When people think of the major cities of the world in terms of economy, tourism and nightlife Berlin doesn’t usually appear high on the list.
Maybe that’s a good thing.
I had no idea what to expect about Berlin – it wasn’t on my radar initially but after seeking advice from friends and family about where to do my exchange trip I have to say that I made the right choice without doubt.
One thing about Berlin that stood out as soon as I arrived were the amount of kebab shops scattered around the city – they are literally everywhere. And these aren’t just your average kebab. They are some of the best I’ve ever eaten and for €3 you really can’t go wrong. Back in Sydney I love eating out but coming to Berlin has taken my love to a whole new level!
The other major highlight of Berlin so far has been the incredibly vibrant culture and nightlife. From the outdoor “open air” events to the amazing bars and clubs (especially around Kreuzberg and Warschauer Strasse), Berlin has yet to disappoint in this category – after all, it is known as the party capital of Europe.
May Day Open Air Festival in Görlitzer Park, Kreuzberg
I think the best thing about exchange, however, is the friends you make. I knew this exchange trip would involve meeting new people and making new friends but I just had no idea how rapidly this would occur and to what scale. I’ve become friends with people from all corners of the globe and it has been a real eye-opening experience getting to know their different backgrounds and cultures. To say I have friends from Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Finland, Mexico, United States just to name a few is quite a pleasant feeling now that I reflect on it. I really can’t think of a better way to make international friends than doing exchange.
Berlin is undoubtedly an amazing city with so much culture and liveliness that makes it hard to match. If you’re thinking of a European city to live in for a semester or two, Berlin needs to be on the top of your list!
Going on exchange is an amazing, life changing experience, forcing you to become independent and self-reliant. It makes you humble, open and curious.
Above are lines, that you have probably heard variations of, via the veterans and current goers of studying abroad. Yes they are true, but, the approach and your own personal mindset are great factors in this.
Meeting and learning from so many different and interesting people and places is a real gift, but to create a true connection and sense of understanding can also be a challenge and test of self. To be open, selfless and take the initiative.
Pep talk over. Now on to Denmark and Architecture! Reading over the previous blog posts about Aarhus I felt as if I would want to add my chip in the wood, it would be more about the specific. Hint, hint- architecture. Being passionate about architecture, means that doesn’t end an ocean away, basically. This means a lot of time and brain space may be dedicated to studying architecture at the school. This school being Arkitektskolen Aarhus.
The main lessons I’ve learnt from this school is about experiencing and learning. Our unit had the amazing opportunity of traveling to Japan, yes the world seems considerably smaller after travelling back and thro. Other units had the opportunity go to Spain or stay in Aarhus to study a local site. Unlike UTS Architecture, we were able to experience so many precedents first hand, and after being used to reading and “viewing” architecture filtered through the interweb, it is incredibly refreshing. To be so closely connected to different cities and countries for me is definitely one of the main highlights of exchange in Europe. This openness to experiences is also adapted into the people who live here, finding that unlike Sydney, people in Aarhus are more willing to be active and “do stuff”.
The studio here also encourages people to stay from 9am-3pm, replicating the standard working hours. Meaning that everybody is actively working around you 5 days a week and few students having a casual job on the side. Eliminating the always awkward group meeting scheduling and strategic navigation around work schedules. Arkitektskolen Aarhus is also famous for their amazing workshop and access to robots, cnc routers, band saws and any useful/dangerous equipment you can think of. Definitely encouraging people to be more physical in their approach to architecture. The approach here is also more honest and straightforward to the digital and conceptual approach at UTS.
The abundance of architect students in Aarhus (or Denmark in general) means that you are exposed to the broadness and scape of practicing architecture. “I study architecture” no longer summaries what you do, instead you will be asked “but what are you interested in (architecture)?” good question!
Arkitektskolen Aarhus and Denmark is definitely a refreshing and eye-opener for me. But experiences are key. Break through that filter of the interweb and just do it!
But of course… answers and encouragements are always helpful. So feel free to shoot me an email sora.graham@gmail.com 🙂
Denmark. My first bite of Europe has been sweet, a little crunchy and oh so nutritious. This country is hard to describe. Perhaps this is because the Danish lifestyle is so well reasoned and easy to adopt, that the fascinations have become so customary. I’ve indulged in hygge, drank more beer than ever before in my life and my bike has almost become an extension of myself.
This is the result of seeing it snow for the first time. Yes they are all my footprints.
Arkitekskolen Aarhus. I admire this school as much as I appreciate the opportunity I’ve been given to be a part of it. Students embrace an autonomy but still, teachers immerse themselves in the practice and each student’s development with so much heart. We work with our hands, this activity anything from climbing through ruins, to casting until our fingers bleed.
The structure. Second and third years work together which I’ve found to be a great arrangement. It is rigorous work. We spend 9am-3/7… okay sometimes past 12pm in studios but for me it’s never been painful! The spaces are collaborative, and when we need distractions there’s always someone around studios playing music or keen to watch twin peaks.
Bachelor exhibition
Lectures aren’t in abundance but when they happen they’re amazing.
Friday bars
Your desk becomes your home.
One of the most incredible qualities of the school is the study trip. At Aarhus Arkitektskolen each studio unit spreads over two semesters, in one of these (either Spring or Autumn) the entire class will jump on a plane and be taken to a distant location. My studio was based in Santiago de Compostela, and we together walked part of the Camino of Saint James. It was an experience I will always remember, over the two weeks I developed relationships I’ll hold immensely close. And I must mention my Australian bones fared well compared to the Danes (they’re weak!).
I walked the Camino with these bums.
Climbing to the top of a cathedral in Santiago de Compostela to sketch in the sun will be one of my fondest memories.
Travel! Of course, the study trip is not the only experience of this continent I’ve had. The Euro-accessability is still a shock. In the workshop period especially I’ve been able to book flights to countries on the day before travelling and find myself there before the sun sets. And pertinently, I’m now finishing this article so I can pack for my flight tonight to London.
Though it’s the second largest city in Denmark (with the capital Copenhagen coming in first), Aarhus is one of the most underrated student cities that you could come across! A three hour train trip or four hour bus ride north of the capital, it truly holds the charm of a Danish city!
Clear your mind.
Cobbled streets, cosy parks, and a river that cuts through the centre… can you feel it?
It has been named as the 2017 European Capital of Culture so if you’re considering exploring solemnly swear that you’re up to no good and go! As a relatively small city (at least in comparison to Sydney), it holds a multitude of gems such as Aros Museum, the oldest museum outside of Copenhagen as well as Den Gamle By (the old city) where you can gain a glimpse of Aarhus as it once had been in 1700s! (Bonus points if you’re an architecture student as you can get in for free.)
If you arrive in Winter, you may be surprised that the sun sets at 4PM and as the darkness settles the city becomes alike to a ghost town. Don’t be alarmed – it’s not haunted! (Though this may be suggested more than once in the Danes’ dark humour.) It is due to the Danes’ dining in culture – they have a tendency to hold dinner parties (and why wouldn’t you when it’s -5 degrees and eating out is insanely expensive! They also have a fat tax… yes you read that right…so stock up on your Nutella when you cross the German border!) As it slowly transitions to summer (11pm sunsets with a chance of rain and the certainty of a cold night), expect to be serenaded by the phrase “summer’s coming!” one that could send George RR Martin fans into a spiral of confusion!
If there’s one thing you need to know about the Danes, it’s that they’re incredibly humble and honest! I found out quite quickly that if you ask a Dane how their day is going, they will be very confused as to why you’re concerned and then genuinely reveal what has happened – from the heartbreaks to the health scares to the hearty rye bread they had for frokost (lunch).
Though the Danish language presents a grand challenge, many of the Danes (if not all) are incredibly fluent in English, though they will insist that they aren’t! One of my first encounters with this strange phenomenon was a lovely lady at DOKK1 (their newly built library/community centre) apologising for her “awfully terrible English” after she had not only just used the perfect combination of words but had also cracked a few jokes with me! How dare she!
If you’re lucky, you’ll befriend some of the most authentic people you could ever meet aka The Danes (or Norwegians or Swedes – Scandinavians are shy but they’re amazing once you’re inside their shell!). Consider Denmark if you want to find yourself singing Disney songs in Danish, saying Nej (Nej means no!) and truly appreciating the sun (when the sun comes out, so do the Danes – the shade looks a little lonely when it’s summer. But it’s heartwarming.. or hygge as our Danish friends would say.)
You may have to fight for the sun and you’ll probably lose… but you know what they say – if you can’t beat them, join them! See you in the sun!
Joumana Elomar | 11997741
If you have any questions about Aarhus, please feel free to shoot a message! joumana.elomar@gmail.com
The first thing that hit me when I arrived in Denmark’s second largest city Aarhus was the freezing temperature. It was snow of Christmas fairy tale proportions. You can’t blame a girl from Sydney Australia for being constantly mesmerised by the snowflakes that were falling from the sky in January. “It’s snowing” was a phrase people were constantly saying when I first arrived. While I said it in an excited tone, it was soon clear that the Danes were not the biggest fans of the winter wonderland.
At first, I didn’t understand how anyone could hate the snow. It was so beautiful right? Many of my walks to university were taken through the fresh snow rather than walking on the path like a normal person. I would soon be freezing afterwards as the snow proceeded to melt in my boots. It was still worth it.
Of course I write about the snow in past tense because it has now melted into a spectacular spring. That’s the one of the most brilliant thing about being here. I’ve really been able to see the changing of seasons which is absolutely magical!
In the snow.
The same photo taken now in the spring.
Bike through that snow.
I bought a bike a week after arriving in Denmark. I can’t think of a more Danish possession than a bicycle, other than a wardrobe of black clothes of course, but more on that later.
But biking in -4 degrees is much harder than it seems. And getting a flat tire in -4 degrees is even more of a test of your Viking skills. Since biking around Aarhus, I have now had 3 flat tires and frozen brakes at least 5 times. Luckily for these times, Danish bike lanes are amazing and so are the abundance of bike shops and helpful Danes.
It’s been so much fun living close enough to the Danish school of Media and Journalism and riding to and from it each day. I think I’ll really miss it when I have to go home to Sydney.
Skål!
Boy do the Vikings know how to party. Since moving here I have had some of the most amazing nights out with all the new friends I’ve made. Living in a dorm has allowed me to make lots of friends with Danish people who know all the fun games and most importantly- the best places to party.
No cares given in the land of the Vikings, happiest country on earth.
Aarhus is also a massive student town, which means that you never have to stray far to have some fun. There are no rules in this country when it comes to having fun either. As you can see in the picture above, Lego is sold right next to the triple distilled vodka in Denmark. There’s even one game you can play in public bars here where you can rent nails and a hammer to verse your friends. The game: who can hit the nail into a tree stump first. The catch: the last person to get their nail in has to buy a round of shots.
Emily finds her look alike in a bar downtown with Jakob aka Bowie.
Remoulade
In the winter I also did Danish classes for 3 months. As you probably already guessed, I am no Princess Mary yet when it comes to this difficult Scandinavian language but it was sure fun to try. At the very least, it’s really nice to know greetings and enough to get you through a transaction at shops.
What I have learnt is a lot about Danish food. I love everything about Denmark but the food is enough to make me want to live here forever. I can’t do any of it justice by trying to describe Danish foods, especially remoulade, an amazing sauce that I first ate on a hotdog but since have put it on pretty much everything! Instead, here are some pictures of some of my food adventures.
Get Hygge with good friends
Hygge is a Danish word that has no direct English translation. To attempt to explain what it means, a lot of people say it is “cosy.” Others have discussed that it is a space devoid of all negativity. Either way, it’s something Danes really know how to do well.
Studying journalism in an international class here has allowed me to meet some of the most amazing people. We’ve had some really Hygge times together. We are from all over the world yet through studying together 5 days a week and being able to travel to Brussels on a school trip has allowed us to form friendships with one another here that makes us all want to stay in Denmark for as long as we can.
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Ps: 6. Sneakers
I have to add this post script and I make no apologies.
Scandinavians by generalisation are a bunch of incredibly good-looking people. I am seriously amazed how they can take off their coats after a long winter and somehow still be tanned underneath!
But their sneakers. Wow. Before coming here, I was by no means a big fan of wearing sneakers with all types of clothes. But if Adidas wanted live models they should look no further than Denmark. Danes rock sneakers with every outfit you could possibly imagine. In other words, the Danes have ignited my new unhealthy and unaffordable sneaker obsession.
The past four months have undoubtedly been the best times of my life. Going on exchange provided me with an adventure I could never have even imagined having before. I have just finished studying a semester in the winter wonderland of Waterloo, Canada. Luckily for me this was an ‘easy winter’ with the temperature reaching below minus 20 Celsius only a handful of times.
Within the first few days of moving into my student residence (WCRI) I found myself in a group of friends which only grew and grew over the weeks into a huge family of people from all around the world. It didn’t take too long for us to form a routine: Class or study in the day, hang out with each other all afternoon, dinner with the entire floor by 9 and then head out uptown as a huge group of international students! Throughout this was plenty of planning for weekend trips that spanned all across North America and of course a sneaky trip to Cuba.
DCIM100GOPRO
The University of Waterloo is located in a university town meaning it’s filled with like-minded students, cheap eats and plenty of nightlife. The university itself is very similar to UTS in terms of class structures and assessments which make it easy to adjust. As an exchange student, since the grades are not transferred over, working towards just a pass made the semester a whole lot easier with heaps more spare time for exploring!
Just a one hour drive to Toronto opens up endless possibilities for travelling. I was extremely impressed with the beauty of the East coast of Canada throughout the semester however nothing compares to the West. For the last two weeks I have been hiking, camping and hostel hopping across the Rockies with a group of friends from Waterloo. Coming from Sydney with relatively flat landscapes, the size and magnificence of the Rockies was simply breathtaking.
On top of the jaw dropping national parks, Canada has a lot more to offer. The people for one live up to their stereotype of being the friendliest people on earth – everywhere we went, especially as international students, it was super duper easy to make friends. The food is quite similar to Australia… maybe a bit cheaper and bigger servings than Sydney but overall very good quality. To my surprise, Canada also has a very strong subculture for young adults which actually varies all across the country.
Overall, I honestly think that anywhere you go on exchange you will have a great time as long as you get yourself out there and meet people from the get go. Other exchange students are in the same shoes as you so they want to experience the same things and the local students seem keen to meet new people all around the world too!
I would 100% recommend Waterloo for a great semester filled with genuine people and easy classes 🙂 Don’t hesitate to apply!
As i write this, i can’t stop but reflect on the great memories i’ve had in the past 5 months, and how quickly it’s gone by. Luckily for me, i’d already been travelling all around Scandinavia before i began my exchange in Uppsala, Sweden, so when i did get here on the first day, my body had already adjusted to the change in temperature and lack of sunlight, and hence why i didn’t have the “Why did i choose Sweden?” look on my face, unlike countless other exchange students.
Uppsala is a great and beautiful (stor och vacker #ididbasicswedishclasses) student town, which isn’t far from Stockholm. This was great for me because living in Sydney, it was fun to live in a much quieter town for a bit. It is pretty much filled with both local and international students who share the common interest of drinking and partying. Most of this partying is supported by the “Student Nations” where students can eat, party, dance, drink, play board games…you name it, they got it! This definitely added to my experience at Uppsala because it was one of the best ways to meet new people. Each nation represents an area of Sweden, and the nation that i joined is called “Snerikes” (short for Sondermanlands-Nerikes) which, you guessed it, is an area of Sweden. Each nation holds different events throughout the semester including Gasques (Balls), songbook parties, beer pong competitions and more.
Our first Snerikes Gasque
If you get the chance to work there (which i did), it’s even more fun because you get to see the running of the nation from behind the scenes as well as incredible afterparties of drinking and singing that go until roughly 7am in the morning!
Beer Pong Competition at Snerikes Nation
Classes at Uppsala were much different than in Sydney. They were much more relaxed about the work, and encouraged much more open discussion about topics rather than simply reading from a course outline. Fortunately for me, all my classes were full of Swedes so i got to meet a lot of new friends in them. Did i mention that in the middle of a class, they’ll all stop to get Fika for about 15 minutes? Fika = Coffee with a pastry. No wonder the Swedes are always so efficient at everything…they’re running on 5 cups of coffee a day! Each faculty was located at a different part of Uppsala, and since i was studying IT & Engineering subjects, i was located at the Ångstromlaboratoriet and ITC buildings.
Ångstromlaboratoriet (Engineering Building)
One of the highlights of the semester was the Valborg celebrations which occur during the last few days of April and it celebrates the end of Winter and the coming of Spring, or as many other students know it as, the 4 day bender. It starts on the Thursday (Skvalborg) and goes through Friday (Kvalborg), Saturday (Valborg…the BIG day!), and Sunday (Finalborg). It’s known as the 4 day bender because there’s never a minute during those 4 days where you’ll be sober, but Valborg is also a fun time to hang with friends in the sun, pop champagne bottles, and have an absolutely great time.
Drinking and relaxing at Ekonomikumparken during Valborg
The student area that i, as well as many other exchange students, live at is called Flogsta. It is a great place for social activities such as the infamous Flogsta parties that usually leave a corridor completely dirty afterwards, but they are definitely a great way to meet new people. At Flogsta, i’ve met a heap of different people from all around the world including USA, Canada, The Netherlands (oh the dutchies…), New Zealand, Chile, Germany, and my very own Australia! It’s crazy meeting people on the other side of the world who are from your own backyard.
Fun Flogsta Parties!
Another great thing about doing exchange over in Sweden has been how easy and fun it is to travel to so many new places around you, rather than only being able to take the usual road trip up the coast back home. During this semester, i’ve been able to travel with friends to Lappland (North Sweden and Norway), Latvia, Russia (yes, RUSSIA), and The Netherlands twice, and i’ve got another 2 months of travelling afterwards as well to look forward to! But the cool part about being on exchange here has been that no matter where i’m travelling to, Uppsala and that interesting Arlanda airport has always been the final destination for me, and i think this is because of the community of friends that i’ve made here that make me call it HOME.
Standing in front of the Mamayev Kurgan monument, Volgograd, RussiaStanding in the snow in Lappland!
If i could convey ONE message from this entire post, it’d be that exchange has probably been the best decision of my life. I’ve met friends for life and seen parts of the world others would only dream of seeing. It’s because of the amazing Global Exchange program that UTS has that has allowed me to do this and Uppsala University has done nothing but welcome me with open arms. I’ve learnt new talents believe it or not, such as learning how to cook properly (i’m auditioning for Masterchef next year….maybe not), learnt how to wash clothes (not too much bleach), and even learnt how to speak basic Swedish! But this exchange has definitely broadened my horizons and made me more independent. If you get the chance to do it, don’t hold back….DO IT!
And here I am, almost four months in and I’m that Aussie bloke that needs to explain his unusual slang to not just the native Danes but the Sweeds, the Norweigiens and much more, it sounds like a struggle but they find it quite amusing and I’m always so eager to teach them more.
At first it was so hard to remember the names of over forty European names in my class but eventually I see them everyday in class and realise they all have a unique charm, they are the friendliest people always looking for a nice causal conversation and always greeting the occasional stranger.
Despite living away from home on my own and cooking the good old traditional meatballs and potatoes dish for lunch everyday, I always found it so easy to blend in to the culture, I never had a hard time settling in to my student dorm or finding someone to enjoy my food with, the country is surrounded by a benevolent atmosphere. The classes are very realaxing and have a very open structured time schedule allowing for flexible travel around europe and there are always events in this small city every week to take part of; these range from a simple yoga gathering in the park to a river rattling “liquid drinking”canoe race, none of them ever being a bike ride away.
To conclude my blog the only thing I regret is that I wasn’t able to convince more people from UTS to go on exchange, it is one of the best trips I have experienced so far and i’ve made many promises to my international friends that we would one day cross paths. Hope you’ve had a nice read mates, I think its time for the daily grub with my Finnish and Norweigien friends and I still don’t even know their names….just kidding
With only one month left in Bern, the capital of Switzerland, I’m starting to take into stock all of the things I’ll miss when I leave this strange, wonderful city.
The first thing I’ll miss will be Switzerland’s natural beauty. Of course Australia is also breathtaking in its own outback, dusty way, but it’s a completely different scene here. Below you’ll see the view you get from the train window; I personally prefer this over the views you’d get on a train from Town hall to Central in Sydney.
I’ll also miss the abundance of SNOW here! Sure, sometimes when you’re late to university and you need to cycle extra hard, the last thing you’ll want is a sleet of tiny snowballs pelting you on your journey. But coming from the mostly snow-less Australia, even these moments are novel and exciting, no matter how inconvenient they may be. This article’s featured image was taken at Grindelwald, where I went to go snowboarding.
Speaking of university, I have to admit that I’ve really fallen in love with Unibe (University of Bern). Their mascot is a bear!! UTS’s mascot is a lizard. Not only are the facilities and libraries wonderful, but the buildings themselves have a”Hogwarts”-ian vibe to them, as you can see below:
Finally, I think what I’ll miss most from my exchange is all of the traveling I did with my friends (below is a photo of our group at the John Lennon Wall in Prague). One of the benefits of coming to Switzerland is its central location to Europe. During my time here I’ve been to London, Strasbourg, Freiburg, pretty much all of Italy, Prague, and Budapest, and I’m still planning to go to Dijon, Vienna, Bratislava, Slovenia, Croatia, Germany, and Greece. While I’m not fulfilling my (retrospectively over-ambitious) goal to visit every country in Europe, I’m checking off quite a few. Being able to travel to so many exciting places with the amazing friends you make is definitely the most rewarding aspect of studying abroad, and even when I return to Australia I hope to continue to hold onto that traveling mentality.
Copenhagen was my first taste of Europe. I arrived one morning in January, leaving behind a 40ºC day in Sydney and greeted by a temperature of -3ºC in Denmark. It has now been four months since I left Australia, and I have to admit, I’m not really missing home.
I have been studying in Aarhus, the second largest city in Denmark. It is crazy to think that here, I am just a couple of hours away from so many different countries. Back home, a few hours travel from the Sydney CBD will get you to Newcastle at best. When you overlay an outline of Australia over Europe, it is basically the size of Continental Europe, so the distance between Sydney and Melbourne would stretch over a few European countries.
The Danish Language both sounds and is confusing! The first Danish phrase I learned before coming to Denmark was “Jeg taler ikke Dansk,” which translates to “I don’t speak Danish.” I have not used it very often, however, as I automatically apologise in English and everyone immediately reacts to that. I have been teaching myself some Danish, but there is only so much you can do without an actual teacher. Luckily one of my Danish classmates has been incredibly helpful with the intricacies of Danish pronunciation. Gems like “say it again, but pretend you have a hot potato in your mouth” have turned more than a few heads.
Uni life has been great. It is a breath of fresh air not having to deal with several subjects at the same time. That’s right! Only one project at a time. Studying at the Aarhus School of Architecture you get your own space, with a desk and lamp. The school this specialises in Architecture, granting it some luxuries which are not available to UTS back in Sydney, where a limited amount of space must be shared between multiple faculties. I will miss not having my own lamp. So I am definitely making the most of it while I am here.
The facilities at the school are fantastic – wood workshop, metal workshop, cutting machines, a casting area, a 3D printing lab and a robotics lab, all accessible to the students. In my time here, I have used one of three CNC machines, one of two laser cutters, the blade cutter, the casting space, the machines in the wood workshop and the robot arms in the robotics lab. This is an area where UTS is lacking – with the availability of all these additional resources, and the training to use them, students can not only save money but also build some fantastic models.
I am thoroughly enjoying my time in Denmark, having met some amazing people and made some good friends along the way. I have to say, signing up for exchange is possibly one of the best decisions I have made in my life and I wouldn’t change my time here in Aarhus for anything.
And here I am, almost four months in and I’m that Aussie bloke that needs to explain his unusual slang to not just the native Danes but the Sweeds, the Norweigiens and much more, it sounds like a struggle but they find it quite amusing and I’m always so eager to teach them more.
