An array of coffee drinks to choose from, a delicious pastry, cozy sitting areas, and free Wi-Fi. The perfect environment for a long study session. LYNfabrikken Coffee & Wine bar is located in downtown Aarhus. Inside, there is a huge sign that says only good vibes. There is also a lovely terrace, which gives you a 360 view of the neighborhood. People are busy working on their laptops and having meetings. Coffee shops or cafes such as this one are increasingly becoming popular study platforms for college students.
Patrícia Figueiredo is an international student at Aarhus University. It’s about one month since she arrived from Brazil and the pin-drop silence of classrooms is not her cup of tea. Or in this case, not her cup of coffee!
My house was always very noisy so I find it hard to focus when l am in a very quiet environment. Like a library for example or if l am by myself in a room that is very quiet. Then l get very distracted very easily, so l need a bit of background noise and cafes are usually good for that. It helps me focus.
[Hit the ▶️ to experience the cafe ambiance at LYNfabrikken.]
Sipping her second cup of cappuccino, Patrícia shares that she experiments especially with these coffee places in Aarhus, which are located just a few meters away from various higher education institutions.
I also try to find affordable places with coffee that isn’t super expensive, with good food as well. I am really into food like croissants or baked goods and conscious about power outlets, because you need to plug your laptop.
She also posts her coffee experiences on Instagram and her campus friends reckon she is the go-to person if you want the best coffee in town.
I post on Instagram usually, so my friends here in Aarhus and back in Brazil, think of me when they are looking for a place. They are always like:
So, l do post it very often, and l think that it helps people think that l might have some recommendations.
Some studies have shown that social media is increasingly becoming a key factor in drawing students to the cafés based on the recommendations of their friends.
Rebecca Steffin is a journalism student at Aarhus University. She is having a large cup of latte at Café Mellemfolk, located at Mejlgade 53. She enjoys the laid-back atmosphere at a place, which is run by volunteers, mostly students. They donate proceeds to overseas projects that work for a more sustainable world.
After corona and working very much at home on skype and zoom. I figured out that when you come home it’s nice to have free time. You don’t have to do anything you just relax. You go out, work, and come relax at home. It is very stressful when there are no places where you can be you and be free, you don’t have to think about work and study.
The café is just 2.2 kilometers away from the campus and provides Steffin with a chilled and convenient environment to discuss a mental health project with her colleague. They chat away while comparing notes from their laptops.
First come, First Serve
Most of the coffee houses open at 8 am and close at 10 pm. Going early is a key factor since the venues are also popular with other locals, who jostle for space with students.
Maria Dueholm is a regular guest at Løve’s Bog- og Vincafé, which is directly translated to mean Lion’s Book- and Wine Café. That’s because the café turns into a wine place in the afternoon. The waiter knows Maria’s order before she even says a word. Hot chocolate! She runs a body therapy company and meets clients at home for body movement sessions.
I think it is because l get more creative when l can sit in a space where it is private. I don’t get disturbed, l don’t need to talk to anyone but still feel the life around me. There are people chatting and it is cozy.
The long hours spent at Løve’s Bog- og Vincafé help Maria to draw inspiration and co-create, as she meets more people at the café compared to a customer at once at home.
The Cost Element
Daily trips to cafes and dining out are however ruining the students’ budget. There are at least six different types of coffee drinks to choose from. The four popular ones range from 15 kroner for a small cup to 35 kroner for a large cup. And if you add a sandwich or a plate of salad, you could end up spending between 70 to 80 kroner.
Navigate below to take a 360 degree tour of the cafes and watch the interviews:
Prepared and Submitted by Group 3F
(Abhushan Gautam Shakya, Anna Oczos, Avi Gopani, Brenda Kerubo, Henrique Martins)