450 young people explored AAU during Open University Days
News
Published online: 24.06.2025
Open University Days aim to give young people the opportunity to see day-to-day life and the study environment at AAU's degree programmes up close. AAU Update spoke to four young people about what they got out of attending.
By Sofie Astrup, AAU Communication and Public Affairs
What is life like at the university? Are lectures boring? What does it even look like on the other side of the walls we call AAU? There were many questions when young people from all over the country participated in Open University Days [Åbent Universitet] at AAU in Aalborg on 17 and 19 June.
AAU's own students were ready to show people around and answer questions from the many attendees, as the very purpose of Open University Days was to give young people insight into the university's programmes and what it’s like to be a student here.
AAU Update was on the scene at Open University in CREATE and interviewed four young people about their experiences at AAU.
For some of the attendees, the goal of their visit was to learn more about AAU's degree programmes. Many asked about the content of the teaching, but others were very interested in hearing more about all the things about student life you can’t read on your own.
Markus Sjælland and Tobias Rose are on gap years and share an apartment in Aalborg. They came to the Open University event together and were both interested in hearing more about self-study, because it is different from the classroom teaching they remember from high school.
"I have an idea of the path I want to take, because I think psychology is really exciting. So, I would like clarification on some questions before I apply for the programme next summer. It's great to get answers from someone who’s in the middle of the programme I’m interested in," says Markus Sjælland.
Tobias Rose applied to to various programmes at AAU and hopes to be admitted in September. For him, the event was an opportunity to learn more about the transition from high school to university.
"I'm here to get a clearer idea of what it's like to be a university student. I'm curious about how many working hours there are in a programme, but I like the idea that learning becomes my own responsibility," he says.
Friends Silje Bruun Mortensen and Delyara Esmaiyl from Dronninglund Gymnasium also attended the AAU Open University event. They took part in a tour of the CREATE building and talked to students from both Psychology and Architecture, Design and Media Technology to get help navigating the wide range of programmes.
"Choosing a degree programme can be difficult because there are so many opportunities and different directions within the same field. So, it can be difficult to figure out where I fit in and where my primary interest lies," says Silje Bruun Mortensen.
"I think cleared up many questions at the event, and the tour also gave us even better insight into the study environment at AAU where we saw some group rooms, among other things. Personally, I like group work because it allows me to share my thoughts with others," says Delyara Esmaiyl.
About Open University Days
Open University Days is a new initiative to give potential students the opportunity to get a closer look at the programmes they are considering applying for. Among other things, with tours of the university, presentations about student life and the opportunity to try a mini-lecture.
Open University Days took place on 17 June in AAU INNOVATE and 19 June in the CREATE building in Aalborg. Over the two days, a total of about 450 people participated, and the first evaluations are great: 97 percent had a good impression of the study environment, and the event made 84 percent of the participants want to study at AAU.
