Erasmus Experience in Aarhus, Denmark by Giulia

Why did you choose to go to Aarhus, Denmark?

It was my second choice after England for which I didn't win the place.

Anyway also because everyone speaks English and I could practice it a lot and because I've been told that the level of the Arabic teaching was pretty high, which was actually true.

How long is the scholarship? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

It's 6 months even though there won't be lectures or exam on February so if I pass all my exams I'll come back at the end of January. I'll receive about 500€ more or less.

What is the student lifestyle like in Aarhus?

They have lectures from about 8 till maximum 18, then they either stay in the library which is always open if you have your student card that you can use as a key for the doors or going back home. They do a lot of sport, such as running cycling or going to the gym. They usually go out just in the weekend and sometimes on Thursday too, they go downtown or at the student house near the university which offers very fun parties or chill nights.

Would you recommend the city and the University of Aarhus to other students?

Yes, definitely, for me it was a little hard to get used to it when I arrived but after a few time I met friends and started to enjoy the life here. It's a very young and cosmopolitan city and you can have either a good scholastic preparation and amusement.

What is the food like?

I haven't had a lot of opportunities to taste the real traditional Danish food because as an exchange student eating out here is very expensive and I haven't met so many Danes that could have cooked it for me, but I had a Christmas traditional dinner in which I ate fish (herring) with sauces, really fat pork and risalamande, a dessert made by rice milk and spices with a berry hot sauce on it and I drunk glykk (hot wine with spices and dry fruits). Anyway you can also notice they always eat raw vegetables, salads, pasta, dark bread with butter or cheese and a lot of nuts.

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Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Aarhus?

Yes, because the house the university found for me, even though it was quite close to the university, was 425€ and we have had to pay like 4€ every laundry we wanted to do. The house was also not in a good stay, it was old and with a lot of problems (one of them: mice, we saw two mice while staying here and had to solve the problems almost by ourselves putting traps because in Denmark they usually make a desinfectation just in case of rats and we had to call several time the landlord to ask him to put some poison).

How much does it cost to live in Aarhus?

It depends on the standard you have in your country, but from an Italian point of view (and from northern Italy which is already a bit more expensive than the south), it was really expensive. Grocery shopping was a challenge, eating out almost impossible and also just to have a drink you had to look for the good places. Everything here is very expensive.

Is the language easy to get to grips with? Are there language courses available at the University?

The language is not that easy, especially orally because even if you study a little bit of Danish is hard to understand Dane because they speak really fast and cut a lot of words. Anyway the university offer free Danish courses to Lærdansk, which is a very useful thing. Anyhow almost everyone here can speak a very good English and they are always willing to do it, from the 8 years old child to the old man you meet down the street.

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Aarhus from your city?

I took a flight from Treviso and landed in Billund, then I took a bus from Billund Airport to Aarhus which took an hour and a half for 25€. I think this is the cheapest way to get here.

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Aarhus?

Usually all the Erasmus student go crazy for the Australian Bar, for no particular reason, but I would recommend Gulhornor the Social Club or Heidi's or Dance Ballet or Skrunet which are bars and clubs at the same time and they're all entrance free. Just to drink something I would recommend the many bars near the canal, such as ZenZa or Bodegaen or Herr Bartels or (for a very cute a calm place) Løve's Bog- og Vincafè and Undermasken near the cathedral.

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And for eating? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Aarhus?

I've never tried a very traditional Danish restaurant so I don't know. I just went out eating three times for lunch in Japanese restaurant (Soya 2 and Misu) which were okay for food and prices.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Not many actually but I can name Aros (the Rainbow art museum) the Viking Museum, Gambleby (the old town) the Deer park, the Observatory in Mindeparken and the churches and the cathedral downtown.

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Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to Aarhus in the future?

Try to avoid my "mistake" and try to get along with Danish people too even though it's quite difficult because they are very reserved but they can give you an experience of the Danish lifestyle.