Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Incredible!!! Past Review

By (Political Science and Government., George Washington University) - abroad from 01/14/2013 to 05/17/2013 with

DIS Copenhagen: Semester

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned so much about myself, but a lot of it can't be put into words. I feel so much more independent and self-reliant. I also came to question a lot of the values and habits that I took for granted in the US. I'll be approaching my chosen field, environmental sustainability, from a completely new perspective now. I'm so much more open to new ideas, which is a change I'm really proud of.

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 professors were typically had a separate "day job" and would bring real-life experiences and issues to the classroom. That was the cool part. The not-so-cool part was the inconsistency in quality that I experienced from teacher to teacher. On the whole, however, the academics were much more rigorous that most study abroad programs.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

They have so many resources! The IT Department even offered to charge my laptop for me when my charger broke!

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

SO satisfied. I lived in a living and learning community with superb housing (scratch that -- probably the nicest apartment I'll live in for awhile). I believe housing can make or break your experience, and it definitely "made" mine. My LLC became incredibly close and I know we'll be friends for a long time!

* Food:

If I could eat pastries every day, I would. Those are the "high" end of affordable Danish cuisine. On the low, practical end you have Netto: it gets you what you need, but boy, can the quality be questionable. Irma isn't on the food stipend card, but I found myself shopping there nevertheless.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I joined a gym (Fitness dk), which helped a lot. Many of the classes were in Danish. Grocery shopping was a bit of a struggle at first, too. Once I started getting the hang of the gym and the grocery store, though, I really felt comfortable and immersed in the local culture. A big part of immersion is just feeling like you can make it through an ordinary day in the city like one of the Danes.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I didn't have any health issues while abroad, but I felt adequately prepared if something were to come up. Many of my friends who had to use the local medical services were satisfied with their experience.

* Safety:

Overall, extremely safe. I rarely felt threatened, even when walking alone at night. Our building required two taps with the DIS card, as well as a key to get into the actual apartment. So in that sense, I felt very protected. The only time I'd ever feel unsafe was when walking around Vesterbro at night, but even then, people usually kept to themselves.

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)

Given the food stipend, I found that it was very easy to live on a student's budget. The stipend basically lasted me the whole semester, which I didn't expect. So as long as you have that, there shouldn't be too many extraneous expenses. Going out at night and buying copious amounts of pastries during the week will, however, kill your budget. But hey, that's part of immersion, right?

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $30-$40
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Don't use your Netto card to buy alcohol, don't eat out too often, and most importantly, look out for student deals wherever possible. This is a silly little tip, but something that helped me control my spending was to pretend that the cost in Kroner was actually the same as the cost in US dollars. The fact that the ratio is 5-6 Kroner for every US dollar really makes items seem a lot more expensive!

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

I didn't take the Danish language course while at DIS, but I found myself using the language regularly. Simple greetings and pleasantries are pretty easy to master even if you aren't taking Danish. I never felt like DIS really pushed us to use Danish, but that wasn't a bad thing. I ended up using it on my own time and at my own pace.

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? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Living in the GREEN HOUSE!!! Making quality hyggelig time with friends!
  • Going to Studenterhuset multiple times a week!
  • The beautiful city of Copenhagen and its beautiful people!
* What could be improved?
  • I wouldn't change a single thing about my experience.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I thought it was going to be way harder to make friends than it actually was. That was actually my biggest fear about going abroad. Turns out that making friends was the easiest part of being abroad! Back at my home university, students aren't very open or friendly. At DIS, everyone's in the same boat of wanting and needing to meet people. I was told this before coming to DIS and found it to be quite true: on the whole, the people you hang out with for the first week or two of the program tend to be the people that will become your closest friends by the end.

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!