My new hus in Aarhus

I’m going to cut to the chase, and come right out and say it. I love Aarhus. It may be Denmark’s second biggest city, but it certainly is it’s most awesome (no offense, Copenhagen). The large student population (13%) has turned the city into the perfect playground for exchange students – there’s a great night life, prices aren’t too high (especially in comparison to other Scandinavian cities), and there is always something exciting to do. And the perks of studying at Aarhus don’t stop there:

• It’s a beautiful city, with typically Danish architecture as well as storybook forests and parks; things are located in fairly close proximity to everything else.
• The university is great, rated one of the top 100 for 2014/15; the campus is big and green; my professors have all been passionate about what they teach and are absolute geniuses.
• You get the best of both worlds – it’s a different culture, yet everyone speaks English perfectly.
• For the art lovers, Aarhus has an incredible art gallery, featuring works by renowned contemporary artists such as Ron Mueck (fellow Australian!) and Olafur Eliasson.

I live in a student college about a 10 minute bike-ride away from uni. Here we live in dorms with our own bedroom and bathroom, and shared kitchen and living area. I live with 13 Danes and one Japanese – all of whom are great to live with; the perfect balance of fun and clean. This being the first time living away from my parents, I’ve been able to grow up without being completely lost – everyone is so supportive and I have learnt a lot.

Want to know how to get grease stains out of your new blue jeans? Want to wash the windows without leaving streak marks? Want to learn how to poach an egg without losing half of the white in the water? Exchange will teach you almost everything you need to know about how to be a successful adult, without pain and anxiety of actually being an adult.

I won’t lie though – I wasn’t always this enthusiastic about exchange. In fact, in the weeks leading up to it, I was getting cold feet. In all honesty, Aarhus wasn’t my top preference, leaving my family and friends was beginning to feel scary, the weather was going to be freezing. But, I said yes, and flew off to find the beautiful, snow covered city that I have fallen in love with. With an open heart and a positive attitude, exchange could possibly be the best six months of your life.

So go on exchange. Go to Aarhus. Fall in love. It will be great.

Bianca Balzer 11420369