Copenhagen: Rewarding, and Amazing Past Review
By Hannah R (Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Kansas State University) for
DIS Copenhagen: Semester
I've been taught cultural differences and stuff over the years, but you don't really get a good understanding and grasp of what these differences might really feel like until you spend plenty of time in another culture seeing all the similarities and differences. I've also really enjoyed learning the history of another country and of Europe in general from somewhere other than a US classroom because the availability to history is so much greater! While I still don't ever plan to live abroad, I have definitely learned that there are many places I still want to see and experience. I've also really gained an appreciation for meeting others and learning about their culture.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
DIS really prides themselves in being a challenging academic program and not simply a "party abroad" school. The workload was manageable for me, but I saw from other programs and students that it was sometimes a lot of work--but I believe this also depends on which universities students were from and what they were required to take while here. Most students at DIS are from private schools and seemed to take on more classes to get credits that transfer for classes at home. I loved how their classes were set up though--the Danish educational system was integrated with the American system to create a fusion of classroom lectures that we're used to in the US combined with field studies out and around the city, which really immerse you in your subjects. Grading is tougher, however, so that is something to take into consideration if you are looking to get easy As to transfer back. At DIS, B's are the American 'A'. But all my teachers were fantastic, knowledgable, and very personable. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
DIS provides you with every resource you could possibly need throughout the semester. They help you with the visa/residence permit and healthcare card process so you don't have to stress about that as soon as you get in the country. They also have a 3-day orientation process where you explore the city, learn more and Danes and their culture, and talk about expectations for the semester from DIS and from your experience as a whole, as well as all the other DIS-sponsored trips and activities available to you. You would never know that there are 800 kids in this program because you seem to start getting to know someone wherever you are, which is nice. They also have a library with books and movies and their own IT department. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
You really have to assess what you priorities abroad will be when you are decided what type of housing to use. I chose a host family because I wanted to be with people from that culture and have my own home to retreat to after being around American students all day. Copenhagen in general is very safe, so I was never worried about safety anywhere. Unfortunately, mots host families are a longer commute into the city if you want to experience the night life, so if that is a priority, you might have to think hard about whether you really want a family. The nice thing is there are many forms of public transport. I didn't buy anything to "settle in" because it was provided by my family, but I eventually decided to keep my own snack stash in my room because Danish families don't keep as much "snack food" around as Americans. I think I was treated as a member of the family in my house--I didn't have specific chores, but I tried to help out with the dishes and laundry whenever I could contribute. |
| * Food: |
I don't have any dietary restrictions, so I was very satisfied with food here. Eating out is really expensive though, even just getting coffee or something. Danes (and Europeans in general) eat smaller portions at meals also, and I'm actually really glad I also developed this habit because I'm hoping to take it home with me! It's always cheaper to buy food at a Netto or Fakta and make your own rather than eating out. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
DIS is amazing in that we have multiple trips both inside and outside of Denmark built into our tuition and curriculum. With my business class I traveled to western Denmark and London! In other classes I got to go to a jazz concert, visit a famous park/cemeter in Copenhagen, see the Danish Resistance Museum, and I also participated in beer and wine tasting classes. Lots of fun everywhere! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Denmark is very safe, which anyone will tell you because they're very proud of it. In terms of healthcare stuff--I couldn't get enough of my prescription medication for 4 months before I left home so when I got to Denmark I had to get a prescription from a Danish doctor. With DIS's help, the process was really easy and cheap. There are no vaccines required for Denmark. |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Living with a host family keeps personal costs very low, but I would estimate I still spend about 100 DKK ($20) a week on cafe visits or getting something with friends. I didn't specifically restrict my spending, I was just very conscious of if I was making a purchase that I could take home with me as opposed to getting food in the city too often or something. All in all, I'd say I spent an average of $75-100 a week when including shopping and souvenirs and food, etc. This was a little higher during weekend trips and travel break (2 weeks long). |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Always keep in mind if you will need to pay for extra luggage on the way home or send a box, because the mail in Denmark is expensive, along with most things. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | none |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
While 99.99% of Danes speak fluent English and it is unlikely you will ever actually need to know the language because of this, I really enjoyed being in a Danish Language and Culture class and beginning to understand words, signs, and bits of the conversation around me as it really helps you feel even more immersed in the environment and culture. I lived in a host family so I was able to practice my Danish with them a bit, and after 4 months I think I know as much Danish as I did after a year or more of Spanish (which I took all the way up to college). |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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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? | DIS does make sure that its students know that they take academics pretty seriously compared to other study abroad programs--but the work is totally worth it because of all the cool things you get to learn about and do with your classes. It's also a good choice if you really want to feel connected to the city--I truely think if I had studied in a more popular European city, I might not have ever really stopped feeling like a tourist. |
