We've collected some great advice and tips for undergraduate students.
1. Become a member of a union
Denmark, unlike many other countries, has few laws regulating the labour market. Wages and working conditions are most often based on collective agreements between employers and labour unions representing workers.
Read more about unions and their role in the Danish society
DM is a union for Masters and PhDs. As a student and member of DM you have access to free classes in Excel, R, Stata, InDesign, and Danish punctuation, to strengthen your skills during and after your studies. You also have unrestricted access to advice on career opportunities and feedback on your CV and applications. We can help you with the terms of your employment, check over your contracts, and negotiate your pay.
Membership in DM is free for the first year, and costs just 20 DKK per month up to one year from the time you complete your education.
Sign up with the Danish Association of Masters and PhDs
2. Sign up with an unemployment insurance fund
In Denmark, in order to secure yourself against unemployment, you have to purchase your own insurance through a private unemployment insurance fund. Idle workers receive unemployment benefits (dagpenge) from the unemployment insurance fund (a-kasse) along with counselling to help them find a job.
Read more about an unemployment insurance fund
The Masters' Unemployment Insurance Fund, MA, pays out unemployment benefits and helps you find a job once you've completed your education. Don't wait; sign up now. Membership as a student is free. To be able to receive unemployment benefits as soon as you complete your course of study, you must have been a member of the unemployment benefit fund for at least one year.
Sign up with the Masters' Unemployment Insurance Fund
3. Get a student job
A student job gives you experience, a network, and knowledge of a particular field. A student job can also help you to translate your specialised skills into valuable qualifications for your work life. If you have a student job, think about the skills and knowledge you gain from it that you can use in your future career. Don't have the right student job, or don't have one at all? DM's career consultants can help you establish your skills and provide feedback on your cover letter and CV.
4. Land an internship
Like a student job, an internship gives you experience, a network, and knowledge of the labour market. Unlike student jobs, an internship offers you the opportunity to delve deeper into your work, try more things, and take on more responsibility.
Check out our tips for internships
5. Go easy on yourself
It takes time to learn how to become a good student and develop self-discipline. Experiment with study methods to find out what works best for you. Take some time to get a good study group together that can support you, challenge you, and hold you accountable.
6. Check out DM's activity and travel funds
Are you and your fellow students trying to get an activity up and running? Maybe debates, networking meetings, business and conference visits, or other professional activities? Then you can apply to DM's activity fund. Or, is there a field study or academic trip you've been dreaming about? If so, you can apply for financial support from DM's travel fund.
7. Take control of your finances
As a student and member of DM, you can open a student account at Lån og Spar Bank, where you're guaranteed the best credit and interest rates. There are also virtually zero fees to pay, including no cash point withdrawal fees.
8. When it's time to move from home
Or perhaps you already have? In any case, it can be a good idea to sign up for a place to live. Especially in large cities, there are long waiting lists for places to live, so sign up with two or three property companies, even if you don't have a need for it right now. You never know what the future holds. You can also try applying for senior housing — places are often given to younger people if they would otherwise sit empty.
9. Get insured
Having your bicycle stolen is just terrible — but if you aren't insured, it's even worse! Get a student insurance package from Lærerstandens Brandforsikring. If things go wrong, you'll be covered, so you can buy a new bicycle.
10. Enjoy your time as a student
Your time as a student is a time for you to delve deeper into the things you find interesting, and where you have a more flexible schedule. However, when you're a student, there can be a lot of pressure on you. You might have expectations about staying on top of your studies, getting good grades, getting an awesome student job, volunteering, eating organic, and working out, all at once. But you can't achieve everything, and you can't plan for everything, either. So remember to take some time for yourself, and remember to enjoy your time as a student.
