on applying to any other english speaking country. Because either the course was something I did not want to take up, or mainly because, I could not save hefty money from working 6 years in Japan (may be because I never left a chance to enjoy in Japan🫣). Well, even then America, UK, god, their fees were rocket high, visa conditions not very friendly and a normal person can never afford them anyways. I am just a normal person!!!

Between these hassles, I got accepted by a university in Australia, hurray!! While, I was counting my finances, and booking my medical test appointment in Osaka, gearing up for new move, that’s when I stopped hearing from the banks in India, whom I approached for educational loan.

I still remember the day, when we (Aww it is me and my husband 🤗) had to take bus from to Osaka for the medical test, I was desperately waiting to hear from the agent who was working (I believed he was 🙄) to get me student loan from a nationalized bank. I was in despair, when he called at 6PM JST, telling me ‘Sorry mam, we can’t process your loan, because you are an NRI’. So, for the ones who brag about people abroad, that moment I felt, we in abroad had almost no stake in our own country. Although the loan was rejected and I had to cancel my medical test, we still did make that trip to Osaka, because we planned to visit Hiroshima (as I said, I never took a chance not to enjoy Japan). Travelling to Osaka, while losing my last chance of arranging any finance from outside, I almost gave up, on idea of pursuing my dream.

I never had the courage to visit Hiroshima in 6 years of life in Japan, but I did not want to miss that place before I left from there. I was broke, but the place, which is painful, filled courage in me. Walking around the peace memorial, something triggered. ‘What if I failed, I can always and again stand up’, isn’t it?

While there was still chance for me to arrange money, and look out for new banks, a friend of mine, just whispered, ‘but, why are you limiting yourself to only Australia’? Those words, kept rewinding in my brain again and again. Now, that is where story takes a new turn, and this time, by not limiting myself to ‘only english speaking country’.

A fresh start again 😉

So, technically, the whole world was now an option for me, because I got rid of the filters. I had basically tons of excel cells to fill and compare. Just as a passion of travelling, I started with Europe. I searched almost every country, every university, and started reaching out to people from that place. There were countries, where I knew people and few were totally unknown. The best part is sometimes, the people you know, may get absolutely ‘busy with schedules’, that they don’t see messages for their lifetime, but believe me some stranger is always ready to help, when you put some effort. I tried, not once, but many times and kept on trying. You see, there I realized, how hard, I had stuffed my dream in silence for years, that it just started roaring out. The journey of finding and finalizing a country was the most demanding and happiest part. I was both anxious and excited about the next country. I felt, the country had to also try, to earn me. At least when my brain was along, I realized the effort must be from both the sides, otherwise, the heart always adjusts to put efforts alone. And yes, out of whole world, I am whole heartedly proud, that both me and Denmark, did their job right !!

I opened my LinkedIn, typed Denmark, this was routine I did while I found course in any country appealing. That was my luck, I found my professor, who taught me chemistry during my bachelors doing his PhD in ‘Technical University of Denmark (DTU)’. From his words, as well as talking to many other strangers (who are good friends of mine now) I somehow had a gut feeling that this was it.

Initial thoughts of Denmark

There was something very unique that caught my attention. It was Transparency, Clarity and Honesty. A student, told me ‘I wouldn’t take if it was not for free’. A lady who already graduated, advised ‘get prepared to dive in, it is a pool here, you need to learn how sharks swim’. I also, came across, many telling me ‘It is difficult to get student-support roles (by the way Denmark calls it so, not part-time. It is a culture here). I heard, the weather is depressing, It is 8 months now and I have realized, all were true. But, in spite, knowing the reality, which is always harsh, what kept me going is the transparency and people’s willingness to say the situation as it is. Well, that was not only the reason why I am here, of course, I knew I am not on vacation. I was about to completely empty my pockets, I would definitely think, re-think and bet on something more too …). But knowing it frankly gave me an idea where I was taking a dive. But, as told ‘you never know how deep the valley is, until you dive yourself’. I did not know the depth. Counted among one of the happiest countries, I was now, very curious to know what happiness means to this part of the world, which is different from what it meant to in places I already lived. Hygge – the coziness, work-life balance all are some words which researching came up which, I am curious to explore myself 🙂

University and courses in Denmark

Denmark, one of nordic countries, with harsh winters, and few weeks of blessed perfect summer, where people just don’t give a damn about their job, just to go cycling when sun is out and take sand bath in beaches. They have top 5 universities here, when you search for them in internet. Of course, my first choice was top 1, DTU. The course I chose was Industrial Engineering and Management. I always, believe in having a plan B, not because I have no confidence in plan A, but, just to help my brain not freeze, when it does not. Aarhus University, with the course, Technology Based Business Development (TBBD). Both the options had pretty much business angle in the courses, but when I I got deeper into breaking down courses of each semester, I realized, Industrial Engineering is a streamlined course and was expected to have background in Industrial engineering and it was not for me. Did you see, how well plan B came in handy? I was not in panic hahaha 🙂

Aarhus University

TBBD in Aarhus university, slowly started making its way to my heart and brain. I added them both, because most of times, I take decisions from heart, but this time I strictly wanted my brain to be along. From the application, to admission process and visa processing everything was super transparent. Funny part was, the university website also had which detergent to use when student dorm toilet get algae deposit on walls, I don’t remember seeing it in any university websites, do you? So much clarity, that I was very clear what to do next, this just kept attracting me. Nothing comes free of cost, yes I pay, while the europeans enjoy it for free, I am happy for them, and not regret my decision by a bit. If you think which bank helped me now, it was from own private bank hahaha…(it was relatively lesser compared to THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING countries)

I went through the subject courses of each semester, course description, outcome, and mandatory activities. Each course had freedom to develop my own strengths as well as opportunity to get groomed by the professionals. It was, as though, I was designing my own masters and also get support accomplishing it. Although, in the beginning, I did not have much clarity of what freedom of own choice means, now that, I successfully completed my first semester, I have a fair idea what that means. Trust me it is peaceful, joyous and enriching.

I was sad for not making it through the Australian university, but I was not aware what his plan for me was. So, basically the dialog from The Big Bang Theory, where Sheldon says ‘Why, but why….. Oh that’s why’, made a perfect sense. So yes, here it is, sometimes the harshest rejection, is what opens up the brightest door. The matter is are you willing to stay tight in the gap from a closure to a new opening?

Basically, the story still did not include the emotional roller coster, otherwise, now when somebody asks me WHY DENMARK?

hey, that was not simple, but I am in love 🙂