DIS - A Great Program and Danish Experience! Past Review
By A student (BIOLOGICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES., University of Maryland - College Park) - abroad from 01/13/2013 to 05/17/2013 with
DIS Copenhagen: Semester
I became a lot more independent, had great cross-cultural experiences, and really learned a lot about local culture! It was absolutely worthwhile and I would do it again in a second.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
More academically rigorous than other study abroad programs, but still relatively easy compared to home universities. There are a lot of out of classroom experiences for each course, which really add to the value of the course and are fun! |
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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? |
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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
There are a lot of cultural immersion opportunities, but it still up to the individual student to ake advantage of them! |
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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) |
Copenhagen is an expensive city so budgeting is very important, but you can still live on a student's budget if done right. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 60 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Make meals at home and pack a lunch so you don't have to eat out much. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| 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? | none |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Take time on your own each day to practice with a friend and review the new vocab and grammar. The only way to actually learn the language is to practice it with friends and find locals to speak to! |
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? | DIS is its own program in Copenhagen, not affiliated with any particular university. You will have a lot taken care of for you, but the experience is what you make it so you really have to take advantage of opportunities early! |
