We believe that you learn – not only in classes – but also while having fun with your fellow students engaging in leisure time activities. Spending your time in a multicultural environment with student from the whole world will give you international know-how which is more useful than ever in a globalised world. Furthermore, you will get memories that will last a lifetime.
When students are not in class or participating in mandatory activities such as Morning Fellowship or excursions, they are free to do what they like. Teachers will arrange for different activities and events to happen on a voluntary basis, but students often make plans themselves. Take a look below to get an idea of what kind of leisure time activities students normally do at IPC.
At International People’s College we have a Cinema Room in the basement where you can connect your computer or other devices to the screen. The room is also full of DVDs so you have the opportunity to dig into a variety of films from the whole world. Sometimes students also arrange for outdoor movie nights, or go to the local cinema just a few hundred meters away from campus – Helsingør Cinema Center. Often students follow different series together on streaming channels, or arrange for different film-marathons in the weekends. It is also possible to dig into a world of films in the class World Cinema, where students watch, analyse and discuss films from different countries together.
International People’s College is not a sports Folk High School, and we do not focus on sports on campus and in the subjects on offer, but we have some different classes to choose from if you want to incorporate sports in your timetable – like Work Out, Yoga, and African Drum and Dance. We also provide facilities for students to do different kind of sports themselves as leisure time activities. Soccer is always a hit amongst many of our students. We have really nice big green fields where you can play. We also have a tennis field, a basketball field and a place to play disc hokey near the school. A lot of students also enjoy to play table tennis or fuss ball inside, or use our Big Hall to play hockey or do yoga etc. Some students like to go for a run in the local area, some use our equipment for work out to do different routines in the Big Hall – some students sign up for the fitness center across the street, or go to the nearby indoor swimming pool – Helsingør Svømmehal. The possibilities are endless.
The nature in and around Elsinore is stunning, and it is easy to reach the nearby beaches and forests by bike – the favourite type of transportation for most Danes. We have a small number of bikes you can borrow at International People’s College if you go on bike trips on your own or together with your new friends as a leisure time activity. We also have a greater number of bikes to use in different classes or excursions, where teachers will take you to astonishing nature spots and cultural sights and events on bike. If a student can’t ride a bike teachers will make sure to give the student another possibility for transportation.
In our Common Room or Human Rights Café we have plenty of games you can choose from if you want to spend some time playing a game with other students in your leisure time. Often students also teach each other local games from their home countries. It is also possible to choose the class Tabletop Gaming where you produce and play different boardgames. Sometimes students arrange for bigger game events – like for example this ‘Mystery Murder Game Night’ where students had to solve different tasks and solve a murder.
Some students like to practise an instrument or arrange for small spontaneously concerts at campus. We have a big stage in our Big Hall, but often students just grab a guitar in the Common Room and invite people around to join in. Students also often teach each other to play an instrument, or they form small bands and sing-along events as leisure time activities. Students who can play an instrument can also join the class Band Playing, where they practise different songs together on a weekly basis.
At International People’s College we have a small student kitchen where students can cook their own food in their leisure time. Often students teach each other to create different courses from all over the world, or bake birthday cakes for each other birthdays. Sometimes students will also cook in different classes – like for example making Danish ‘smørrebrød’ in Exploring Denmark, or taste different European dishes in European Studies. Food is served in Dining Hall three times a day, and small snacks, coffee and tea is provided throughout the day. If students go on excursions in classes, they can bring a lunch pack from the kitchen. Like this students don’t need to make their own food, but they can use the student kitchen if they would like to make food themselves.
During the weekends students are often free to do what they like, and a lot of students take the possibility to go on small excursions. Copenhagen is only a 40-minutes train trip away, and there are lots of cultural highlights in Northern Zealand, close to the school. Students can also visit other places in Denmark, or travel to other countries for a weekend trip. Some students enjoy the nature and go on hikes and sleep outdoor, some attend cultural events and festivals, visit parks and museums, and some prefer to stay at campus. During the summertime students often hang out by the nearby beach where they make bonfires or play beach volley etc. The possibilities for leisure time activities are endless.
Students often have parties in the weekend. Sometimes they arrange for theme parties – like for example pyjamas parties, 80ties parties, dress like an animal-parties etc – other times it is more casual. Students can ask to use Big Hall, Lecture Hall or Common Room for arranged parties, and sometimes also get a small budget from the student council to decorate, but most parties are located in the Party Room in the basement. The parties are leisure time activities and students should be well-rested for classes and mandatory activities.
Students at campus often arrange for different clubs according to their interests as leisure time activities. Some would like to read books together, create small art projects, draw, knit etc. Some students arrange for language classes themself, and teach each other Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, French, Danish, Korean etc. and have a lot of fun while doing so. It is also possible to learn Danish and/or English language in classes at International People’s College.
Our Human Rights Café is run by volunteers who organize social and educational activities. It is a cosy place where students can feel free to discuss subjects related to Human Rights issues, play games, or have a chat and a cup of tea. Small events and student presentations are often played out in the Human Rights Café – like for example a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, stand up comedy, Karaoke and lots of other things.