Julie – University of Aarhus, Denmark
Semester 1, 2016
Bachelor of Business / Bachelor of Laws (Honours)
My name is Julie, I am a business and law double degree student now in my third year at QUT. In Semester 1 of this year, 2016, I went on exchange to Aarhus University in Denmark. Aarhus is the second largest city in Denmark and has a very high student population. The university attracts not only students from all over Denmark, but also from many other parts of the world. There are many exciting museums and historical places to see in Aarhus, including the popular Aros museum with a 360 degree view of the city.
The university campuses of Aarhus university encompass many of the facilities we are used to at QUT, but the buildings and lecture rooms are less modern. Students in Denmark spend a lot more time on Campus then I would say majority of QUT students do. Reasons for this most likely being that Aarhus is a much smaller city, students generally live 10-15 minutes by bike or less from the university, tuition is free and students are paid government grants in excess of AU$1000 per month to study which means less need for part time work. I also found that I had a lot more contact hours in Aarhus, and there was more self-paced work that you don’t receive credit for as the final exams are all worth 100% of your grade.
The international student organization at Aarhus university was really good at running events to keep international students connected, and held weekly parties for to mix and mingle with other international students as well as some Danish students. The introduction week at Aarhus was a blast and the friends I made in that first week were with me through the whole semester.
Accommodation in Aarhus was very varied. Some international students really liked the accommodation that had been delegated to them, and others were less impressed. I had one roommate in a fairly modern apartment building that was a little further away from the center of town than I wanted but the facilities at the apartment were great and I had friends who lived close by.
Denmark is a Scandinavian country, and therefore not a cheap place to live. Not everything is expensive though. Alcohol is ridiculously cheap compared to what we are used to here in Australia. Getting take-away on the other hand is quite pricey, so you need to learn to cook your own meals most nights. Lunch at the University canteen is however good value for money and allows you to try traditional Danish dishes and other warm, home cooked meals that keep you going during the freezing winter months.
That brings me onto the next subject, weather. I began my exchange in January, it was very cold compared to what I am used to, but the snow made it an exciting change. After the snow period however came the rainy, dark and cold period. The weather did get a little depressing at times during the winter but the summer time in Denmark and Europe was well worth it. The sun is up until very late in the evenings and there is plenty of things to see and do around Aarhus outdoors.
The highlights of my exchange trip are difficult to narrow down, but would include; Trips to Skagen and Legoland, exploring Copenhagen and traveling around Europe with other exchange students, riding my bike everywhere around Aarhus and finding the love of my life who I convinced to move to Australia with me.
