ERASMUS+ STUDIES UU Report 2017-2018

faculty/college Betawetenschappen level bachelor’s master’s PhD name study programme Informatiekunde destination city & country Aarhus, Denmark name university abroad Aarhus University start date 11 / 02 / 2018 end date 29 / 06 / 2018

PREPARATION exchange application process The application process went pretty smooth, no difficulties when I applied. It is good to start early so you have plenty of time left to orientate. Make sure that you prepare your 2nd and 3rd choices as well, because it might be that your 1st option is full. counselling & support at Utrecht University The UU staff was very helpful with all my questions regarding the exchange program. The international office was of great help everytime I visited them. academic preparation

I have a little economical background, but that is the only preparation I had prior to my exchange program. language preparation The main language I used was English, so it was not an issue at all, it is nice to learn the language of the receiving country, but in my case it was not necesarry. Finances I had saved up money from several jobs I worked and my parents gave me some back up money. The rest I funded though the Erasmus Grant, which in my case was enough. Even for an expensive country such as Denmark.

STUDY ABROAD PERIOD study programme (content and organisational issues) The study program was not too much, I had lots of free time to do many things. Some weeks were more busy than others, but all in all it was a nice balance. academic quality of education activities The quality was very nice, the courses were introductory so they were not all too difficult for me. But they were very interactive with lots of workshops and seminars. counselling & support at receiving university abroad

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There were a lot of activities organised by the campuses and the ESN there. There we got a lot of information regarding study, life in Aarhus, and plenty of other tips. transfer of credits I passed all my 3 courses, which will result in 30 ECTS. I am not sure how the grades will convert, but that will probably show on my Osiris.

STUDENT LIFE welcome & orientation programme

I, unfortunately, missed the welcome/orientation due to exam back home, so I can't really comment on this. accommodation The accommodation was very nice, I had my own room, with a shower and toilet. The kitchen was shared and there was cleaning duty every week. So the place I was living with was very clean. leisure & culture The Danish have a similar culture compared to the Dutch, which made it easier for me to blend in. It really depends on what you like. suggestions/tips Since Denmark is quite small, I would suggest traveling as well. There are a lot of beautiful places in Denmark with great views and nature.

CONCLUSIONS would you recommend this university/destination abroad to others? please explain I would highly recommend Aarhus. Aarhus is a lovely city and the university feels very professional. It was a nice experience for me and I managed to enjoy my time there and pass all the exams! do you have any additional advice or comments? I recommend everyone to at least attend one exchange program, it gives you this new energy when you are not feeling it anymore. The feeling of studying abroad for one semester really makes you feel renewed.

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ERASMUS+ STUDIES UU Report 2015-2016

optional; only if you don’t mind students preparing for study abroad contacting you directly e-mail address [email protected] faculty/college Geosciences level bachelor’s master’s PhD name study programme Human Geography and Planning destination city & country Aarhus, Denmark name university abroad Aarhus University start date 01 / 09 / 2015 (dd/mm/yyyy) end date 31 / 01 / 2016 (dd/mm/yyyy)

PREPARATION exchange application process To complete the application you need to fill out a lot of different forms, but when you start in time you will be able to complete it before the deadline. One of the nice things about Aarhus University is that they reply immediately and arrange their application really fast so you don't have to wait for a long time after the approval of UU. counselling & support at Utrecht University The support of the UU is discussable since a lot of the information given is clear and is explained step by step, it still feels like you have to arrange a lot by yourself in different institutions and on different levels. I didn’t ask for personal support, so I can't say anything about that. What I know, is that it takes a while before you get an answer on your emails so make sure you plan time for that. academic preparation I followed courses in European Studies at Aarhus University. My major in Utrecht is Human Geography so I didn't need any special academic preparation. The level of education in Aarhus is comparable to Utrecht. They also work with the same course level system like we do and they present the english courses in a list where you can choose from. language preparation I did not need any language preparation since all courses were in English. In Aarhus you can choose to follow a language course in Danish, but you don't need that for your courses so preparation at home is not needed. finances You can apply for the erasmus grant in June, but the International Office will inform you about that in time. You have to fill in more forms. Also start in time, since you need stamps form different institutions again. In summer most of them are not open, so you need to correspond by email and that takes time. I also applied for the OV grant. Make sure that you plan to receive the grant until the time you're there in practice and not officially since you want to use your OV again when you are in the Netherlands and most of the time the exams are finished before christmas.

UU Erasmus+ report deadlines: 1 March 2016 for 1st semester ~ 1 July 2016 for 2nd semester or full year exchange

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STUDY ABROAD PERIOD study programme (content and organisational issues) You can choose the courses you want if you keep in touch with the international coordinator in Aarhus. They answer really fast, so you can checkout your opportunities. When you arrive you will be told to check your timetable on overlapse and from then you are able to change courses until the first week of september. I didn't have that much overlapse and since most lectures are not mandatory I could easily figure out how to deal with that. The courses I followed are Political Communication, EU in the Global Worldand Aspects of Denmark at the Business and Social Science faculty. The first two are part of European Studies at Business Communication. The third course is only followed by exchange students. academic quality of education activities The acadamic level is the same as in Utrecht, only the system is different. I am used to work with 2 blocks in a semester, in Aarhus they work with only one block. None of the classes are mandatory so if you don't want to you don’t have to go, so you have to be good at keeping yourself motivated. Next to that the exams at the end of the semester are the only real exams that count for your ECTS. Some courses only have a 3 hour exam for 10 ECTS. All courses offer lectures and seminars and you get trial exams during the semester. They work with a lot of discussion groups and presentations during the seminars and talk about actual problems. counselling & support at receiving university abroad When you arrive you need to go the International Office and before the start of the semester there will be an introduction week. Every faculty has an international coordinator who is available the whole semester but also leads the introduction week together with mentors. You can even contact the mentors before you arrive if you need to arrange pre arrival things. During the introduction week you get to know the University Park, the best places to go out and meet all the other international students during activities. transfer of credits

They also use ECTS in Denmark, so it will be transferred directly.

STUDENT LIFE welcome & orientation programme The introduction week at the beginning of August is big. Not only internationals but all new students are around town doing acitivities to get to know each other. Every one is in the same mood, open for new friends so it is really easy to meet new people. accommodation Most of the exchange students get an offer from the housing office at the uni. I did, but since I thought it would be too far away from the city centre and easier to find a room on your own room I rejected the offer. When I arrived I didn’t have any place to live so for the first three weeks I stayed in a hostel. I also tried to get startup housing from the student house, made for students who can't find accomodation. This accomodation didn't have any furniture and it was far away in the ghetto, so I didn’t want to stay there. There are a lot of facebook groups for people who are looking for a room. This didn't work out for me so in the end I found a place to live on airbnb in the middle of the city centre which was great. But if you get an offer from the uni, I recommend to take the offer. Most students live outside the city centre in the towns around Aarhus where you have common rooms and opportunities to meet Danish people. You just have to be lucky with the offer you get. leisure & culture Aarhus itself is the second biggest city in Denmark, but it doesn’t feel like that. It is a small town. Despite that, it is lively with a lot of bars, shops and restaurants. Especially in the summer life is hapenning outside. Most of the times people eat earlier than in the Netherlands. Breakfast is around 7, Lunch at 11.30 and cooking dinner

UU Erasmus+ report deadlines: 1 March 2016 for 1st semester ~ 1 July 2016 for 2nd semester or full year exchange

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starts at 17/17.30. A lot of things from the culture are more of the same as in the Netherlands. suggestions/tips Since food in the supermarket is expensive, it is cheaper and easier to eat at the campus canteens. They have pretty good salad bars and everyday a different meal offer. Going out for dinner in town is as expensive as in the Netherlands, so the difference between cooking your own meal and goint out in town is not that big.

CONCLUSIONS would you recommend this university/destination abroad to others? please explain I would recommand to study in Aarhus. Especialy if you want to enjoy the Scandinavian lifestyle, but not too cold. Denmark is maybe not the ultimate spectular country in the world, but it is one of the best countries to live when it comes to facilities and opportunities to travel around Scandinavia. They want to make your exchange period unforgettable. do you have any additional advice or comments?

Although it costs a lot of effort, you should go!

UU Erasmus+ report deadlines: 1 March 2016 for 1st semester ~ 1 July 2016 for 2nd semester or full year exchange

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ERASMUS+ STUDIES UU Report 2015-2016 optional; only if you don’t mind students preparing for study abroad contacting you directly e-mail address [email protected] faculty/college Humanities level bachelor’s master’s PhD name study programme Philosophy destination city & country Aarhus, Denmark name university abroad Aarhus University start date 01 / 09 / 2015 (dd/mm/yyyy) end date 31 / 01 / 2016 (dd/mm/yyyy)

PREPARATION exchange application process The process of application went smoothly - the thing that's the most difficult is the fact that you have to apply half a year in advance, which causes you to make decisions for things that still seem far away. counselling & support at Utrecht University I usually got quick responses when I had questions concerning the application, so the support from Utrecht University was good. academic preparation

I didn't do much academic preparation, seen as I was going abroad for a part of my bachelor. language preparation I started learning Danish a bit before my departure using the website DuoLingo, but this wasn't necessary. My English was well enough to manage so I didn't need any preparation on that. finances In the months before my departure I saved some money so I was sure to be able to manage abroad, seen as Denmark is quite an expensive country. I would recommend saving up a bit and having a financial buffer - Erasmus life can be expensive, because you travel and go out a lot.

STUDY ABROAD PERIOD study programme (content and organisational issues) I was a bit disappointed that I couldn't take the courses I had wanted to take in advance, because they weren't offered in the period that I was studying at their university. In the end, I chose quite diverse courses, of which only one was within the content of my bachelor. I had some problems with the enrollment for the courses because it turned out that I chose courses that weren't available. Aarhus University were helpful so it was easily solved. academic quality of education activities

UU Erasmus+ report deadlines: 1 March 2016 for 1st semester ~ 1 July 2016 for 2nd semester or full year exchange

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The academic quality was a bit lower than what I was used to from Utrecht University, but this was also caused by the fact that I had chosen courses that were meant for first-year students, while I was used to second- or third-year courses. The learning system in Denmark is a little bit different, which I found interesting and pleasant: there is more room for discussion and the students are expected to be involved in class. I think this is a good way for learning. counselling & support at receiving university abroad I didn't need a lot of counselling or support. In the introduction week we had a meeting with our coordinator, and she assured us that we were welcome all times. I didn't need this in the end, but the environment was welcoming and I'm sure the support if needed was good. transfer of credits I didn't get my transfer of credits through yet, but at the end of my stay I received an email confirming that the transfer of credits would be sent to my email address as soon as possible. I'm sure it will work out.

STUDENT LIFE welcome & orientation programme The welcome program for the humanities wasn't really impressive: we mostly had academic meetings during the day, and I missed some welcoming parties where you could get to know the other students. It wasn't a bother in the end though, the Student House organised a lot of parties and international nights where you could easily meet a lot of internationals or Danes. The orientation to the University was good and informative. I felt welcome during the orientation programme. accommodation I had some problems with finding accommodation in Aarhus. I applied for housing through university, but they informed me a few months beforehand that they weren't able to provide me with housing. I tried looking for housing myself, but found this hard because I wasn't in Aarhus myself, so I was not able to visit houses. The first two months I stayed in temporary housing provided by the Student House (which turned out to be a really good place to meet people), and I stayed in some other temporary housings. In the end I contacted Utrecht University with the question if they could help me with housing, and through their contact with Aarhus University I was finally provided with a room for the last two months. So that's a tip: if you don't get housing provided by Aarhus University the first time, keep on asking them if anything has become available. leisure & culture The student life in Aarhus was truly amazing. There are a lot of things organized, also for international students. Aarhus is a real student city, you mostly see young people and students on the street which gives the city an exciting atmosphere. I also liked the fact that the university is build on a campus, which is the place where all students are during the day and where you just feel at home. Culturally, Aarhus has the fantastic art museum ARoS and the interesting Moesgaard museum just outside the city. There are two distinct features about the student life in Aarhus: every Tuesday night the Student house organizes an International Night, which is sometimes themed. A lot of internationals come here and it's a great place to hang out and meet other internationals. Every Friday night all the different studies of Aarhus University organize their own 'Friday bar', which just consists of a room in the university building with some music and relatively cheap drinks. There are always a lot of students there, which makes it fantastic, and you can easily visit multiple bars on one evening if you like. suggestions/tips Sometimes you have to make some effort in order to get in contact with the Danish students. This is a cultural thing, and if you push on a bit you will see that in the end it pays off. Danish people are really nice! Make sure to visit ARos, the Moesgaard museum and the new library Dokk1. And go out, meet new people, don't be afraid

UU Erasmus+ report deadlines: 1 March 2016 for 1st semester ~ 1 July 2016 for 2nd semester or full year exchange

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to do some things outside of your comfort zone!

CONCLUSIONS would you recommend this university/destination abroad to others? please explain I would definitely recommend studying abroad in Aarhus, I had such a wonderful time there. The university is well organized and qualitative, the city is vibrant and compact, which makes it easy to get to know the city. The people in Aarhus are amazing, there are a lot of activities organized for (international) students, and Aarhus has the best concert venues of Denmark. If you choose Aarhus, you won't be bored! do you have any additional advice or comments?

UU Erasmus+ report deadlines: 1 March 2016 for 1st semester ~ 1 July 2016 for 2nd semester or full year exchange

page 3 of 3 ERASMUS+ STUDIES UU Report 2014‐2015

optional; only if you don’t mind students preparing for study abroad contacting you directly e‐mail address [email protected] faculty/college Law, Economics and Governance level bachelor’s master’s PhD name study programme Public administration and organization science destination city & country Aarhus, Denmark name university abroad Aarhus University start date 26 / 08 / 2014 (dd/mm/yyyy) end date 30 / 01 / 2015 (dd/mm/yyyy)

You are requested to write on the following topics. Text boxes will expand automatically while typing! PREPARATION exchange application process Start on time with the application process! For the University of Utrecht I needed to fill out different forms, have a motivation letter etcetera. It is not that difficult if you start on time. In the end UU is not that bad compared to universities of other international students. counselling & support at Utrecht University When you start planning a semester/year abroad you need to know that you have to arrange it yourself. People from Utrecht University can not know everything about every specific university. In my case, the UU tried to support where possible. academic preparation I did not do any academic preparation, eventhough I followed very different subjects in Aarhus than I did in the Netherlands. I finished my three years of bachelor before I went to Aarhus and I had no trouble following the courses in Aarhus at the faculty of Arts. The courses in Aarhus where at different levels; some where at bachelor 2 and others where at bachelor 3 level. language preparation I did not do any language preparation, because I speak English and the Danes speak it as well and all my courses were in English. finances In the Netherlands I studied in Utrecht before I went to Aarhus, where I also had a quite expensive room (455 euros). With the extra Erasmus money, the finances were no problem at all for me. My room in Aarhus was also expensive and with the credit card fee it costed around 470 per month. I it necessary to have a creditcard to pay the monthly rent but the downside is that creditcard fees are usually not included in the prices. The supermarket prices were a bit higher but not very different from the prices in Dutch supermarkets. The cheap supermarkets ,are Netto LIDL, ALDI, Kiwi, Rema1000 and the more expensive supermarket is Footex.

UU Erasmus+ report deadlines: 1 March 2015 for 1st semester ~ 1 July 2015 for 2nd semester or full year exchange

page 1 of 3 STUDY ABROAD PERIOD study programme (content and organisational issues) I was accepted for three courses but it is good to check the timetable as well because they do not check whether the courses can be followed at the same time (in my case I had to change one course). The courses itself were interesting, they do a lot of grouph work (whic I really liked), the classes are not too big and most of the Danes are motivated and well prepared for class. academic quality of education activities The academic quality was good. Because I took courses outside my own discipline, I could only do the courses that had no prerequisites and one course was therefore a bit basic with a main focus on academic writing, which was nothing new for me. My other two course were definitely interesting. I do feel that in the Netherlands there are more expectations; in the Netherlands I usually have more deadlines and I usually have to write bigger papers than in Denmark. So, it was not a problem at all for me to pass my courses. counselling & support at receiving university abroad It did not have a lot of contact with my coordinator at the receiving university. My coordinator had to help a lot of international students and therefore did not reply to all me emails. It is more wise to visit during office hours. They are definitely prepared to help out. transfer of credits

My credits have not been transferred yet.

STUDENT LIFE welcome & orientation programme When I checked‐in at the international centre I got a bag with all kinds of stuff; a sim‐card for in a phone, a map of Aarhus, discount tickets, a rain poncho and more! This was a very pleasant and useful surprise. There was also a nice introduction programme the week before the classed started, with some practical stuff and some fun lectures. This was a good opportunity to get to know some people and to get to know the university (find your way around it). There was a possibility to sign up for a tour in the old library, which was fun! accommodation My accomodation was fine. It was pretty clean, big and had the neccesary furniture. Also the kitchen had the necessary supplies. I lived in the street St. Blichers Vej and I liked the neighbourhood. leisure & culture Every Tuesday night there was a studentnight at Studenterhus. This was really fun! Besides that, every Friday there are different Fridaybars at the university. You should definitely go to these Fridaybars! That is also an opportunity to meet more Danish people. There is a beautiful museum (AROS) in Aarhus and alson De Gamle By (the old city) is really worth visiting. suggestions/tips Get a bike to move around Aarhus!! Everyone rides bikes in Aarhus. The bike should definitely have gears (at least 3!) because there are some pretty steep hills (the university is on top of hill sort of).

CONCLUSIONS would you recommend this university/destination abroad to others? please explain Yes, I would definitely recommend this university and desitnation. The university provides good academic classes, as an international student a lot of things are organized for you to make you feel at home (especially by

UU Erasmus+ report deadlines: 1 March 2015 for 1st semester ~ 1 July 2015 for 2nd semester or full year exchange

page 2 of 3 Studenterhus), the people are very friendly and the city has a great atmosphere and has the perfect size to make you feel at home very easily. do you have any additional advice or comments? > I can really recommend the free language course that is offered to international students. It is more effective when you plan on visiting Aarhus for a whole year, but I was there for just one semester and I really liked to learn some Danish. You can sign up for these clases during the introduction week so don't worry about it before you go to Denmark. > Check out the deer forrest in Aarhus. > I would really recommend visiting Copenhagen. There is a very cheap bus between Aarhus and Copenhagen. http://www.abildskou.dk/

Save this UU report for your own records and send it as attachment to [email protected] within 30 days after finishing your study abroad period and in ANY case before the final deadline!

UU Erasmus+ report deadlines: 1 March 2015 for 1st semester ~ 1 July 2015 for 2nd semester or full year exchange

page 3 of 3 ERASMUS+ STUDIES UU Report 2014‐2015

optional; only if you don’t mind students preparing for study abroad contacting you directly e‐mail address [email protected] faculty/college University College Utrecht level bachelor’s master’s PhD name study programme Liberal Arts & Sciences destination city & country Aarhus, Denmark name university abroad Aarhus University start date 22 / 08 / 2014 (dd/mm/yyyy) end date 22 / 01 / 2015 (dd/mm/yyyy)

You are requested to write on the following topics. Text boxes will expand automatically while typing! PREPARATION exchange application process The process to apply for my exchange was very clear and went smoothly. Utrecht University explained all necessary steps very clearly on the website and the application process with Aarhus University was also very easy via an online registration tool. Aarhus University had many stories of previous exchange students on their website who explained quite a lot and also the whole application process including housing was explained in bullet points. counselling & support at Utrecht University I think Utrecht University prepared me pretty well. They sent kind reminders for the Erasmus+ deadlines and also organised a goodbye meeting (I was not able to come unfortunately). My contact person always replied to my emails. Everything went well. I also think not much counseling is necessary. academic preparation The system in Denmark is not very different from that in The Netherlands. The courses were in English, but as I study in English in Utrecht as well this was not an issue. Further academic preparation was also not necessary I think as you choose courses that connect with your previous lines of study. language preparation I studied Danish by myself a bit on "Duolingo" this was nice as I was now able to talk to people in the supermarket and have a small conversation. Further language preparation was really not necessary as the Danes arguably speak English even better than the Dutch. As mentioned before, my courses were also all in English. finances I made the financial plan and with the known prices for housing in Denmark I made an estimation of my monthly costs and thus the money that I would need every month. I made sure that I finished all my Erasmus grant papers in time and also the "OV vergoeding buitenland" of 100 eu p/m.

UU Erasmus+ report deadlines: 1 March 2015 for 1st semester ~ 1 July 2015 for 2nd semester or full year exchange

page 1 of 5 STUDY ABROAD PERIOD study programme (content and organisational issues) In general, everything was arranged very well. The introweek was informative but contained enough free time to get settled by yourself. All electronic systems in use at AU were explained in the introweek and it was easy to check the schedule and figure out where to be and when. Unfortunately they made a mistake with the registration of one of my courses, so I had to change one course. As a compensation, however, they now allowed me to pick a master's course and this actually turned out favourable for me as I now had the opportunity to pick an even more interesting course than the one I had chosen before. academic quality of education activities The academic quality of education in Denmark is very high. The English proficiency of the teachers is high and the classes are small. Still attendance is not obligatory and the teachers treat you as an adult and not a kid. Going to class is your own responsibility and in turn also most students always show up. The classes are interesting so you want to come. There aren't many small assignments in between, just readings and this is actually kind of relaxing. The exams are mostly written take home essays that are larger than the one's I had to do at Utrecht University. You have quite a lot of time to write them though and I actually did not feel rushed and enjoyed working on them. During the year, small presentations are common, but they are very laid back and not graded. Class discussions are very common in Denmark and the teacher's really encourage you to be critical and reflect on what you are learning. My semester was academically less intense than it is at home, but I still feel that I really learned a lot. You are just so engaged with the academic content that it just sticks with you. The readings were interesting and because there wasn't a lot of time wasted on assignments, I actually managed to read extra books and also always did the recommended readings as well on top of the obligatory ones‐‐something that I barely ever succeed in doing at home. counselling & support at receiving university abroad The counselling & support at Aarhus University is very good. Upon arrival the international centre is there to answer all your questions and you receive a goody bag which actually contains a lot of useful stuff like a Danish sim card and discount coupon's for activities in and around Aarhus. Ifu yo have any questions at all you can always email them or drop by during their opening hours. Furthermore, the international centre in combination with the "Studenterhus Aarhus" organises a lot of activities for internationals to get to know more people and to feel comfortable in Aarhus. transfer of credits I cannot say much about this yet, as I have not yet received the transcript with my grades. Luckily the courses are also counted in ECTS so I already know that I have the required 30 EC for the semester.

STUDENT LIFE welcome & orientation programme The introweek was very laid back and informative. They explained all university regulations very clearly and showed us around at the beautiful campus of AU. There weren't any awkward forced social activities. The Studenterhus organises many activities and if you want, you can just join them. The attitude amongst international students and also the Danes involved with the Studenterhus in general is so open and nice that it is very easy to meet people. Many of the activities you can also just join by yourself and there will always be people to hang out with. accommodation It was very difficult to find a place to live in Aarhus and this is one of the only slightly negative points about the whole organisation at AU and the international centre. Aarhus just simply has more students than space to live. I got an initial housing offer in June, however it was not even in Aarhus. Like getting a place in Zeist in stead of

UU Erasmus+ report deadlines: 1 March 2015 for 1st semester ~ 1 July 2015 for 2nd semester or full year exchange

page 2 of 5 Utrecht. On top of that I would live alone and pay the huge amount of 540EU p/m. So I just decided to take the gamble and I came to Aarhus without having a place to stay. I lived in a hostel: City Sleep‐in in the center of Aarhus and It me so many nice people there. Deciding to just go and stay in a hostel in the beginning was one of the best decisions of my whole exchange as there were many other students that were also still homeless and I met the people that would later become my close friends in that hostel. I then decided to move to the temporary housing provided by the Studenterhus, the so‐called "start‐up housing". There I also met nice people and at some point there was the possibility to extend the rental period of the start‐up housing and make it permanent. The start‐up housing was in Brabrand though and that's unfortunately a little far away from everything. I had in the meantime already put myself on the waiting list at the IC to get another housing offer if someone were to back out. Luckily this actually happened and I got the opportunity to live in a very nice student house in Aarhus N! It was such a nice, cosy and fun house. We lived with only international students at 7 min. biking from the university and 15 from the center. The location was really nice. I can recommend living in a shared‐facility house to everyone thinking of going to Aarhus on exchange! It's funny. I actually think that the fact that I lived in so many different areas of Aarhus provided me with many opportunities to meet nice new people and really forced me to also become familiar with all different areas of Aarhus very fast. leisure & culture Aarhus is a great city for a student. It could be a little bit bigger, but now at least all areas are reachable by bike. There is a lot to do. Culture wise the amazing ARoS art museum of course stands out. You can easily spend more than 3 hourse there and because they regularly change their exhibitions, it is also fun to go there multiple times. I think I went there 5 times, but that's also because friends came to visit and I went with my parents as well. Then all the way in the south they just opened another dhuge an impressive museum in Moesgård! To get there you first have a very nice bike ride through the forest with seaside views of Aarhus and the harbor and then the museum itself is also very interesting. If the weather is nice you could also consider a stop at the Aarhus deer park where you can actually pet deers and let them eat from your hand. Then there are many nice semi‐alternative bars in Aarhus that have live music and some actual concert venues as well. Voxhall, radar, Paradis, double rainbow, BoraBora, the concert house (where on Tuesdays, students from the music school perform for free!! The atmosphere is great and for them it is nice practice :) ), and these are just a few, there's many more to explore. If you want to go to a place that is more of a club, there's plenty by the canal and ifu yo are early enough you can often get free beer between either 10‐11, or 11‐12 am depending on the bar. Use this to your advantage as alcoholic drinks in Denmark are (except if you are from Norway) much more expensive. There's also many nice and cosy bars and pubs if you are more in for a cosy night out, than a party. A recommendation would be the bar "Tsing Mao" that is a very funny and extraordinary place where they play around the table, ping pong with everyone in the bar. You can imagine that having won a pingg‐pon game at Tsing Mao is very honourable as sometimes as many as 40 people participate in one game. Furthermore, Aarhus also has many very nice cafés to study or just chill during the day. Løve's being my personal favourite. On Tuesdays there is the international night in the Studenterhus eup th hill in the University park and these evenings are also often fun as many international students come and internationally minded Danes. Then on Friday it is definitely recommended to try out all the different Friday bars that are organised by all the different faculties. The beer is cheaper (15) kr. and you can go bar hopping! Tired of the History Fridaybar? Just walk to the next one. Most of the Fridaybars in Nobelparken are laid back places to socialise and in the Uni park there is the Medicine Fridaybar that's guaranteed to be a real party. Then lastly, keep your ears open about parties in dorms. These are often crazy and really a lot of fun with beer pong, table football, some dancing, some chilling and very cheap drinks. Beer 10 kr. sometimes even 5 and also shots are cheaper. During one of the introweek days there will also bey a da where different sport clubs will present themselves. They have a lot of choice and often you can join for half a year instead of one year. Then to conclude, Aarhus has a very nice beach that is just a small cycle ride away. The beach close to the city is

UU Erasmus+ report deadlines: 1 March 2015 for 1st semester ~ 1 July 2015 for 2nd semester or full year exchange

page 3 of 5 nice, but a bit dirty. If you cycle up until after Risskov, you will find a very beautiful white sand beach and also very clean water to swim. Camp fires and BBQs on the Aarhus beach are really the best. So cozy and fun :) suggestions/tips ‐ Come to Aarhus a bit before the start of introweek and preferably stay in a hostel. There will most likely be other students staying there and you can explore the city a bit before everything starts. ‐ Go to the letter writing event at café smagløs!! This café has a deale with th Danish postal service and once a month they organise a letter writing event where you can get free stamps!!! So take this chance and write some nice letters to your friends at home. Also make sure to come early as it will definitely be crowded. ‐ Start thinking aboutr a topic fo your exam paper a bit early. This way you can also already note some of the topics discussed in class that you want to connect your exam topic with. This will save you work later. ‐ Don't be afraid to throw yourself into as many social activities as possible. The second half of the semester will be more intense than the first one. You are on exchange! Make some friends and engage in stuff. If you want to feel at home as fast as possible do not prioritize your academic work in the beginning. (Of course try to keep up a bit, but do not cancel social stuff for being too "busy" with school.) ‐ Student "night"life in Denmark starts very early and also finishes early! So make sure you don't show up "fashionably late" because you are afraid no one will be there at 9. People actually will be (if it is not a party that is solely attended by internationals at least). In the beginning I thought it was annoying, but actually starting early and being back in bed around 2 or 3 is great. You don't sleep away the day after and it is just easier top kee somewhat of a rhythm. ‐ All AU buildings can be accessed 24/7 (!) with an activated student card. The Danes don't realise how unique this is, so you won't encounter many of them in the buildings after midnight. Some of the buildings in Nobelparken contain beamers, however, and also verye nic sound systems! You can organise movie nights here with your friends and you can even bring microwave popcorn as all buildings also have one of those in the break rooms. Then the ground floor of Nobelparken also has quite a lot of board games. The bar downstairs in Studenterhus does as well and here the atmosphere might be a bit more cosy. ‐ LaerDansk organises free Danish courses for internationals. This is a very nice opportunity to get to know more people and also of course to improve your Danish. ‐ Some people say that the Danes are a bit cold. I have not experienced this at all, but maybe I was just lucky. The Danes are very friendly and study groups together are also not uncommon. If you are not very ambitious "liever een zes zonder stres, dan een zeven zonder leven" don't show this kind of attitude to the Danes as they in general are serious about their studies. They like what they are studying, find it interesting and engage a lot during class and also after class (which is kind of how it is supposed to be if you are studying a subject you chose yourself, no?). ‐ The second floor of Nobelparken has many rooms with quiet studyplaces. Don't only stay downstairs in the library area. ‐ Don't take the train to CPH or Aalborg or whereever you are planning to go. There are multiple bus companies in Denmark and as they are competing, the prices for the buses are much lower than those of the train! There is line 888, but also the less well known rødbillet.dk that actually has nicer buses, is cheaper and more relaxed with tickets and students cards (line 888 needs a date on the student card…), and on top of this: free coffee and wi‐fi in the bus :D

CONCLUSIONS would you recommend this university/destination abroad to others? please explain I would definitely recommend going on exchange to Aarhus to anyone! The university park is beautiful, the courses are very interesting and engaging, everything is well organised and the facilities of the university are superb! (There is literally ALWAYS enough space, even during exam periods!) There are relatively many international students in Aarhus and there is just so much to do. The Danes are friendly and the atmosphere in

UU Erasmus+ report deadlines: 1 March 2015 for 1st semester ~ 1 July 2015 for 2nd semester or full year exchange

page 4 of 5 Aarhus in general is just very happy and relaxed and also creepily safe for such a big city. Even in "the ghetto" in Gellerup, people smile and are just super friendly. My semester in Aarhus was arguably the best half year of my life. do you have any additional advice or comments?

I think I have mentioned most of them already above.

Save this UU report for your own records and send it as attachment to [email protected] within 30 days after finishing your study abroad period and in ANY case before the final deadline!

UU Erasmus+ report deadlines: 1 March 2015 for 1st semester ~ 1 July 2015 for 2nd semester or full year exchange

page 5 of 5 UU Report form ‐ Erasmus 2013‐2014

optional; only if you don’t mind students preparing for study abroad contacting you directly e‐mail address [email protected] faculty/college USE level bachelor master PhD name degree programme Economics and Business Economics destination city & country Aarhus, Denmark name host institution and/or Aarhus University company/organization purpose Erasmus grant courses research work placement departure date 15 / 08 / 2013 (dd/mm/yyyy) return date (dd/mm/yyyy) 31 / 01 / 2014

You are requested to write on the following topics. Text boxes will expand automatically while typing! preparation exchange/placement application process

Before applying for Aarhus University, I first had to make a decision whether to stay in Europe or not and, when I was sure staying, where in Europe to go. As I wanted to learn a new language and never studied a Scandinavian language before, I only applied for universities in Scandinavia. The application process was really easy, although I would strongly recommend you to start early filing the forms and if necessary, ask for recommendations and lists of grades. Fortunately, I was placed at my first choice: Aarhus University. counselling/support at home university

The international coordinator was easy to reach and answered all mails within only a few days. academic preparation

The academic skills I acquired during my bachelor in Economics were sufficient enough to follow the supplementary subject in European Studies I followed at AU, even though I didn't have any background in this subject. language preparation

As all courses were in English and the level of English speaking is very high in Denmark, I did not need any language preparation. In Aarhus, a free Danish language course was offered by Lærdansk. I took the first module and I definitely picked up some Danish.

UU Erasmus report deadlines: 1 March 2014 for 1st semester ~ 1 July 2014 for 2nd semester or full year exchange/placement

page 1 of 3 finances

Besides the Eramus grant, study grant (DUO) and public transport restitution, I used most of my savings. Living costs and rents are a bit more expensive in Aarhus than in Utrecht, but it was less expensive than I expected. If you know where to go for a drink, a good brunch or some parties, you won't pay that much more than you would have in Utrecht. Denmark might be a bit more expensive, but all public services are really good.

study/placement abroad period study programme/work plan (concerning content and organisational issues)

It was quite unclear which courses were open/were given during the semester. Untill two days before the start of the semester, I did not know if I could take the classes I wanted. However, the international coordinator of Aarhus University helped me very well with finding classes. You should be well aware of the rules applying to chosing courses in different departments. Differences with UU were that the exam dates were known quite late, we had more responsibility in keeping up with the courses (no effort requirements or required attendancy) and that the relationship between teachers and students is more informal. eOne of th exams I took was an oral exam, which is typical danish and a great experience. Over all, I really liked the way education in Denmark is organised. academic quality of education/placement activities

All teachers were fluent in English and very enthusiastic on their subjects. The academic quality of the courses I took was very high and I definitely improved my academic skills. In October, the faculty organised a conference. Although I didn't visit any other activities organised by the faculty of Arts, Id di visit some of the business school's activities, which were very interesting. counselling/support at host institution/organisation

Both the International Coordinator and the International Center were very helpfull if you went to them with any kind of questions. transfer of credits

I expect this won't be a problem. It is a bit unclear how the marks will be translated, as they use a different grading system in Denmark, but the credits are ECTS credits and a credit transfer will be send by AU to the exam commission.

student life welcome/orientation programme

There was not an extensive orientation programma, just an information session the day before the classes started. During the information session, all kinds of practical and academic information were given and information on the danish course. In the first weeks of the semester, some activities were organised like a city tourd an a sports and organizations fairs.

UU Erasmus report deadlines: 1 March 2014 for 1st semester ~ 1 July 2014 for 2nd semester or full year exchange/placement

page 2 of 3 accommodation

As I did not like the accommodation the University offered me (in a not so nice neighbourhood and far from the university/city centre) I tried to find something myself, with succes. Using diverse facebook pages I found a shared apparmtent with another student and I had the best time there. I would definitely recommend applying for a 'kollegiem', which is a shared facility house with approx 10 other students. That way, you will have nice evenings in the common room and meet a lot of Danes. I spend quite some time in the kollegiems of friends and it is a really nice way of experiencing the real danish student life. leisure/culture

Aarhus is a student city and the second biggest city of Denmark, so there is always something to do. I visited most of the museums (you will receive some free vouchers as a new citizen) and spend some nights at Godsbanen; a festival venue. Besides, I played floorball, a good way to get in touch with Danes and improve your Danish language skills. Other big Scandinavian cities like Oslo, Malmö, Helsinki, Götebörg, are not that far away and if you book on time, trains/boats/planes are not so expensive. I spend a lot of time travelling Helsinki, Sweden, Norway and off course Denmark. If you rather stay in Aarhus, that's no problem at all as the Studenterhus organises lots of activities and parties (with cheap drinks!) for both international and danish students. suggestions/tips

It can be a bit difficult to mix with Danes, as they are really reserved. Still, try to meet some 'natives' and get to know more about Denmark.

conclusions would you recommend this host organisation/destination to others? please explain

I defnitely would recommend Aarhus University. The academic level is high, as is the level of English of all teachers, students and almost everyone you will meet on the streets. Aarhus is a nice city, not too big, with a lot of activities. You can go for a shopping tour or just for an easy stroll to one of the beaches or the forest. do you have any additional advice or comments?

Please save this UU report for your own records and send it to [email protected] within 30 days after finishing your study/placement abroad period and in ANY case before the final deadline!

If you fail to submit the UU report in time, we have to claim back the Erasmus grant.

UU Erasmus report deadlines: 1 March 2014 for 1st semester ~ 1 July 2014 for 2nd semester or full year exchange/placement

page 3 of 3 UU Report form ‐ Erasmus 2013‐2014

optional; only if you don’t mind students preparing for study abroad contacting you directly e‐mail address [email protected] faculty/college GEO level bachelor master PhD name degree programme Milieu‐maatschappijwetenschappen destination city & country Aarhus, Denemarken name host institution and/or Aarhus University company/organization purpose Erasmus grant courses research work placement departure date 01 / 08 / 2013 (dd/mm/yyyy) return date (dd/mm/yyyy) 01 / 02 / 2014

You are requested to write on the following topics. Text boxes will expand automatically while typing! preparation exchange/placement application process

The application process was a bit chaotic for me, because there were early deadlines which gave me some stress. But at the end everything was fine, and the deadlines (also of the Aarhus University) were not that strict. So I was accepted, and my courses were choosen already really early. That gave me some rest, and a good feeling. counselling/support at home university

Well, just before the deadline (for which I needed permission of one of the staffmembers of the International centre in Utrecht) the responsible person was on holiday. And I sent some emails to speak to someone about my questions, but there was not an aqurant response, so I had to wait till the specific responsible person came back from holiday, while my deadline was passing. So that gave me stress, in stead of excitement. academic preparation

I choose to do another subject in Denmark, so my background was almost zero on the topic I choose. Back here in Utrecht I do Environmental Management, while in Aarhus I was studying European studies. Which is really good for a management student. Before going to Denmark I bought a book about the EU and how it works, so I did not go there without any knowlegde on the topic. language preparation

None, because all the courses were in English, which I am used to. In Utrecht half of my courses is thaught in

UU Erasmus report deadlines: 1 March 2014 for 1st semester ~ 1 July 2014 for 2nd semester or full year exchange/placement

page 1 of 3 English as well. finances

I made a expectation. This was a quite good estimation, because I used the amount of money that I was expacting beforehand. There were some excursions within Denmark, that cost some extra money and the living standard was somewhat higher than in the Netherlands. So, it was good that I hade som savings and the Erasmus Grant.

study/placement abroad period study programme/work plan (concerning content and organisational issues)

Tkload of the study was not really heavy for me, because I did not have so much courses. Even tough I was studing5 days a week and I had motivated friends around me, so it was nice to study together with people from all over the world. The organisational issues were marginal, because in Denmark the documents were quite well organized. For which I am very thankfull. academic quality of education/placement activities

It was well organized and the content of the courses was good. But there was a big difference in the didactic qualities of the different professors. One professor was really into her subject which gave us extra enthousiasm to study for that course. She was really stimulating the class. Furthermore she had a lot of knowledge and she prepared foreign students really well on an oral exam. A lot of foreign students never had an oral exam before, so it was quite exciting to see what happens in a stressfull situation like that. At the other hand, there was a professor that was teaching European History and he was forgetting all the time that half of his students were foreign students who were used to other methods/educational systems. So sometimes it was difficult for the foreigners to follow his way of thinking and his way of measuring our results. counselling/support at host institution/organisation

Really good. If I had a question I could just email or come by at the office. There was always an immidiate answer. transfer of credits

I still do not know how this is going to happen, because I am still waiting for my final result of the re‐exam I had to take just in the end of Ferbuary.

student life welcome/orientation programme

Really good organized and a really warm welcome. At the beginning I got a welcome package in which was everything I could possibly need to feel home in the city and to find my way. There were some events for all the foreign students of 2013/2014 and there were events for only my faculty, for which there were also Danish students.

UU Erasmus report deadlines: 1 March 2014 for 1st semester ~ 1 July 2014 for 2nd semester or full year exchange/placement

page 2 of 3 accommodation

I lived in a dormitory with 11 other students on a campus. It was a really nice dorm and half of the students were Danish and half foreign students, so there was a kind of a mix, which was nice for the integration proces in Denmark. The facilities were really good: a big kitchen, an enormous common area to relax and watch tv or play table tennis. Furthermore everyone had their own bathroom within their bedroom. The location was alright, behind gates, to keep it safe in the relative dangerous neighbourhood. I had to bike half an hour to the University and 20 minutes to the city centre, so I was happy with this. The cost were quite good for Danish standards, so I was lucky with that! leisure/culture

Aarhus is a nice little city with a lot of students, which make it way more dynamic. There were a lot of pubs and some clubs to go out. There were a lot of events organized by students for students. For example every Friday there was a Friday bar, which ise a bar in th university were a lot a lot of students come to. Furthermore there was a film festival and a Aarhus festival and a sportevent. There were some musea of which 1 was really really good and internationally known for it's art. Great opportunity that Denmark gives all the foreigners is the Danish course for free! So I got twice a week Danish lessons. There was a lot to do! suggestions/tips

Everything was well organized and there was a lot to do as a foreign student, so the only thing is that you actively go for it, and take the chances that the city and the university gives you.

conclusions would you recommend this host organisation/destination to others? please explain

Yes definetly! It was a great experience in Aarhus! The organizational part is almost zero in Denmark, so you can fully enjoy all the possibilities that the University and the city have. There was a free Danish course twice a week, and the level of the university is high, so your results will really count. Furthermore Aarhus is a real students city which makes it dynamic and young. The seam the forests, the parks and the city centre with pubs and clubs gives enough possibilities to have a fantastic erasmus experience! do you have any additional advice or comments?

Enjoy the time you havem because before you know it, it is gone!

Please save this UU report for your own records and send it to [email protected] within 30 days after finishing your study/placement abroad period and in ANY case before the final deadline!

If you fail to submit the UU report in time, we have to claim back the Erasmus grant.

UU Erasmus report deadlines: 1 March 2014 for 1st semester ~ 1 July 2014 for 2nd semester or full year exchange/placement

page 3 of 3 UU Report form ~ Erasmus 2012-2013

Every student receiving an Erasmus grant has to submit a UU report as well. Writing the UU report is one of the university’s conditions to receive and keep the grant. Only after submitting this report your Erasmus grant will be awarded definitively.

SEE UU ERASMUS REPORT FILE FOR INSTRUCTIONS!

Your report will be made available to UU students preparing an exchange, placement or research period abroad. Not all of them are Dutch-speaking, therefore we prefer to receive reports written in English.

Please use Tab to go to the next (text) box. faculty/college Public Administration level bachelor master PhD other name degree programme Research Master in Public Administration and Organizational Sciencee destination city & country Aarhus, Denmark name host institution and/or Aarhus University company/organization purpose Erasmus grant study/courses work placement departure date (dd/mm/yyyy) 01 / 02 / 2013 return date (dd/mm/yyyy) 30 / 06 / 2013

You are requested to write on the following topics. Text boxes will expand automatically while typing! preparation exchange/placement application process

I followed all the neceassary steps that were required on the part of the UU and Aarhus University before I came to Denmark. I think the application process starts extremely early (a year before), but apart from that, the process was easy and clear. counselling/support at home university

The support from the home university was adequate, although sometimes it would be nice to have a reminder for certain deadlines (especially because there are so long periods of waiting in between) academic preparation

I did not prepare myself on an academic level and it was also not needed. language preparation

My master in Utrecht is taught in English, so I was well prepared for the courses in English in Aarhus. finances

Other people already warned me that Denmark would be expensive, I saved a lot (parttime job etc.) before coming to Aarhus. Therefore, I had no financial difficulties during the period of stay. study/placement abroad period study programme/work plan (concerning content and organisational issues)

UU Erasmus report deadlines: 1 March 2013 for 1st semester ~ 1 July 2013 for 2nd semester or full year exchange/placement

page 1 of 3

Around 2 months before I came to Aarhus I got an email from the host university to confirm my courses, so this was fast and easy. The courses I choose were interesting and inspiring and they added new perspectives to my master programme. academic quality of education/placement activities

The academic quality of Aarhus University was high. The courses I took were of high academic quality, in all the areas: teachers and their teaching skills, other (Danish) students, assigned literature and examination. counselling/support at host institution/organisation

The academic counseling was adequate to good, but the information from the Aarhus university housing department was quite bad (too late, emails which went missing, etc.). transfer of credits

student life welcome/orientation programme

The international office of the university had put together a weekly programme for students, which included both social and cultural activities as more 'serious' lectures about the way of teaching etc. accommodation

I lived in a very cheap dorm. It was a bit old, but it met my expectations, was quite close to the university and I had a good time with my Danish dormmates. leisure/culture

Aarhus is a nice city (about the size of Utrecht) with a large student population and related cultural and social activities. suggestions/tips

I can definitely recommend Aarhus, except if you like warm and good weather or cheap beer. conclusions would you recommend this host organisation/destination to others? please explain

I would definitely recommend Aarhus university to others. My courses were all of a high academic quality, with a lot of interesting discussions (also because of the small groups). The host university is very cooperative. Both teachers and Danish students are very fluent in English. Besides that, Aarhus is a nice and sweet city with enough social and cultural activities. do you have any additional advice or comments? no

UU Erasmus report deadlines: 1 March 2013 for 1st semester ~ 1 July 2013 for 2nd semester or full year exchange/placement

page 2 of 3 UU Report form ~ Erasmus 2011-2012 faculty/college Faculty of Social Sciences level bachelor master PhD other name degree programme Bachelor in Psychology destination city & country Aarhus, Denmark name host institution and/or Aarhus University company/organization purpose Erasmus grant study/courses work placement departure date (dd/mm/yyyy) 25 / 07 / 2011 return date (dd/mm/yyyy) 31 / 01 / 2012

You are requested to write on the following topics. Text boxes will expand automatically while typing! preparation exchange/placement application process

The application process for the Erasmus grant can take a lot more time than you might expect, due to papers that need to be signed and so on. Therefore, I highly recommend to start early with starting the application procedure! There are also quite a lot of other matters you need to take care of that can be time consuming, such as governmental matters. counselling/support at home university

The support from the UU was quite good, I always got an answer on the questions I had, and I knew what I needed to do in time. However, sometimes it might be unclear what you need to take care of besides only applying for the Erasmus grant, so make sure you find other sources of help as well. You can find some sites on the internet that help you with going abroad and what to take care of. academic preparation

As an academic preparation, for some studies you should look up which courses you are missing when going abroad. I would miss two important trainings which fortunately I could do in the second semester of that year. Sometimes you need to apply for this procedure in order to finish your bachelor in time. So if you don't want to end up with a delay because of going abroad, make sure that if you miss any important courses, you have an option to do them in another semester. Also, most students prefer to do some courses that fit with their current program. You can find a list of courses on almost every site of the universities abroad, make sure you check these if you don't have a strong preference for a certain university already. language preparation

Since all of my courses were in English, I didn't do much for language preparation. I found it easy to follow the classes in English, the reading materials were in English too. finances

Denmark is an expensive country, so make sure that you have a financial buffer to rely on when going abroad. Especially the beverages in cafes and clubs are expensive, fortunately they have somewhat cheaper supermarkets in Denmark as well. Some students work, but it didn't seem to be very normal for students to work besides their study, so finding a job might be problematic too. Filling in the budget file of your application is helpful, because it forces you to think about your sources and expenses. study/placement abroad period study programme/work plan (concerning content and organisational issues)

Most of the English courses that the University ofers are 10 ECTS. I found it quite easy to do 3 courses at the same time, the level of education is a bit lower than on Utrecht University I think. This might be done because you have a lot of exchange students and not everyone is able to speak English on a high level. Usually you finish your courses by making an essay about a subject you discussed in class. You are free to choose your own topic and you get some supervision from the teacher. Most of the teachers are internationals too, so they know in what kind of situation you are. The organisation is good, you get enough information about the courses and if you have any questions, you can always ask. academic quality of education/placement activities

The content of the courses was all in all ok. Two of my courses were a bit under the level I was used to, the readings were quite easy and we didn't do very much during class. However, one course was very interesting and we learned a lot there. The university wants to make the courses understandable for people from everywhere, also from places where they are not highly educated (in English). If you are on a normal level within your studies then you should be able to finish the courses without much trouble. counselling/support at host institution/organisation

In the beginning of my stay I met my international tutor, who is taking care of all of the international student on my subject. She helped me with the questions I had and helped us all with singing up for the courses. We could email her and go to her office whenever we needed to so I think the help we got was useful and enough. transfer of credits

I haven't transferred the credits yet, but I guess it won't be much of a problem. As long as you make sure you have the transcript of your earned ECTS-points, it shouldn't be too hard to tranfer them. Aarhus University uses the ECTS system as well and you get 10 ECTS for most of the seminar courses. student life welcome/orientation programme

The welcome programma is quite good. You can choose to follow a two-week language/culture course before the start of the semester and I highly recommend to do so. It is an unique opportunity to meet a lot of people from elsewhere and to get to know the city. If you choose not to follow this optional course: don't worry. You'll have an introduction week at the start of the semester anyway, you get enough information there to learn how to get around in Aarhus and on the university. accommodation

If you apply for a semester in time, you have the chance to sign up for accomodation as well. This means that the International Centre of Aarhus University will make sure that you get a room to stay in for the time being, so make sure that you don't miss that deadline! They have various houses all around Aarhus where you live with a couple of other internationals, or you get a room in a dorm. These dorms usually house both internationals and locals. It is a good way to meet a lot of people, but usually people prefer to stay in a shared facility house. leisure/culture

Aarhus might not be the biggest town in the world, but if you know where to go there is enough to do. There is a nice forest close to the city and some parks where you can sit when the weather is good. The city also offers quite some pubs to go and in the spring/summer there are some nice festivals going on. A lot of internationals were going out together or organising dinner parties, so make sure that you use this opportunity to exchange food and recipes. suggestions/tips

Get a bike! Being a student in the Netherlands probably prepared for you the bike rage already, but you definately need one in Aarhus too. You can buy one from another student for cheap or you can rent them at the Student House. Talking about the Student House, they have the opportunity to become a volunteer and help as bar staff or other jobs, which is a good way to meet others and to get involved in the daily life of Aarhus. conclusions would you recommend this host organisation/destination to others? please explain

I would recommend this destination to others. It has a lot to offer regarding the courses you can take, and the people are friendly. The city itself is quite homely (like the Danes...) but still a city with enough to do and to see. It's just big enough to keep you entertained for the time being, but not so big that you get lost in the mass of the city. It is quite an old city, so they have enough history and culture to offer if you are interested in going abroad. do you have any additional advice or comments?

All in all I would say, Aarhus is a nice city to stay for a while. It is 2/3 as big as Utrecht, and the University has contracts with other Universities from all over the world. This means that you will meet a wide range of people and cultures. I can say it is an experience I never had and I am sure it changed me in a positive way. So even if you are still doubting about going abroad in general, do it!

Reminder: for the purpose of future correspondence on the final awarding of your Erasmus grant, please make sure you update your telephone number(s), postal and e-mail addresses in Steun in case of any changes after your return!

http://ssc-steun.telaterrae.com/

UU Report form ~ Erasmus 2010-2011 faculty/college Geosciences level bachelor master PhD other name degree programme Science and Innovation Management destination city & country Århus, Denmark name host institution and/or Århus University company/organization purpose Erasmus grant study/courses work placement departure date (dd/mm/yyyy) 01 / 08 / 2010 return date (dd/mm/yyyy) 31 / 01 / 2011

You are requested to write on the following topics. Text boxes will expand automatically while typing! preparation exchange/placement application process

For me, the main problem when applying was that I wasn't aware that Århus University (AU) and Århus School of Business (ASB) were two seperate institutions. I thought Århus School of Business was part of the University. This was a problem because I wanted to follow all my courses at the ASB, but this was not possible because Utrecht University only had an exchange contract with the AU.

Eventually it turned out fine, because if I took 10 ECTS at AU, I could take the other 20 at ASB. However this did take me quite some work during the application process.

Luckily both the Student Service at Utrecht University and the International Office at AU were very helpfull in this and both answered e-mails very quickly and with good information.

Furthermore the application for Århus University is an on-line system, which works very efficiently. After only a couple of weeks of signing up on-line, I received my letter of placement . counselling/support at home university

As mentioned in the box above, I had some problems during the application. But the International Office at the UU was very helpful and I think it is also very good that they are easy to reach by e-mail. This is also very important if you have questions when you're already abroad.

During my exchange I had no contact with the International Office of the UU, because there was no need for it. academic preparation

I think my education at the UU had very well prepared me for the courses I took in Århus. In some courses I thought the academic level actually to be a bit under the academic level at the UU. But this could also be due to the fact that the master programme that I follow at the UU is a research master and is thus more academically founded and the courses that I took at the ASB were more practical and thus not so academical. language preparation

I think my language level of English was more than sufficient for studying abroad. Already having studied in an

UU report deadlines! 1 March 2011 for 1st semester exchange ~ 1 July 2011 for 2nd semester or full year exchange/placement Universiteit Utrecht - International Office, Heidelberglaan 8, 3584 CS Utrecht, [email protected]

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English-speaking master at the UU for a year did help with this. My general English was already sufficient before this, but this did help me to develop my 'academic English' skills better. finances

Denmark is a pretty expensive country and even with the Erasmus grant, I noticed I didn't have enough money. This was also mainly due to the fact that in the Netherlands, I've always had a job next to my studies, which would usually earn me around 300 euro a month. So just for the six months here, I took a loan from the IBG/DUO and that was sufficient.

The rooms provided by the university aren't that more expensive than in Utrecht (most are around 300 euro), but it is mainly all the daily groceries that are. I think living in Denmark for has cost around 200 euro more per month than what I would spend in Utrecht. study/placement abroad period study programme/work plan (concerning content and organisational issues)

Århus University and Århus School of Business are very well organized. The introduction weeks are good and give you a lot of info about what to do.

Most study programmes are so structured that all classes are finished before Christmas. At the AU the exams then take place in January and at ASB the exams mostly take place before Christmas.

An additional feature is that many exams in Denmark are oral exams. The Danes are used to this, but if you aren't this can be quite hard. I experienced it as more difficult than a written exam, simply because of the time pressure: on a written exam you can leave a question blank and come back to it later, during an oral exam you are supposed to have the right answer ready right away. academic quality of education/placement activities

The academic quality of both AU and ASB is high. As already mentioned ASB, since it is a Business School, is more practically inclined and thus maybe of a bit less theoretical academic quality. counselling/support at host institution/organisation

The support at the International Office of the AU was pretty good. The only real downside is that they are only open from 10.00-14.00 and not every day, which makes it hard to find a good time to go there. Especially in the first weeks when all exchange students have to go to the Internatiol Office, these limited opening hours caused very long lines and waiting times. transfer of credits

I have already e-mailed with the examination committee of my study in Utrecht about the transfer of my credits and as soon as I will have received all my official Transcripts of Records, I will contact them again. I don't expect there to be any problems. student life welcome/orientation programme

I did the Danish language course of two weeks in August. I can recommend this very much. In the mornings we had Danish lessons and in the afternoons various activities to get to know the city and Denmark better.

Also you get to meet a lot of other exhange students this way and you already feel quite at home in Århus before

UU report deadlines! 1 March 2011 for 1st semester exchange ~ 1 July 2011 for 2nd semester or full year exchange/placement Universiteit Utrecht - International Office, Heidelberglaan 8, 3584 CS Utrecht, [email protected]

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actually starting your studies. accommodation

The accomodation provided by the university for exchange students are mainly rooms in a 'kolligium'. A kolligium is a student facility where you live together with other students. Unfortunately some are quite far from the town and the university, but you can reach everything by bike.

I've been to several different accommodations and I think in general the upkeep is very good. Almost all kolligiums have a janitor that you can go to if something is broken. Also most have a large kitchen or common room to meet with your house mates or have a party. leisure/culture

If you are an exchange student, you get a free membership of the Studenterhus. Not only do they organize the weekly International Night, but if you like music it is really worth it t look at the Studenterhus website regularly. Almost every week there are new and upcoming bands playing in the Studenterhus and usually as a member you can go there for free. Also in general there are a lot of (pop/rock) concerts in Århus.

Furthermore the Århus Fest Uge (Festival Week) in the last week of August is really nice. There are concerts, theather and other performances all over town. Especially being at the big square at night is really nice. suggestions/tips

Visit more of Denmark (or Scandinavia) than just Århus. Skagen in the north of Denmark is beautiful, of course you must also go to Copenhagen and flying to Oslo or Stockholm costs almost nothing from Copenhagen. conclusions would you recommend this host organisation/destination to others? please explain

I definitely would recommend studying in Århus to others. Århus is not a very big city but is does has a very large student population. This means that the average age in the city is pretty young and gives the city a very alive feeling. On the other hand it is not too big, so it is good to handle.

Also the study programme at both the AU and ASB was very good. I learned a lot and also learned to be even more critical. In Denmark it is not considered annoying if you question a teacher, it is a good thing. do you have any additional advice or comments?

I enjoyed my exchange period very much and I can certainly recommend this to all other students.

Reminder: for the purpose of future correspondence on the final awarding of your Erasmus grant, please make sure you update your telephone number(s), postal and e-mail addresses in Steun in case of any changes after your return!

https://www.ssc-steun.uu.nl/

UU report deadlines! 1 March 2011 for 1st semester exchange ~ 1 July 2011 for 2nd semester or full year exchange/placement Universiteit Utrecht - International Office, Heidelberglaan 8, 3584 CS Utrecht, [email protected]

page 3 of 3 UU Report form ~ Erasmus 2010-2011 faculty/college Humanities level bachelor master PhD other name degree programme Liberal Arts & Sciences, Political History and International Relations destination city & country Aarhus, Denmark name host institution and/or Aarhus Univeristy company/organization purpose Erasmus grant study/courses work placement departure date (dd/mm/yyyy) 01 / 01 / 2011 return date (dd/mm/yyyy) 30 / 06 / 2011

You are requested to write on the following topics. Text boxes will expand automatically while typing! preparation exchange/placement application process

It took me a long time before I got all the right forms and papers filled in and signed. I advise to start early, because you might face unexpected problems. Nevertheless, questions are always answered by the international office and they are really helpful, so do not hesitate to contact them if you need help. counselling/support at home university

The International Office is very helpful and organized, and provides useful information. The exchange coordinator was always able to help me. academic preparation

This semester is the 2nd semester of my 3rd year. I took 3 masterlevel courses. Looking backwards, my academical knowledge was proficient enough to follow mastersubjects, even though I am still in my bachelor. language preparation

I had not improved any language before I came to Denmark finances

My rent cost me 330 euros a month. Livingexpenses in Denmark are slightly higher than in the Netherlands. Clubbing and drinking/ eating out is far more expensive. I spent a lot of money on travels as well. study/placement abroad period study programme/work plan (concerning content and organisational issues)

I took 3 courses at master level. At the faculty of political science I followed 'Security in a globalized world' and 'Danish politics and welfare in comparative perspective', and at the faculty of Law I choose 'International Law'. The courses were very interesting, well organized and given in an informal way of teaching. Each subject comprised 10 ECTs and took the whole semester. I had only 1 exam in the end of the semester of each course: 2 oral exams and one 7-days written home assignment (essay).

UU report deadlines! 1 March 2011 for 1st semester exchange ~ 1 July 2011 for 2nd semester or full year exchange/placement Universiteit Utrecht - International Office, Heidelberglaan 8, 3584 CS Utrecht, [email protected]

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academic quality of education/placement activities

The teachers speak perfectly English. One of my teachers was Canadian, the other two were Danish. I only had around 7 hours of class a week, yet you are expected to read a lot by yourself and be prepared before you enter the classroom. I noticed that they expect more analyzing skills compared to the Netherlands, just knowing the book is not enough. But, the study-environment is relaxed, the teachers are helpful and the classes are given in a very informal way. counselling/support at host institution/organisation

The International Office at Aarhus University helps you with everything. They offer you accommodation and all other practical stuff. It is well organized and quick. transfer of credits

The credits I got here are transferred to Utrecht University. student life welcome/orientation programme

The introductionweek was very helpful to get to know new people and the city. The practical information provided by the International Office was necessary to find your way through all the paper documents for residence permit etc. The week was very well organized and I recommed attending it! accommodation

I applied for a residence, close to the campus. I got a shared-facilities house very close to the campus, and I was very happy with my accomodation. I had amazing roommates and the location was fantastic. leisure/culture

Aarhus has a lot of cultural things to visit, but you can ofcourse not leave Denmark without paying a visit to Copenhagen. Furthermore, cities like Odensen, Skagen and Aalborg are definitly worth a daytrip. I travelled a lot through Scandinavia, which I really recommend.

Besides travelling, I joined a footballclub here, the best way to meet Danish people. The exchange-community is quite exclusive and it is hard to get to know Danes. Most of them speak Englsh, so joining a sportclub is the best way to get to know some of them. suggestions/tips

Save some money before you come to Denmark, since things are slightly more expensive, but of course you can make it as expensive as you want. Furthermore, I definitely recommend doing the EILC language course, because there I met my best friends during my Erasmus-period. I stayed in a 'Hojskole', a typical Danish school, and it was an amazing experience! It is nice to know already some people before the actual semester starts and to have some basic knowledge of the language. conclusions would you recommend this host organisation/destination to others? please explain

Definitely! I met fantastic people, had an amazing time in Aarhus, improved my English, learned a lot and had so much fun! Everything was well organized and I love the city and students here. People are friendly and relaxed.

UU report deadlines! 1 March 2011 for 1st semester exchange ~ 1 July 2011 for 2nd semester or full year exchange/placement Universiteit Utrecht - International Office, Heidelberglaan 8, 3584 CS Utrecht, [email protected]

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do you have any additional advice or comments?

Do not hesitate to apply, because Aarhus is an amazing city with many exchange students. The University is great, Danes are lovely people and the experience of an Erasmus stay is unforgettable!

Reminder: for the purpose of future correspondence on the final awarding of your Erasmus grant, please make sure you update your telephone number(s), postal and e-mail addresses in Steun in case of any changes after your return!

https://www.ssc-steun.uu.nl/

UU report deadlines! 1 March 2011 for 1st semester exchange ~ 1 July 2011 for 2nd semester or full year exchange/placement Universiteit Utrecht - International Office, Heidelberglaan 8, 3584 CS Utrecht, [email protected]

page 3 of 3 UU Report form ~ Erasmus 2009-2010 faculty/college Social sciences level bachelor master PhD other name degree programme Psychology destination city & country Aarhus, Denmark name host institution and/or Aarhus Universitet company/organization study/courses Erasmus Mundus master’s programme purpose Erasmus grant work placement field work other, departure date (dd/mm/yyyy) 01 / 09 / 2009 return date (dd/mm/yyyy) 31 / 01 / 2010

You are requested to write on the following topics. Text boxes will expand automatically while typing. preparation exchange/placement application process

The application process took a long time and there was a lot of paperwork involved. At first I didn't even get into any of my top 3 choices, but the exchange coordinator contacted the University of my second choice (Aarhus University) and fortunately I could go there. counselling/support at home university

My home University helped to get me placed in the University of my 2nd choice, eventhough there where not enough places, so I am very positive about their support. academic preparation

There where no specific academic preparations I had to make. language preparation

Because all my courses where in English I didn't have to make additional language preparations. finances

Living in Denmark is more expensive than in the Netherlands. I received the Erasmus grant, my normal scholarship and an OV-compensation. Besides that, I saved about 2000 euros and received some extra money from my parents. All together that was enough to live in Denmark for 5 months. study/placement abroad period study programme/work plan (concerning content and organisational issues)

I normally study Psychology, but in Aarhus I only took history courses. This was not a problem at all. I took two courses about the Ancient Greeks and Romans and one about India. The content of the two Ancient courses was pretty much similar. This wasn't clear for me before I started the courses and looking back on it, the University could've advised me to take one different course. For every exam you have to sign up about 2 months after starting the semester. It is important that you remember that deadline and find out where to sign up for it. And be

UU report deadlines! March 1, 2010 for 1st semester exchange ~ July 1, 2010 for 2nd semester or full year exchange Universiteit Utrecht - International Office, Heidelberglaan 8, 3584 CS Utrecht, [email protected]

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aware of the fact that in Denmark the teachers are only there to teach, they have no clue where or when to hand in assignments and they are not able to answer any question you have about organisational issues. academic quality of education/placement activities

The courses I took where all 3rd year bachelor, or even mastercourses. At first I thought it might be too difficult for me, because I had no background in history before. But the level was rather low. I had to write a 15 page essay for every course about a subject of my own choice, and that was it. The academic quality of education is lower than at Utrecht University, at least in the field of history. counselling/support at host institution/organisation

As I mentioned before, the teacher are not able to help you in any way besides when you have questions about their subject. This really surprised me in the beginning. If you need any help or support, it is better to go to the coordinator. I didn’t need much counselling or support, but the few questions I had my coordinator could answer. transfer of credits

At Aarhus University they also work with ECTS points, so the transfer of credits shouldn't be a problem. student life welcome/orientation programme

At Aarhus University it is possible to do a 3 week language course before starting the semester. I signed up for it, but unfortunately it was already full. For the students who did not participate in this course the University organised a orientation day a week after the semester started. I would recommend people to try to get into the language course, to meet people and get settled in Aarhus before starting. But without the course it is just as easy to meet people at the orientation day. accommodation

I lived in a shared facility house with 6 others. 5 of us where exhange students and 2 where already working. I had a small room and a high rent, but living in a shared facility house is in my opinion the best place to live in Aarhus. I lived with 5 different nationalities and it was great to live with so many different nationalities, it was never boring in the house. leisure/culture

Because Aarhus is a rather small city all the good bars and clubs are close to each other. It is a great student city so finding a good place to go out was never difficult. Many exchange students ended up in 'the social club' most of the time, because it is a cheap place (which should say enough about the quality). Besides that place, Aarhus has a lot pubs with live music and dancefloors. There are several musuems in Aarhus and some of them are definitly worth it to visit. The first weekend I was in Aarhus I bought a Aarhus touristcard with some friends I met there. The card is valid for 48 hours and you get discount on the cultural places in Aarhus and free public transportation. So that is a great way to get to know the city and it's cultural places. suggestions/tips

- Make sure you get a bike as soon as you get in Aarhus. Biking is a little more difficult than in the Netherlands, because of the hills in Aarhus, but having a bike is definitly a must. There is a police auction with bikes every month, but you can also try to buy a bike from exchange students that are leaving or try it on the internet.

- If you plan on traveling a lot, it is good to buy a Wildcard, it is a card that gives you 50% discount on traintickets.

UU report deadlines! March 1, 2010 for 1st semester exchange ~ July 1, 2010 for 2nd semester or full year exchange Universiteit Utrecht - International Office, Heidelberglaan 8, 3584 CS Utrecht, [email protected]

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If you go to Copenhagen by train it is already cheaper with a wildcard.

- If you can affort it, try to apply for shared facility living. It is a great experience to live with people from many different cultures. conclusions would you recommend this host organisation/destination to others? please explain

I would definitly recommend Aarhus and the University. The city is the 2nd biggest in Denmark, but still small enough to get around it easily. The Danes are very friendly, although it can be difficult to get to know them. Aarhus is also much saver than most Dutch cities. The University is very well organized. All the questions I had I could ask the coordinator and she always helped me. Sometimes the courses where a little bit easy, but that gives you more time to experience Erasmus life to the fullest! do you have any additional advice or comments?

UU report deadlines! March 1, 2010 for 1st semester exchange ~ July 1, 2010 for 2nd semester or full year exchange Universiteit Utrecht - International Office, Heidelberglaan 8, 3584 CS Utrecht, [email protected]

page 3 of 3 UU Report form ~ Erasmus 2009-2010

Please use Tab to go to the next (text) box. faculty/college Biology level bachelor master PhD other name degree programme Biology destination city & country Aarhus, Denmark name host institution and/or University of Aarhus company/organization study/courses Erasmus Mundus master’s programme purpose Erasmus grant work placement field work other, departure date (dd/mm/yyyy) 01 / 09 / 2009 return date (dd/mm/yyyy) 31 / 01 / 2010

You are requested to write on the following topics. Text boxes will expand automatically while typing. preparation exchange/placement application process

I didn’t find the application process too difficult. It is a lot of paperwork, but once you have decided you want to go, and where to go, it is just a matter of getting your paperwork done. Though, I think a lot of people are not aware they have to start the process so early, so it is easy to be short in time before the deadlines are.

Additionally, it is sometimes unclear which forms are important, and which are not. E.g. I spend a lot of time getting my learning agreement perfectly fit to be signed up for the needed amount of ects, but the host institutions website was not up to date what made this difficult. It turned out not to be very important though, and I signed up for another course once I got there. counselling/support at home university

My home university makes a lot of effort to give good support and information. For me, because of fieldwork, it was not possible to join any of the meetings, though, I received the minutes of each meeting my e-mail.

E-mail conversation with the exchange coordinator was very helpful for all my questions. academic preparation

language preparation

I didn't have any language preparation at my home university. The courses I was about to take in Denmark were in Enlish, and I considered my Enlish language skills sufficient. finances

Writing the financial plan, requirement for the application, was very helpful to have an overview of my finances, and made me think of what extra expences I could expect. Except for the eramus grant I didn't have any extra financial support. The usual support I get in Utrecht, continued during my exchange.

UU report deadlines! March 1, 2010 for 1st semester exchange ~ July 1, 2010 for 2nd semester or full year exchange Universiteit Utrecht - International Office, Heidelberglaan 8, 3584 CS Utrecht, [email protected]

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study/placement abroad period study programme/work plan (concerning content and organisational issues)

It was not too easy to find a good combination of courses. There were enough couses offered in Enlish, but especially combining courses was a problem because of overlapping scedules. This problem got solved once I got there and found the right person to plan my schedule with. academic quality of education/placement activities

Altogether I took three courses, which I found very good. The language skills of the teachers are good. There were not so many students at each course, and the teachers used this very much to be interactive with the students during the lectures. The way of examining is very different than in Utrecht; almost all exams are oral, and if not you can use your book. The point is that is not important to learn everything by heart, but is more important to understand general ideas and theories and that you are able to have an interesting conversation about different topics. This is reflected in the oral exam where you talk about some topics with your teacher (and an independent examiner), which makes it very easy to pass.

Though, initially I was signed up for four courses. The quality of this fourth course I found so bad, that I quit before the exam. Almost every week there was another teacher, their language skill varied from acceptable to very bad. Each week we spend two hours of interactive learning by making models or questions, which I found they could explain in 15 minutes. Especially this I found a waste of my time so I quit. Also the content was not interesting because it only referred to Danish situations, models were not applicable more globally, while I expected general models, explained by Danish examples. counselling/support at host institution/organisation

On my arrival I received a folder from international office with a lot of information. I was provided with a mentor who was very determined to show and explain everything, and I could ask him everything, I found this very helpful.

Before the semester started, we had four weeks Danish language and culture course, organised by a subinstitution of the university. Members of this crew also tried their best to gice us all the information we needed. transfer of credits

Not applicable (yet) student life welcome/orientation programme

This Danish language and culture course was very helpful to meet other exchange students. It was a very full programm and very well organised. accommodation

I lived in a kollegium with about 15 Danish students. This was very interesting because I met enough exchange students and this way I had the chance to see a bit of the real Danish (student) life.

The house was very (very) clean, and well maintained. My room (with private bathroom) was in very good condition. It was located in a peacefull area, with a lot more of the same houses/blocks. leisure/culture

I found the Danish culture not very specific. Of course the student life can be wild, but in general everything is

UU report deadlines! March 1, 2010 for 1st semester exchange ~ July 1, 2010 for 2nd semester or full year exchange Universiteit Utrecht - International Office, Heidelberglaan 8, 3584 CS Utrecht, [email protected]

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peacefull and quiet. There are not many things in what Danes distinguish themselves, except in that everybody is very equal, in that respect as that there are not very strong subcultures.

Most of my time I have spend with exchange students, and I think among them, life is more extreme, in any sense. suggestions/tips

conclusions would you recommend this host organisation/destination to others? please explain

That depends on what you are seeking when you want to go on exchange. If you want to maintain the quality of the courses, it would say it is a very good choice. Alsmost everybody in the country speaks English which makes life very easy.

When one is going on exchange for culture, parties and experience, I would suggest to go to Spain or anything (if only because of the weather). do you have any additional advice or comments?

-

UU report deadlines! March 1, 2010 for 1st semester exchange ~ July 1, 2010 for 2nd semester or full year exchange Universiteit Utrecht - International Office, Heidelberglaan 8, 3584 CS Utrecht, [email protected]

page 3 of 3 Exchange report Aarhus University, Denmark

Faculty of Humanities

Period: September 2008 ‐ February 2009

I started searching for a study placement abroad in September 2007. After handing in all of the papers in February 2008 I got to go to Aarhus, Denmark. All of the contacts with the university were very pleasant. The requirements were clear and they were able to help me in any way needed. They provided me with guidance in finding a place to live and in selecting my courses there.

In the end of August I left for Aarhus and there I was welcomed by my mentor. Every exchange student in Aarhus has a mentor assigned who will help you with finding your way around. The first couple of days I spent quite a lot of time with my mentor since I was staying with her until I could pick up the key for my room. It is only possible to move in from the first or the 15th of the month. You can easily find a place to live via the International Secretary in Aarhus by singing up on the internet (before the 1st of June!).

Besides a place to live there are a few other things which are important to think of when studying in Denmark. Very important is getting a CPR‐number. This number gives you access to a number of places and is, among others, necessary for getting health care. Before you can apply for a CPR you first have to get a residence permit. The application for this paper was also arranged by the International Secretary. But it took about five to six weeks before I finally received mine. So it took an even longer time before I could get a CPR‐number, which was frustrating from time to time. But luckily the university is familiar with the problem and helped wherever they could.

Then there is also transport. The two most used possibilities in travelling around the city are taking the bus or biking. I choose to get a bike because public transport is very expensive in comparison to getting a bike. Every month there is a police action where it is possible to get an old bike for little money. These bikes don’t have a lot of quality but a bike from a normal bike shop costs a lot and this also counts for renting one.

In September my semester in Denmark began. I had chosen to follow quite a lot of courses in the English Department. The way of studying which was used here was quite similar to the Dutch one. There is a lot of freedom and independence. There is also a very formal way in how you approach your teachers. They are always open to hearing your opinions and easy to contact if needed. In my classes there was a majority of Danish students compared to the exchange students. The Danish students are very friendly when talking to them but it is hard to actually become friends with them. The best place to eventually find and see some real Danes is in the student residences. I lived together with 12 Danes and definitely had a lot of fun with them. But when living with them you do have to accept that you might not understand their conversations or television programs for 75% of the times.

This eventually leads to most of the exchange students clinging together. There a quite a lot of opportunities to find other international students outside of your classes. A good time for meeting others is the introduction day which was held the first week of classes. Another event is the international night, which was held every Tuesday evening at the Studenthouse downtown. Since going out it quite expensive in Aarhus you’ll find a lot of the students hanging out at each other’s dorms and have elaborate dinners. If we did want to go out there were a few options. First of all you can go to a pub and have a drink. Aarhus has a lot of nice pubs where you can sit a have a drink. Then there are the clubs of Aarhus. Most popular among international students is Social Club. The only reason why this place has many visitors is because it is free for university students, which should also say enough about its quality.

During the semester there are only three months of classes. During these months you sometimes have to hand in essays or give presentations. After these months there are two months which you can divide up yourself. There might be a few papers or exams which you have to write during this period of time. But these months are not just for studying but as an exchange student they are also the ideal time for travelling. Together with for instance other international students you can travel around Denmark or even go abroad and visit other places in Europe. I have been travelling mostly around Denmark, Norway and Sweden and northern Germany , since these places are easily accessible from Aarhus.

My semester in Aarhus has in the end been a very pleasant and fun experience. The city is small enough to find your way easily and big enough to keep you entertained. This actually counts for the whole country. The university made me feel right at home and everyone was very friendly. The only thing which in the end might be hard is getting into the deeper layer of the country. People are most of the times very much to themselves and have their lives already going for them. But then again, the large amount of other exchange students in Aarhus definitely makes up for all of this! Exchange report Aarhus University, Denmark

REBO

Period: Janua ry 2009 ‐ June 2009

Preparation When I orientated for a study period abroad I wanted to go to a Scandinavian country, because of the culture there that I wanted to discover. As Utrecht University has good contacts with the University of Aarhus in Denmark, I decided to go there. Furthermore, I chose to take part in the Erasmus program instead of an non‐European partner of UU, because of the grant and the possibility to meet many other Erasmus students from all over Europe. The contacts with Aarhus University were quite good from the beginning on. The University provided sufficient information about the courses to choose from, as well as the housing possibilities. I’m very confident about this contact before arrival. In Aarhus I had the opportunity to take part in a Danish language and culture course (no EILC). This course was very intensive in the first month of my semester. It was very useful to learn more about Denmark in general and Aarhus (University) more specific. Above that, it was a perfect opportunity to get in touch with other Erasmus students. The language course provided not enough skills to take part in conversations, nor to take part in Danish courses on an academic level. However, after the course I knew some basic sentences in Danish. The financial grant of Erasmus was very welcome. Denmark is an expensive country. Food and drinks are definitely more expensive than in the Netherlands.

Study abroad Aarhus University provided enough interesting courses in English, but only on the masters level. I didn’t experience it as too difficult, while I’m in my bachelor 3 level right now. The three courses all started in February and ended in June. The courses were awarded 10 ECTS each. There is a maximum of three courses to take and one course about Danish politics and welfare state in compulsory. The quality of education was at a good level. I experienced the international comparative dimension as very positive. The level of English of the teacher was quite good in general. Above that one of my teachers is was a Canadian native speaker of English. I didn’t need much support or counseling. However, the university has a student counsel where you can ask anything related to you studies. Also the teachers are in general very helpful to answer questions related to the specific course. Danish points range from ‐3 to 12, where ‐3 is a 1 in the Dutch system and a 12 is a 10. I don’t know yet the exact calculation for the Dutch points. The transcript of records will be sent by Aarhus University to Utrecht.

Student Life My welcome in Aarhus was theoretically well arranged with a personal ‘guide’, a student from the same faculty of the University who would show me around in Aarhus and the University. In practice, however, this strongly depends on the person. As I didn’t know what his job was (apart from bringing me to my housing address in Aarhus), he didn’t show me anything of the University or the city. This was not a great problem for me, because the other (Erasmus) students told me a lot. The orientation program Denmark Today, including the language course was a very good introduction to Denmark. It included a city tour, welcome party, classes about e.g. Danish politics and Danish design, and an amazing lunch. My accommodation was very good. The room was very clean and the mixture of Danes and foreigners made it a very pleasant staying for me. However, the Danes are very strict when it comes to the final cleaning of the apartment. This can cost you a lot of money when you don’t clean it good enough. So make sure you clean your apartment regularly in order to avoid unpleasant surprises in the end. Aarhus is a great city to spend leisure with your friends. It is a real student city, including a very high level of cultural activities. There are a lot of expensive bars. Therefore, many parties with Erasmus students take place in student residences. Those are probably the best parties in town. There is also a special Student House (Studenterhus) downtown where there is an international night every Tuesday. This is a good opportunity to meet with your international friends. Above that, the city has a large cinema, many small concert halls with great (regional) alternative bands playing, and some nice museums. When it comes to leisure, Aarhus offers more than enough. I can really recommend to visit ARoS museum, Musikhuset for weekly new (Danish) bands and the Studenterhus every Tuesday for international night. Another tip is to go on several trips (either organize it yourself with some other students, or go together with Studenterhus) to for example Skagen in the north of Denmark or Copenhagen.

Conclusions All in all Aarhus is a very recommendable destination. The organization of your study abroad is well arranged by the International Secretariat of Aarhus University. They are really helpful and try to make your staying as pleasant as possible. They provide also housing which I experienced as very positive. The courses they offer are interesting and in English. Above that the Denmark Today course is a perfect introduction to get in touch with other Erasmus students. On top of that, Aarhus offers a great nightlife and some nice museums and a cinema. Especially in summer, the days are long (it wont be completely dark in the night) and a staying in one of the parks is a great experience with your international friends. There are also night busses in the weekend which are very useful. The language sounds fun and everyone I got to know there enjoyed it and are friends now.

Some last advices: - Don’t go to Aarhus if you want nice weather. In general it’s colder than the Netherlands and it rains often. - Visit ARoS and take part in the Denmark Today course. - Clean properly - Get in touch with the other Erasmus students AND the Danes. In the beginning the Danes are a bit shy, but when you know them better they’re (in general) really nice people to get in touch with. - Play sports. There are many opportunities for students to do so. - Contact me if you want to know anything more about this destination.

Exchange report Aarhus University, Denmark

USBO

Period: Janua ry 2009 ‐ June 2009 Preparation I firstly applied for an exchange program in Helsinki, Finland but when there aroused some problems with the application, I switched to another place in Scandinavia, Århus. This choice has always been a great one, they had several possibilities for courses which I found very interesting and the University offered housing possibilities. The courses I took where: Danish welfare and democracy in comparative perspective, Political violence and radicalization processes and New public management reforms from different behavioral models. I also wrote my bachelor thesis about sports and integration in Århus. The contact with the University was very easy, clear and direct. At the beginning we got an e‐mail address from the international secretariat of the University, which we could ask all our questions about the application. Mostly, I had an answer within 48 hours. Later on, I got the e‐mail address of the international coordinator, who I could ask all the questions I had about the courses etc. All exchange students also get a mentor for the first few days/weeks from the same department. There were different reactions and experiences among international students about the mentors but I was fairly satisfied with mine. My mentor was there when I arrived, she had the keys for my room and she showed me around the university during my first weeks. During the first three weeks there was also a Danish language course, every weekday from 9 to 13 hour. After that there was always a social or cultural activity. All courses and activities were mandatory to accomplish the course and get 5 ECTS. However, most of all these 3 weeks were a great moment to get to know all the other international students, make friends and party together. So, I would really recommend everybody to participate in any introduction period!! I started my stay with around 600 euros of own savings and 1200 euro of the Erasmus grant. During the first few days I had to spent 900 euros on two months of deposit and my first month of rent for the room, where a got placed by the University. I also spent 200 euros on a new bike because a bike is the most useful mean of transportation in Århus. After that, my monthly spendings were around 900 euros. Of this amount, 300 was for rent for the room, around 250 for food and drinks, 150 for other daily life stuff (such as clothes, body care, study things etc.) and 200 for social activities (sports and parties). I financed these costs by a contribution of 300 euros from my parents and 600 euros from the state (IB‐groep contribution and loan).

Study abroad The quality of all the courses, mentioned before, where good. I thought it was even a bit harder than in the Netherlands. However, this was partly influenced by the amount of international students that attended the course, the more internationals from different countries, the relatively easier the course was. This was because of the different levels of knowledge among all internationals. Concluded, I can say that all courses had a good level and an average Dutch student could pass them without too much trouble. I did not need al lot of counseling/ support but all teachers presented their e‐mail addresses and sometimes even there telephone numbers during the first meeting of the courses and as far as I know, they always replied very quickly to questions etc. For the transfer of records the University will send my transcript of records to my home address. This will be done after the 4 weeks that teachers have there to check exams. Thus, I can not say much about this process so far.

Student life The welcome was perfect! My mentor had my keys and all the information needed to get into my room. Before that I had received all the information about the introduction course from the international secretariat of the University, about when en where I had to be. This introduction course of three weeks was perfect to settle in the area, make new friends and get to know the student life and the city of Århus. Furthermore, there is not so much difference between leisure activities possible and the culture of Denmark. Except that Danish people are a little bit more reserved at the first hand that Dutch people and that everything is a bit more expensive, it is a great country and city to study and you can get used to the daily life there very quickly. The city of Århus is a great place to visit and you will visit most of the important sight seeings during the introduction period. Furthermore, I have rented a car to travel around Denmark with some friend, I have been to Copenhagen several times (by bus and by train, which both take exactly the same time but the bus is cheaper) and I have been to Sweden, which is also easy to reach.

Conclusions Århus is absolutely a recommendable destination! I have had a great time with people from all over the world. My friends came from Italy, Spain, USA, Canada, Finland and Denmark of course. It was great to spend my time with international people and Århus is a great place where you can easily settle, meet a lot of exchange students, go to all kinds of parties, enjoy a good level of education and everything is well organized. My only advice would be that if you ask the University to find a room for you to be very clear in your demands/ wishes. This was because my room was in a very big ‘kollegium’ with around 900 students and it was more than half an hour from the city centre. After all, it was not a big problem for me because a lot of my friends lived their too but it would have been nice to life closer to the University and the city centre.