Universitetsavisen
Nørregade 10
1165 København K
Tlf: 35 32 28 98 (mon-thurs)
E-mail: uni-avis@adm.ku.dk
University of Copenhagen
Independent of management
—
Student life
Sigrid knew she wouldn't be able to share a bedroom or a bathroom, so she applied to student kollegiums with private bathrooms only. Here is her review
Moving to Denmark as an international student, I received help from the International Office to find student housing. I applied for housing at the same time that I applied for the University of Copenhagen.
Not being that young anymore, being used to liveing by myself for more than 10 years, and having some OCD, I knew I wouldn’t be able to share a bedroom or a bathroom, so I applied to residences with private bathrooms only.
It reduced my chances of getting an offer, so when I finally got one just a week before I was getting inside an aeroplane, I was relieved above everything.
SEE THE FULL ‘DORMS DISCLOSED’ UNIVERSITY POST SERIES: Reviews by student residents of dorms and residence halls in Copenhagen
I live in the former Keops Kollegiet, now called Bispebjerg Kollegiet.
The residence is in fact two twin buildings of 252 rooms in total. Most of the residents are Danish and a smaller amount (70) is dedicated to international students through the International Office or DIS.
Read also: Student housing reviews: Dorms and residences in Copenhagen
All the rooms are the same. They are private apartments of around 20m² with their own (pretty big) bathroom and a little kitchen. There is basic furniture so the room is ready for occupation, but you may need or want to add your own stuff too.
One of the walls is a big window, which makes the room very light. I live on the fifth floor and even if my window is on the road, I enjoy the view of the park across it and the Grundtvig Church in the background. You can open a door in the window and you can take a small step outside, but that’s basically that, so calling it a balcony may be a bit over the top.
Dorms disclosed
There are loads of dormitories, kollegiums, and student residences in Copenhagen, yet most of the information available is in Danish.
Some are small, old houses with pretty gardens, others are giant concrete buildings with tiny windows.
In the Dorms Disclosed series, it is the residents themselves that review the dorms that they live in.
Here is an overview with links to all of the dormitory and student accommodation reviews we have published so far, written by the people who know them the best.
If you want to write an English-language review of your dorm write to uni-avis@adm.ku.dk with ‘Dorms Disclosed’ in the subject header.
At first, I thought it was a bit far from KUA, but come on, this is Copenhagen! The dormitory has the 6A bus and the Bispebjerg station at its feet. It makes everything convenient and easy to reach – 15 minutes and you can be downtown.
I personally think this dormitory is extremely well-located, with the transports options, two supermarkets less than 2 minutes (by foot) away and the Nørrebro Bycenter (mall) around the corner. You just have to go a bit further if you want to enjoy the Nørrebro nightlife, but then you’ll have plenty of choices.
What strikes you about Bispebjerg Kollegiet when you arrive is the original architecture.
The floors are designed in a U-shape and all the hallways are exterior. Each building has three suspended rooms – the common rooms (including a kitchen and a study room).
I enjoyed the big terrace on the top of the kitchen this summer, but I personally don’t use the common rooms, unless a party is organized in the kitchen for the whole dormitory.
But this is the bad side of the dormitory. We all have our own private apartments with everything we need, so we rarely meet each other. You have to like being by yourself to enjoy living here, because you won’t find a “family-like” atmosphere.
Still, there is a food-club, a party-committee and a Facebook group where improvised activities are announced.
I regret that there isn’t more social life at Bispebjerg Kollegiet, due to a lack of cosy and furnished commons rooms in my opinion. No library, no nicely furnished study room and no gym like in other student housing. Only these pretty empty hanging boxes. On the other hand, you get the quiet time you need to sleep or study.
Coming from Paris, where life is very expensive, I don’t feel it as much as other foreigners, but the rent is pretty expensive too (basic rent is 3667 DKK).
Still, I like living here because I really like having everything I need in a short walking distance, with a green area across the street. It’s nice to have a walk to Grundtvig’s Church, which takes you to a completely different place.
Studying at KUA and having dancing lessons in Bellahøj and at Vesterbros Torv, I use most of the transport facilities. I feel lucky to not live on campus, so I can live a “real” Danish life in another part of the city. I still hope I will befriend more of my neighbors in the next months though. Any case, I will definitely remember my time here as a great one.
READ ABOUT OTHER RESIDENCE HALLS AND DORMS HERE: Student housing reviews: Dorms and residences in Copenhagen