Review: Rasmus Nielsens Kollegium

Coming to Copenhagen is not easy. You may be spending half your time on a stranger’s couch and the other half either partying or sleeping on a bench. Instead of living such a life, we suggest that you settle in our haven of comfort and fun in this huge city of otherwise unfriendly Danes.

Our haven is located just between Amagerbro metro station and KUA in a big redbrick building that we, a bunch of 219 diverse students, call home. And no, it is not Tietgen or Bikuben. It is Rasmus Nielsens Kollegium (RNK), which for some reason is unknown to many. We find this weird, since it undoubtedly is one of the best dorms in Copenhagen, and we think that anyone who is interested should get a chance to live here.

SEE THE FULL ‘DORMS DISCLOSED’ UNIVERSITY POST SERIES: Reviews by student residents of dorms and residence halls in Copenhagen

Cheap and central

Living in Copenhagen is not cheapest, but if you get into a dorm like Rasmus Nielsens Kollegium, it is actually quite affordable. The dorm dates back to 1961, which makes the rent a lot cheaper than that of other dorms. With a room at RNK, you have everything you need; each room has both a kitchen and a bathroom, and there are washing machines and dryers in the basement, which are free to use! In addition, RNK is located only 10 minutes away from the inner city and only 200 meters away from Amagerbro metro station.

The dorm has five floors, each with a common kitchen. The five common kitchens have different priorities and identities, which means your experience here will very much depend on which floor you end up on. The third floor, for instance, is a very sociable and warm floor. Every night is food club night, on Saturdays we drink wine and play games, and we welcome anyone into the kitchen with open arms. Especially if you like crocheting and knitting. The fifth floor, or the penthouse as they like to call themselves, is the matchmaking and party floor. Everyone is a couple, and if you are not part of one, you are likely to find your match there. Despite the differences of the kitchens, we all value the social aspect of everyday life and focus on turning the common kitchens into common homes.

The best part of living at RNK is the people. They become your new family; people to come home to, with whom you share your stories of the day, cook meals with and watch bad television – you know, spending ‘family-time’. We help each other and we enjoy each other’s company.

Joining a Community

If you feel like meeting other people and contributing to the social life at RNK, there are several committees that you can join. The obvious first choice is the Party Committee, in which you can make all your party fantasies come true. The Party Committee is in charge of organizing a number of parties every year; most of them with a theme. On top of that, they organize the famous Manhattan Festival every summer. If you are not into heavy drinking and partying all night, then S Club 5 is another committee organizing social events for all RNK residents. In summer, they organize barbecues, bonfires and a midsummers party. In winter, movie clubs, bingo nights, game nights and Thursday cafés take the scene.

The RNK parties in the basement are a loved tradition by residents, as opposed to pretty much any other party, you have unlimited access to a queue-free and private bathroom just an elevator ride away. No matter how much you drink; your bed will remain within crawling distance at all times. Alternatively, someone else will carry you there. Apart from the convenience of partying ‘at home’, the bar is also cheap, the dance floor quickly gets crowded, you get to pick your own music and the parties have the warm atmosphere of a family reunion.

Now, there is naturally another thing to consider. With so many friends living right next door it can be difficult to get anything done besides having fun. Studying is not going to take care of itself. In our kitchen we have tried to fix this problem by studying collectively in the kitchen; admittedly not something that happens very often, but it has been known to happen. Otherwise, the dorm also has a common study room in the basement that everyone is free to use or you can isolate yourself in your room.

At RNK, we are gifted with lots of great facilities. Apart from the ones already mentioned, we have two rooms in the basement, where you can park your bike. We also have a gym, where you can practice everything from rowing to heavy weight lifting. For more social workouts, you can join the frequent cross fit classes, run once a week with RNK Runners, play football and basketball on our new outside sports court or do yoga in our lovely back garden.

Living at Rasmus Nielsen Kollegium, you will have everything you need in a redbrick haven. Food clubs and cosy times with friends are just a few steps away, parties are an elevator ride away, and you can work out ‘at home’. Consider your time at RNK as an investment in your social capital. You will find great, lifelong friends, and your network will expand to people studying everything from animal science to medicine, or from sociology to business administration. We therefore strongly encourage you to sign up now, here, because it may take some time to get a room.

If you want to write an English-language review of your dorm write to uni-avis@adm.ku.dk and mark it ‘Dorms Disclosed’