Copenhagen is awesome!! Past Review

By A student (ARCHITECTURE AND RELATED SERVICES., Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/18/2012 to 12/14/2012 with

DIS Copenhagen: Semester

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

I adored the city of Copenhagen and ended up making lifelong friends. I saw so much of the world and experienced so many different cultures - it was truly the most eye opening experience I've ever had that I will remember and cherish for the rest of my life. I was more independent than I've ever been in my entire life - I learned how to tackle problems and really take care of myself. If I could do it all over again, I would choose DIS but definitely choose a different core course because architecture was very challenging for me.

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.	The architecture program at DIS was definitely harder than all the other programs there. If you want to go abroad to learn more about architecture but ALSO have time to experience Copenhagen, make new friends, and have the time to travel without intense stress about work, I would not recommend the architecture program and instead would choose a different core course. It was so time consuming that sometimes I felt like I wasn't even abroad - I could be doing this same hard work anywhere in the world, including America, and wasn't getting anything out of being in Copenhagen. Especially when adjusting to a new country in which almost everything in my life was new and different, it was extremely hard for me personally to have this much work which a teacher who was not understanding at all. On the other hand, my other classes were great.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	The program administration was great - I always felt taken care of and supported in any situation, whether it had to do with housing or academics. I got to know lots of teachers and program directors on a personal level, which I wasn't expecting on such a big program.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	Although my dorm wasn't the nicest, I was very pleased with my living situation because it was such a great location. Whenever there were problems in the dorm they were immediately fixed.
* Food:	Food in Copenhagen isn't the best and was very expensive. I ended up cooking a lot. The food stipend DIS provides was very helpful and lasted me almost until the last week
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	To be honest, because I lived with other Americans in a DRC I definitely did not immerse as much as I wanted to. Although I made a few Danish friends, most of my friends were American. My Danish class, however, was one of the best things I did abroad. We learned so much about Danish culture and I really learned about the place I was in.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	Healthcare was very easily accessible and DIS always helped us out when it came to our health. However, the Danish healthcare system is very different than America. The most overwhelmed and isolated I ever felt when I was abroad was when I had to go to the doctor - the system is completely different, everyone was speaking Danish, and it was hard to adjust to.
* Safety:	I always felt safe. Copenhagen has an incredibly low crime rate.
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)	Copenhagen is expensive. Way more expensive that other European cities I visited. We almost never went out to dinner.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	$150-$200, more when i traveled because of museum entrances etc.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Look at your budget and check your spending constantly. Set a limit of how much you are going to spend each week.

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
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
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	N/A
How many hours per day did you use the language?	0
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants?	Danish is really hard for Americans - most Danish people didnt understand my Danish, even the words I was really confident saying in class. Everyone speaks English in Denmark though, so it wasn't a problem, and it was still fun to learn and try to use the language.

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?	City of Copenhagen Friends DIS community
* What could be improved?	architecture program Overall living situation - some people were very far away
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I wish I had known more about the architecture program before I went. I signed up for it because I am an architecture major at Middlebury and wanted to study it further, but there were so many other things that I wanted to get out of from being abroad besides architecture and I felt like I could only focus on the architecture because it was so time consuming. My biggest advice to any student going abroad to any program is to research it thoroughly before signing up - talk to past students, talk to current students, talk to professors. Just because you think you're supposed to be doing a certain program doesn't mean it's for you.

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:	Danish Language I
Course Department:	Danish Language
Instructor:	Nina Lahav
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	I loved this class! Although it was required by my school, I would have regretted it so much if I hadn't taken it. We learned so much about Denmark and Danish culture.
Credit Transfer Issues: