Studying in Denmark

Meet Matias!

He is from Santiago, Chile but was born in the U.S. He has visited several countries and is one of five Georgian students who went to VIA University College in Denmark in the summer of 2018 for a three-week program.

Along with many other skills, this opportunity gave these students cross-cultural competency, which is anticipated to be one of the top 10 skills needed in the workforce in 2020 and beyond. Read more about in-demand job skills.

What program are you in at Georgian?
I took one year of the Computer Programmer program, and have now switched into the Human Resource Management graduate certificate program.

What made you apply for the VIA program?
The opportunity to meet people and learn a new culture, while improving my knowledge. I am willing to learn and experience as much as I can.

What did you hope to gain from the experience?
I wanted to get life experience, discover new places and make new friends. Now, I hope to encourage other students to get involved in these initiatives.

Was this your first time travelling outside of Canada before?
I was born in the U.S. and grew up in Chile. I visited my relatives in Scotland when I was 14. I have also been to Brazil and Argentina. As an international student, Canada was my first destination and Denmark was the second.

What were you looking forward to the most?
I was eager to create a network, make friends and have a familiar environment far from home.

What were you worried about/concerned with the most?
Developing fluent and confident English skills… but I am working on it!

Tell us about your experience of studying abroad. 
I was awarded an awesome scholarship to study abroad for three weeks in a summer course. The Go Abroad Squad promoted this initiative and supported me throughout my adventure.

I went to Denmark to study Android Development at VIA University College, in the city of Aarhus. It was a three-week intense program (around 60 hours). The experience was amazing! Danish people are welcoming and friendly, the architecture shows history everywhere, and there are many things to do, so you will never get bored. I visited iconic places such as the ARoS museum with its famous Rainbow Panorama, and also bars, clubs, restaurants, parks and so on. The course itself went beyond my expectations. It was hard, but the teachers were supportive and close to the students.

This experience was one of the best of my life, it opened my mind to new cultures and expanded my network. I am really thankful and happy to be part of the Go Abroad Squad.

I highly encourage you to take these opportunities, get involved, travel a lot and discover amazing places!

What do you plan on doing after you graduate from Georgian?
I really like Canada, so I would like to apply for my permanent residency here. Then I want to keep travelling to new countries.

Is there anything else you’d like to share about yourself?
I love music and playing musical instruments.