As a new student at Aarhus University, you’ll encounter a lot of new ways of doing things. Everyone is different –and not everyone needs help with the same things. On this page, you’ll find a to-do list for new students as well as an AU lingo explainer to help make the transition to student life as smooth as possible.
As a new student, you enter a whole new world. There are new systems, new ways of doing things, new concepts, new surroundings. Below you’ll find a checklist for new students and a glossary with a lot of the lingo you’ll hear more seasoned AU students throw around.
A person who studies at or has graduated from a university or other institution of higher education.
Although teaching may be timetabled to start at 10.00 am, it may be a custom on the programme for your teacher to start at 10.15. Note the customs on your programme.
A former student who has studied and completed a degree at the university (also alumnus (male) and alumna (female)).
Campus refers to the physical areas where you attend classes and spend time as a student. You can use AU Find to locate buildings and rooms on campus. If you need access to the buildings outside of opening hours, you can use your student card as a key card. However, it must be activated first. Activate your student ID card here.
Courses will typically be the term for what you previously called a subject in upper secondary education. On some programmes, we also call them subjects, modules, or seminars. The terms will sometimes overlap, so be aware of the language used on your programme. For example, you will find the term "course" in the course catalogue, which is an overview of all the "subjects" offered at AU.
At Aarhus University, there are five main academic fields, known as faculties.
ARTS – The Faculty of Humanities
BSS – The Faculty of Business and Social Sciences
HEALTH – The Faculty of Health Sciences
NAT – The Faculty of Natural Sciences
TECH – The Faculty of Technical Sciences
Each faculty is divided into departments that offer various degree programmes within the overall academic field.
You are no longer in a class, but in a group. If you are on a large programme, there may be several groups in a single year group.
At school you have a teacher. At university, we call them lecturers.
A form of university teaching that largely consists of academic presentations from lecturers and plenary discussions.
At university, you are responsible for your own preparation for lessons, and no one will check whether you have done your homework.
The year is divided into two semesters. The autumn semester runs from September to January and the spring semester runs from February to June. On some programmes, the semester will be divided into modules.
You’re no longer a pupil: you’re a student. This means that you are responsible for your own learning.
Aarhus University has a rich association and club life. Whether you are into sports, theatre or music, there will always be a club or association for you. See the List of associations for something that suits you.
Study groups can take many forms, e.g. reading groups, writing groups, project groups, etc., where you go through texts, make calculations for assignments, or do group assignments and projects together.
You can’t be sure that you will have the same timetable throughout the semester, nor that you will be in the same room. The time and place of classes may change continuously, so remember to keep updated.
Once the the excitement of orientation week is over, some new students can feel a bit overwhelmed when classes start and they embark on their first semester. There are so many new things to deal with – so many new ways of doing things.
A lot of students find it challenging to live up to the expectation of independence and self-discipline they encounter at university. At university, you’re expected to take responsibility for your own learning.
In practical terms, this also means that it’s your responsibility to know when your classes are, where you’re supposed to be, and what you need to prepare before you show up for class. You also need to keep on top of about practical information and deadlines, such as registering for classes and exams. You can find information about classes and exams on your study portal at studerende.au.dk
Your studies aren’t just what happens in the classroom. Everything that goes on before and after class is just as important. Outside of class is when you prepare: reading, group work, projects, exercises, writing essays, studying for exams, etc.
At university, there’s no homework, and no one who checks up on whether you’ve done your work. This is because it’s your responsibility to prepare for class so you learn what you need to learn.
A lot of courses have a very long reading list: for each class, you’ll be asked to read a lot more than you might feel you can get through. In any case, that’s how a lot of new students feel. And along the way, you will probably also discover that you do not need to read every word on every page of every texts for each class. You need to develop an approach to studying that suits you that also allows you to achieve the required level of competency in each of your courses.
You can't read every single word on the reading list, but you can't get around to doing everything in your free time either. Once you’ve gotten through the first few weeks of your studies and have feel for your new daily routines, you can start to find a balance between the academic aspects of your life and the rest of your life with friends, family, interests and possibly a student job. It’s all about prioritising both how you plan your ‘on task’ study time, which should be about 37 hours per week on average, and the balance between study time and free time.
At university, you’ll encounter new ways of studying than what you’re used to – regardless whether you come directly from upper secondary school, have switched to a new programme or have taken a longer break from books and classrooms. You need to learn how to learn at university
Study strategies are a way of working consciously with your approach to learning. And depending on what degree programme you’ve just started, some study strategies will be more appropriate than others. We recommend that you try out different study strategies and adapt them to your learning style and the subjects you’re studying. Here are some aspects you can explore:
The good news is that the work you put into learning new study strategies will benefit you throughout your studies.
Brightspace is a teaching portal for all students at AU, with important information from lecturers. Log in to Brightspace here.
Consider Studypedia as a toolbox that you can rummage around in to find exactly the tools you need to build a good framework for your learning and the academic side of your student life.
The landing page on Studypedia has nine different topics that touch on different aspects of the academic side of student life. The structure is designed so that you can quickly navigate the site according to your needs.
Join one of the many student associations and clubs at AU and become part of a community with other students. Find a student association here.
Become part of a community in Aarhus via genlydaarhus.dk, where you can find other young people who want to meet and go to the cinema, exercise, play board games, be creative and much more. Find or create an invitation on genlydaarhus.dk
