Past Review
By Maren C (Sociology., University of Hartford) for
DIS Copenhagen: Semester
Very worthwhile. I gained a great knowledge and appreciation for travel and people you never thought you'd meet. It is such an ironic experience given the random placement of students from all corners of the world put into a temporary situation such as learning to get accustomed to foreign living. When really, I learned more that a majority of the people in this world work the same way and hope for the same things. It is a lifetime opportunity and something personal and special to my own heart that I know not many others will understand the depth of my experience outside of American life.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
| The term and year this program took place: | Spring 2010 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I learned the most in one class. Muslims in the West. It will not count for my major's credits but I am glad that I finally learned about the subject in an international context. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
A wealth of information is on their website. They try to provide visuals as much as possible, however, Denmark is not as sunny as it may look according to their website. The overall program size was similar to UH. I knew or knew of a majority of people in my classes by the end of the semester. I learned more about Denmark's higher education from the international students I lived around who attended Copenhagen University. I recommend only taking 4 classes instead of 5 because it can get overwhelming with so many things due at once- the professors don't take pity on that. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived with around mostly Americans and International students from English speaking countries but the Danes were not as approachable simply because they do not make up small talk as easily as Americans do. I lived in one of the most Muslim ethnic neighborhoods, Nørrebro, which was apparantly another term for rough neighborhoods but I thought it was no threat to my living experience. I was about a 30 minute commute by public bus, sometimes I biked. It was very helpful being so close to public transportation. |
| * Food: |
I was given a food stipend to buy groceries but Denmark being one of the most expensive countries in the world, I was not prepared to go through so much money the first few months. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Sometimes it was just too cold and too expensive after awhile to go out so I think we missed out on some great things that Copenhagen really does have to offer in the warm weather |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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? | prepare and plan to spend about $400-$500/month without including airfare and other expenses to other countries on your own time. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Food is so expensive and eating out to dinner more than once a month is almost impossible for a student because of restaurant prices. |
Language
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Almost every young person/public transportation worker speaks English but I had fun learning basic words/phrases by the Danes |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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 do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Choose your program wisely and take the random risk by choosing Copenhagen. It is a lovely city. |
