Copenhagen International School may be an international school, but it breathes Danish if the remarks of four of the most successful graduates in the last two years are something to go by.
Three potential Oxford students along with the proud recipient of a perfect score in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program agree that the school has had a tremendous impact on helping them achieve a manageable balance between world life and life in their academic pursuits.
It is the same quality that Denmark is praised for the whole world – the ability to promote hard work, but not at the expense of a social or family life.
Ultimately, this is a nation where people work to live as opposed to live to work, but that does not mean that their work is not pleasant, rewarding, and cohesive.
And thanks to people like Copenhagen International School, it is a habit that is learned early, enabling a strong platform from which they can truly reach out to heaven.
To hit the ultimate bullseye
Phillip Mondrup, who is a graduate in 2020, will end his military service at the Royal Guard in April 2021 before attending the University of Imperial College London or DTU.
And clearly he is exactly the kind of soldier you want on your shoulder in battle or on parade at Rosenborg Castle, as he always gives it 100 percent – or 45/45 to be exact, his score in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program.
Since the beginning of Copenhagen International School in 11th grade, he credits it with introducing order into his life.
“I feel like I’ve improved my work ethic and really figured out the balance between work and leisure,” he said. “I have matured a lot.”
Finding the right balance is the key to the effort that students like Mondrup put into their studies, but do not think for a second that success has extinguished this cadet’s ambition – both in the academic world and in his academy!
“The Queen of Denmark presents a watch for the team’s best guard. There are about 400 soldiers per. Hold, and the recipient of the Queen’s watch is chosen by his or her peers to be a good soldier and companion to others, ”he explained with a stiff decision.
“It would be an honor to receive this.”
Well-oiled juggling
Colleague 2020 candidate Johannes Hækkerup, who will start studying philosophy, politics and economics (PPE) at the University of Oxford in the autumn, has a similar assessment of his time at the international school.
Like Mondrup, he identifies the international student profile trait he has developed most as his ability to balance – to the extent that his time has often resembled a juggling act!
“A big part of the international Baccalaureate difficulty comes from the many balls you have to juggle,” he explained.
Hækkerup handled everything that was thrown at him – subjects, tasks, activities outside of teaching such as sports and the “emotional burden” of being in high school – to get the necessary grade to be admitted to one of the most respected universities in the world.
“The key to doing well is to never drop any of these balls, otherwise everything will start to get a lot harder for you,” he said.
It is a lesson that Hækkerup will take with him in his studies – and further afield.
“Balance between them is important, not only in International Baccalaureate, but in life,” he claimed. “You will always have a lot of things to keep track of, and the International Baccalaureate has given me important experience in doing just that.”
As with Mondrup, the sky is the limit for this young candidate.
“Copenhagen International School has given me the perspective and mindset to look outwards and push myself to the top,” he concluded.
Leather shines on
At first glance, it may seem like 2019 graduate Dániel Kovács took a mid-year to relax after winning a spot in Oxford to study history, but this was more of a busman holiday!
He has worked as a supervisor throughout his gap year, and before the outbreak of COVID-19, he worked as a “research assistant for a professor at the University of Copenhagen and helped him prepare bibliographies and find sources for his research”.
Again, finding the right balance between work and private life has been the key to his success, and he has no doubt that the International Baccalaureate and his time at Copenhagen International School were the crucial elements.
Of all the teacher profile traits he developed, he identifies ‘balanced’ as the crucial one.
“Specifically in terms of splitting time and maximizing work efficiency, which I learned the hard way in the first year of International Baccalaureate,” he said.
“Having a good work-life balance and knowing how to make the most of your time and abilities is quite a universal trait that doesn’t just apply to academics.”
Kovács is a product of the school’s scholarship program to which he owes “a big thank you”, as he undoubtedly is that his time at school has played an integral role in his move to Oxford again by encouraging him to aim as high as possible .
“I think the confidence to use Oxford came from the skills and knowledge I gained and developed while I was at Copenhagen International School,” he said.
The confidence to succeed
Trust was also the key to 2019 candidate Clara Strømsted, who, like Hækkerup, is starting to study PPE at the University of Oxford – especially during the interview process.
“I think Copenhagen International School encourages a learning environment where you should not be afraid to speak your mind; you are not told to say something wrong and you are always encouraged to try, even if there is a risk of failure, ”she said.
“This was useful in interviews, because honestly there was not a point where I was sure I said the right thing, but I still spoke and showed my thought process.
However, confidence did not come easily as Strømsted recalls wasting time “worrying and doubting” at the start of the international Baccalaureate program.
But luckily she had “super helpful” teachers who were always willing to spend extra time explaining things if she needed help.
“They are very knowledgeable and passionate, which motivated me to do well because I knew they were making an effort,” she concluded.
Source: The Nordic Page
