Great cultural experience, poor academic experience Past Review
By Matt H (Economics, International Relations, Middle Eastern Studies, Tufts University) - abroad from 08/17/2012 to 12/17/2012 with
DIS Copenhagen: Semester
amazing travel experiences, great culture, incredible learning experiences outside of the classroom, poor academic standards and teachers
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. |
Academically, this program has countless flaws that require immediate attention. There is an extremely large emphasis on group work (some of my class grades were 60%+ group work) which is extremely frustrating when your peers have different academic interests, live in different areas of Copenhagen, and put in varying efforts. The teachers, though experienced in their respective fields, lack the necessary teaching skills required to conduct a college course. As a result, there is often a lack of communication and understanding between teachers and students. I received disappointing grades with little feedback or explanation for where I went wrong, despite the effort and time that I put into the courses. |
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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? |
Great to live in the city.. |
| * Food: |
Expensive |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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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) |
DIS food stipend is very helpful but travel and general costs in Copenhagen are expensive |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | stipend covered most of my food, 20-50 dollars a week in Copenhagen |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | shop at cheap grocery stores like Netto and Fotex |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
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? | don't get too frustrated with the academics because ultimately you wont get the grades that are reflective of your effort |
