Review: Studentergården

Studentergården (or ‘Studentergaarden’ without the Danish ‘å’), a ninety-year-old dorm perfectly located in Nørrebro, still upholds the traditions and ethos of the very first residents and maintains the sense of community that is vital to it’s success. The kollegium houses 126 students, the handyman Michael, and the warden Bent with his wife Karin, who are the heart of Studentergården.

There are eleven kitchens, which divide each hallway into their own separate clan. Each have their own name such as Pharisaæer or Kannibal. While there is a great sense of community, mischievous rivalry exists between the hallways which presents itself in continuous pranking and the annual event “gårdfejden” in which residents compete for the title of best corridor.

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

Daily life on each hallway involves dinner clubs five days a week, Tour De Chambre parties and birthday breakfasts. The central part of daily social life is hanging out in the cosy kitchens, all of which have a communal fridge just for beer!

Intense social life

Given the intensity of the social life, people maintain their friendship with their ‘gårdbrødre’ and ‘gårdsøstre’ even after they have moved out.

Many old residents return for ‘Årsfesten’, the annual party at Gården. This is the biggest celebration of the year, in which all residents attend dinner in the Great Hall, ‘Festsalen’. On this occasion, each hallway takes the opportunity to sing their own ‘Gangsang’ (Hallway Song) and these celebrations are followed by a party with music performed by the dorms very own band.

The band is not the only group to join at Studentergården. From different sport clubs including the gården’s own football teams to German and French clubs, and a choir, there are many opportunities to get involved. As well as the aforementioned ‘Festsal’, this dorm has also many other facilities. Sunday nights can be spent in the Kollegium’s own cinema and on Tuesdays and Thursdays one can go down to the lounge to buy sweets and beer, or hang out and play some board games. The dorm also has a music room, a tennis court, billiard room, a brewery, a woodwork room, a pergola, and of course, a beautiful garden.

Water treatment when you graduate

All these facilities provide great opportunities to have a party, whether you want to book out the grand Red Room for a small group of friends or hold Fastelavnsfest in the Great Hall.

Each corridor takes turns to hold ‘Åbent Hus’ (Open House) parties, which everyone is welcome to join. The most unique and original Studentergården tradition, which takes place during graduation parties, is ‘The Watering’, known as ‘Vanding’ in Danish. If you are just graduated, you will be carried around on a door by your best friends around the outside of the kollegium.

They stop under each kitchen window from which lashings of water are thrown on them. Once they have completed the outside round, the graduate has to climb the outer wall to get back into ‘gården’. After the actual ‘vanding’, the party continues in the Great Hall.

Social life requires lots of energy

While living in this dorm has many advantages, it also demands great commitment. It’s success depends on each and everyone’s contribution of time and effort to the running of Studentergården.

If you are lucky enough to get a place here, after a long time on the waiting list, you can look forward to experiencing some of the best student housing in Copenhagen.

READ ABOUT OTHER RESIDENCE HALLS AND DORMS HERE: Student housing reviews: Dorms and residences in Copenhagen