Amazing cultural and life experiences, but issues with the DIS program Past Review

By A student (PSYCHOLOGY., Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/18/2012 to 12/15/2012 with

DIS Copenhagen: Semester

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I absolutely loved my experience abroad. Living in Copenhagen, meeting students from many places, and travelling was incredible and something I would never trade. I wasn't thrilled with the DIS program, but my other experiences and the friends I made definitely made up for it.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	I wasn't too thrilled with the actual courses at DIS and felt that the professors were not of the same caliber as Middlebury professors.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	Disorganized, lost some of my documents, and often unhelpful. There were also huge issues with internet connection that were never resolved in the four months of the semester.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?
* Food:	I really enjoyed the food in Copenhagen, though it is expensive and I ended up cooking most of my meals. My grocery stipend lasted me until the end of the program.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	I spent some time with my SRAs, young Danes living in my building, but didn't feel very integrated into the local culture because of living in DIS-provided housing
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	Copenhagen is a very safe city
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes

Finances

* 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)	Depends on how much you choose to spend. The food stipend helps a lot, but if you want to shop in Copenhagen and go out to eat it's more difficult. Going out can also get a little pricey
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	$60-$100
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Look for student discounts at restaurants, cafes, clothing stores, salons, etc.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language? 0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language	Everyone speaks English in Copenhagen
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program?	None
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program?	Beginner
How many hours per day did you use the language?	0

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Dorm
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Americans
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Americans
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?	Traveling and study tours Living in Copenhagen Meeting new friends
* What could be improved?	Administration Faculty Variety of classes
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Not to rent a bike from GlobalStudent because they're so incompetent and disorganized that it's unreal how they can run a business.

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 Outright Urbanite A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Positive Psychology
Course Department:	Psychology
Instructor:	Kay Worsfold
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Loved the professor and the group of students in the class, but was not happy with the content of the course. I don't think Positive Psychology is a field I'm very interested in
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Psychology of Human Sexuality
Course Department:	Psychology
Instructor:	Karina Lins
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Fun and interesting class, not very academically challenging
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Psychology of Leadership
Course Department:	Psychology
Instructor:	Edith Kahlke/Ivan Hauser
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Started off terribly with a very bad instructor, but improved immensely when a new professor took over the class
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Danish Language and Culture I
Course Department:	Danish
Instructor:	Alette Haas
Instruction Language:	English/Danish
Comments:	The actual course was fun, but grading was very harsh for first-time speakers of the Danish language. Though Alette is very sweet, she's a brutal grader.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Literary Landscapes of the Mind
Course Department:	European Humanities
Instructor:	Keith Gumery
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Great material, but a very poorly executed class because of the instructor. He does not accept other opinions than his own, was condescending to students, and had a very bad attitude in class. Was very rude during one-on-one meetings. I would strongly dissuade anyone from taking this class.
Credit Transfer Issues: