Eye-Opening Academics with a Cozy Culture Past Review
By Hannah T (ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS., Trinity University) - abroad from 01/21/2012 to 05/19/2012 with
DIS Copenhagen: Semester
This was honestly the best experience I have ever had in my life so far. I made lasting friendships. I gained a second family. I learned to be more confident in who I am as a personal and also more self-reliant. I learned how to live a happy, cozy life by just cutting out a lot of unneeded stress (this is called hygge in Danish).
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. |
I really enjoyed the hands on approach at DIS. For every class, we had at least 3 practical excursions or learning trips where we could put our knowledge to use. I also enjoyed that all of my professors were actually professionals in the area they were teaching. For example, my photojournalism professor was a renowned photojournalist who has been published in National Geographic. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was paired with the perfect host family, and we still keep in touch all the time. I couldn't have asked for a better match. |
| * Food: |
Because I was in a host family, I ate very well. However, food and drinks are very expensive in Denmark so going out with friends was a little bit difficult to do often. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I made many Danish friends through my host family, but also just studying at coffee shops around the city. I feel like DIS did a good job of teaching us how to meet Danes during our orientation through various workshops on how to make the most of the cultural experience. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The Danish healthcare system was great, and DIS had a 2 hour seminar teaching us exactly how to make the most of our insurance cards. I came down with the flu once during my semester abroad and was able to see a Doctor and receive a prescription all for free. I have a friend who needed a tonsillectomy and that was also free. In Denmark, if you are living there legally, you are given a CPR card which covers all medical expenses. You are assigned a doctor close to your home and can call or make appointments whenever you like. |
| * Safety: |
I lived about an hour outside of the city, but I felt very safe taking the train back home alone at night. I never encountered any scary situations or felt threatened. I also felt comfortable walking around the city during the day or night, with friends or just by myself. |
| 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) |
It was very easy for me to live on an extremely small budget because I lived with a host family; however, it did greatly limit my ability to go out on the town. I spent less that $700 during the whole semester, which included hotel expenses when I traveled to Amsterdam and Budapest for spring break. However, I would say Copenhagen is a very expensive city for those who are planning to eat out or go get drinks once a week. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | Yes |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 0-20 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Definitely live with a host family. Many bars and restaurants also offer student discounts, but they are not advertised. It is always acceptable to ask about a student discount, and many times it pays off (10-15% off usually). I would also suggest staying away from the touristy locations because those tend to be much more expensive than local hangouts. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
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? | I am actually really glad that I didn't know too much before going abroad to Denmark because I learned so much about this amazing culture by actually living through the experiences. DIS had a great orientation program that taught us all of the mandatory info before setting us free. I just wish I would have known to save a little bit more money to go out with friends more often. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
