Erasmus Experience in Esbjerg, Denmark by Imanol

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Why did you choose to go to Esbjerg, Denmark?

My university chose it for me.

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

The scholarship lasts 5 months and I receive around 400€ per month.

What is the student lifestyle like in Esbjerg?

There's plenty of students for such a small sized city, including international students. As long as you live in one of the student places (such as a dorm or student apartment complex), studying in Esbjerg can be as fun.

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

I guess that in bigger cities like Aalborg, Aarhus or Copenhagen you will have more things to do, but if Esbjerg is your only chance to study in Denmark, it's a good experience.

What is the food like?

Regular restaurants were too expensive for me, so when I had to eat outside I had pizza, kebab or Asian food, which can be found all over the world. Regarding food from supermarket for your own cooking, you have pretty good meat and dairy products, and good fish if you can afford it.

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Esbjerg?

No, the host university (Aalborg Universitet - Esbjerg) managed the accommodation for me, and did a pretty good job.

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How much does it cost to live in Esbjerg?

I paid around 300€ for accommodation and Internet, and the cost of food wasn't that high compared with my home country (Spain), although I can't remember how much I spent per month. However, restaurants and pubs were out from my budget, and that's why we had food and drinks at home before going out. Transport has a fair price, but you can save money purchasing a second hand bike.

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

Since I was only going to stay there for five months, I didn't even try to learn Danish. Most of the people that you will met speak decent English, so it's not such a big deal. The university didn't offer language courses, but they can help you find some courses for every level of Danish.

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

From Bilbao, I took a couple of planes to reach Copenhagen. Once there, you can buy a train ticket to Esbjerg for around 50€ for a ~3 hour trip to Esbjerg.

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

The student house (Studenterhuset) is the cheapest place where you can start your night, and they often have concerts and other cultural events. After a certain hour, there are just a bunch of pubs to choose from.

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

The kebab/pizza/asian food restaurants are the only restaurants I ever visited, and they can feed you for a few kroner when the nightly hunger attacks.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Nearly none. You will spend more time searching for cultural sites online than actually visiting them.

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

Buy a second hand bike as soon as you can, and buy the best locks that you can afford. I got my bike stolen twice.

Also, if you happen to get accommodation far from the typical student places, try going to some parties there (for example St George dorm, or the houses at Hedelundvej). It's the best way of getting to know people.