Copenhagen: Perfect balance of Cultural Immersion, Independance, and FUN!!! Past Review
By Liza W (Architectural History and Criticism., Middlebury College) for
DIS Copenhagen: Semester
absolutely. so much more independent. learned how to loosen up and have fun. great break from middlebury programs which force immersion down your throat (according to friends). i just enjoy life more and am a lot happier as a person after the experience.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Courses at DIS are run very similarly to those at Middlebury. They are small and discussion based with a high teacher to student ratio. The grading system and the expectations for participation and engagement are equally similar. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
strengths: program facilitated meeting new friends. visiting family program. very organized. support system. travel opportunities. study tours are well organized, fun, engaging, eye-opening (you do SO much more than you could if you organized the trip on your own. very worth the money) weaknesses: program holds your hand (strength and weakness) |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in Norrebro. culturally stimulating, close to the inner-city. Great bars and restaurants. Very fun and comfortable to live with other Americans. Horrible kitchen space (unsanitary. 25 Americans. one kitchen. no dishwasher...) If I hadnt lived in a dorm with other americans, my experience would not have been nearly as positive. |
| * Food: |
Copenhagen is no Rome. Dont go there for fine dining. It is super expensive and not very special. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
all study tours (Berlin and Istanbul in particular) |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
totally safe. i am a small girl and i walked around by myself at night all the time without concern. No concern. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I thought the language components of the class were relatively useless (mostly because I had no interest and little motivation. Everyone in Denmark speaks english and doesnt understand americans when they attempt to pronounce Danish). The cultural lessons I learned in teh class (holidays. politics, leadership, traditions, etc.) were much more relevant. I always spoke english. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | live in the DRC (DIS Residential Community). It was so important (for me) to have fellow Americans around me. The cultural immersion is easy to find and create from there. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
European Memory and Identity: Germany |
| Course Department: | European Culture and History |
| Instructor: | Thorsten Wagner |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Yes, very challenging. Field trips to Hamburg, Lubeck, Flensberg, Berlin, and Sachsenhausen. Thorsten was extremely knowledgable and brought understanding of the urban landscape/german memory/identity into context of WWII and Cold War. I participated just as frequently as I would at my home institution. N |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | N/A |
