Many upcoming students are concerned about the transition from youth education to university. SDU has therefore put the study start into focus. You will participate in an introductory course and be assigned to tutors on the first day.

You will also be offered courses in, for example, study habits and planning. An introductory tour will also be arranged. All of this is to ensure that you get off to a good start with your studies and your new life as a university student.

We offer a long study start period
You will have access to our online study start course ‘How to Uni’ once you have been accepted onto your study programme. It is an online course that will help get you off to a good start. How to Uni will guide you through your first semester. An introductory programme and a tour are planned for the end of August and will allow you to get to know your fellow students.

You should be aware that the introductory programme often takes place before the official study start (1 September). Once you have been accepted, you will be able to see the dates of your introductory programme on our website for registered students, MySDU.

The introductory programme is both academic and social
The purpose of the introductory programme is to ensure that you get off to a flying start with your new life as a university student, both academically and socially. The first period will therefore include both academic and social elements.

It is important that you also make an effort to develop a good social network during this period, as well as get an idea of the requirements and expectations that apply to you as a student.

We have clear guidelines for the study start
The planning includes particular focus on the process of integrating the academic and social aspects, and all new students must feel welcome without feeling pressured into participating in new activities.

The consumption of alcohol will not be permitted before and during academic events.

Dedicated tutors, who are all current students, will be there to welcome you. They will be on hand to guide you through the introductory days and tour. They have worked hard to put the programme together and are passionate about providing you with the best start to your studies as possible.
• Your tutors will welcome and guide you through the first period.
• The introductory programme will integrate academic and social aspects.
• Everyone should feel welcome at SDU and in all activities.
• The consumption of alcohol is not permitted before and during academic events.

The teaching methods at the university depend on, which course you will be taking. The different teaching methods also have different purposes:

Lectures
In the lectures, teachers create an overview of the literature for the course in question. You will become acquainted with the various theories, and the teacher will spend time on reviewing the parts of the literature that may be difficult to understand. If the lectures are attended by a high number of students, it may be difficult to start up discussions. However, there will always be an opportunity to ask questions or bring a topic up for debate. 

Practical assignment classes
Practical assignment classes are associated with the lectures for a number of courses. The classes take place in groups of 20-25 students. Tasks are solved, and specific cases are reviewed and discussed. Older students often carry out the teaching. The practical assignment classes are a good place to ask any questions or make comments about the literature being read.

Individual guidance
Time is almost always set aside for individual guidance, when major assignments and projects are being written. For example, this applies to the final Bachelor Project, where the individual student chooses his/her topic relatively freely, after which the assignment is written under the guidance of a teacher.

The bachelor programme is a full-time course of study, and it is therefore expected that you use much more time to work on your studies than the time set aside for attending lectures and exercises. It is expected that you spend a lot of time acquainting yourself with the material, working on practical assignments, and working independently on projects later on in the programme.

As with other university programmes, the bachelor programme requires that you are able to work independently. At SDU, we believe it is important that you can always get help, if you come to a standstill. For even though you are working independently, it does not mean that you will have to deal with everything alone.

Being part of a study group can prove very valuable. Working in a study group encourages you to research, test and put your learning to good use. This requires putting time into making your study group function well, but in the long run it can have a huge impact on your learning experience as well as your understanding of the subject matter. Learning takes place not only during classes, but to a large extent also in the necessary activities outside of the classroom, where you read, prepare and work with your study group.

We encourage all of our students to join a study group. In some programmes, the study group is compulsory or a central part of the academic work. Make the most of your study group, even though you may prefer a different working method. Consider it an opportunity to learn from your fellow students and prepare yourself for the work world, where you seldom get to choose who to work with.

Everyday life as a student at the university is very different compared to upper secondary education. This can be both exciting and challenging. We have noted below the diversities to be aware of when preparing yourself for life as a bachelor student.

From high school to university
This is a university, and you are no longer a high school student. At the university you have fewer scheduled lessons, and there is no compulsory attendance. Instead we expect you to be solely responsible for planning your study in between the scheduled lessons. The programme is a full-time study, and we expect you to study full-time. There is a lot of literature to cover of which a great deal can be in English. There are assignments and tasks that must be solved. Lectures consist mainly of large classes, whereas in classroom exercises, taught by an older student, the classes are generally smaller. You will learn more and gain professional perspectives by spending time with your fellow students e.g. in a study group. After you adjust to the new study environment, you will realize that you have found your own studying pattern. 

Social life
On your first day you and your fellow bachelor students will receive a warm welcome from the current students. They will help you build social relations and get you started with the academic side too. We recommend that you join a study group, where you can support each other and strengthen each other’s academic competencies along the way. By talking to your fellow students, you will learn that most of them at some point have experienced self-doubt and insecurity regarding one’s abilities. This is quite normal when starting in a new environment, and it is therefore important that you bond with your fellow students and create strong relations from the very first day. This enables you to support and encourage each other during your time at the university.

Your study competencies
You are solely responsible for own learning at the university. It is your passion to learn that drives you forward. You are capable of working independently by planning in advance how to prioritise your reading material, study preparation, study group work, and assignments. There are immense profits to be made, if you structure your time accordingly. You will gain more by understanding the material and having an overview of the contents rather than reading and studying every single word on the pages of the curriculum. The programme’s entry requirements give a good indication of, where your academic competencies should lie; i.e. Mathematics A expresses that you need to have a high mathematical competency.

How to uni – an online study start course 
We have developed an online study start course in easing your transition to your study programme. You will receive access to How to uni, before you start at the university. The course introduces you to life as a bachelor student, regulations, study techniques, and our expectations of you.

SDU Odense is the main campus of SDU, located roughly three kilometers from the city centre, and larger than the Principality of Monaco. With about 23,000 students gathered under the same roof, you will meet a lot of different students from different programmes. 

If you browse the notice boards along Gydehutten, you will discover a plethora of communities of interest that you can take part in. SDU Odense also houses a variety of facilities such as a gym and an indoor swimming pool, and according to the International Olympic Committee, the best athletics stadium in the world is located at SDU Odense.

Read more about SDU Odense.

SDU has an active and diverse study environment that offers a number of student organisations you can get involved in.

Get an overview of the different student organisations at SDU Odense. (webpage only in Danish)

Odense offers many different types of living spaces, and with the relatively low cost of studio housing, your SU goes further than in e.g. Aarhus and Copenhagen.

If you want to live as close to campus as possible, you can check out Campus House, Odense.

Read more about housing for students in Odense.

Welcome to a city with more than 30,000 students.

As a city of studies, Odense has a perfect size, as it is large enough for exciting things to happen all the time, both culturally and socially, but at the same time small enough for it to always feel close and local.

The many students make their mark on the city, which has a vibrant nightlife, lots of cozy cafes, and all the cultural offerings you can dream of. And then Odense is the city with 74 annual festivals.

From the autumn of 2021, you can be among the first to jump on the city's newly built Light Rail, which runs from the city center to the university in 15 minutes. Or you can get wind in your cheeks on the municipality's 560 km bike path.

Job opportunities during and after the study

Funen is home to one of Europe's largest clusters with more than 100 tech and robot companies. Several of the companies have their origins in SDU’s research environments, and you will find that the university has an ambitious start-up environment, where you can get help to put your idea on wings.

The National Board of Health and Welfare and the Danish Environmental Protection Agency are located in Odense. Here are several cultural institutions, biotech companies, a large university hospital, OUH, which is closely connected with SDU. It makes it possible to find a student job that is relevant to your study. 

If you need a place to study or meet your friends over a cup of coffee, then Student House Odense is the obvious choice. At the student house, you can e.g. participate in board game evenings, speed dating, and Christmas lunch or experience stand-up or karaoke.

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