No regrets, only adventures and scars. Past Review

By A student (Biochemistry, Economics, Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/13/2013 to 05/17/2013 with

DIS Copenhagen: Semester

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

I gained understanding of what it means to live on your own in the real world and not pampered on a campus, what it means to budget your money and how it feels to not have any money. I learned how to make new friends when they come from very different places and not fall into the same old routine.

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.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	The administration was helpful.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	I was happy with my housing as it turned out well; however, the differences amongst the housing options was unfair considering some students were only a 10 minute walk away from school and others were 1 hour away by train.
* Food:	Food was very expensive and the program did not provide much aid.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	I tried very hard to integrate into the culture. The time was not long enough to make really good Danish friends and I was constantly surrounded by Americans. Attending Copenhagen University would have been a better option as even if there was still international interaction, it would have been Europeans instead of Americans.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	Danish welfare state was awesome.
* Safety:	Minus a few break-ins into my dorm, I felt safe always.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	No

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. Thank you welfare state, i.e. 25% sales tax.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	150-200
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Buy plane tickets early (skyscanner.com). Pack your lunch. Cook with people to make use of things bought in bullk. Budget in the foreign currency

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	Too American of a program
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?	Don't give up on making friends and don't talk in English. Your limitations in the foreign language will spur you to learn more words so you don't just sit there.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Dorm
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Local Students Americans International Students
* 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?	Study tours living situation LOCATION!!!!
* What could be improved?	classroom atmosphere travel break scheduling
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	To go to Copenhagen University instead and rent an appartment on my own/with other Danish students to be more fully involved in Danish society

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 Nearly Native or Trail Blazer Craving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.'

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Health Economics
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	It was an amazing class when Andreas taught our lectures. However, we also had a new teacher that made the class dull and pointless. I learned nothing from her lectures and became discouraged by her. The content covered was thorough and interesting. I wish the whole class had been taugt by Andreas though.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I would definite suggest it to other students. It should transfer for an economics credit.

Course Name/Rating:	Behavioral Economics
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This class should have been interesting, but it struggled to take off the ground. The final project was great--design a project and do it. But we weren't given the same tool set that Middlebury would have provided us. Too much of the content came from only other journal experiments without a structured breakdown of what we should take from the articles. There wasn't enough teaching to throw us into the deep end of project creation.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No. I don't think I will be able to get an economics credit for it since it mimicks the Middlebury class but not at a high enough academic level.

Course Name/Rating:	Development Economics
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This was my favorite class abroad. The teacher provided vast amounts of information and readings--too much sometimes, but better more than less. With numerous resources, designing a development project was more about thinking creatively and out of the box rather than sitting there just trying to figure out a format/what should be delievered.
Credit Transfer Issues:	TAKE THIS CLASS. DIS might be changing the structure of it though, so read the syllabus to see if the credit will still transfer for econ.

Course Name/Rating:	Danish
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	Danish, English
Comments:	This was a great introductory course to the Danish language and culture. The teacher was encouraging and friendly. She understood what was actually going to be useful when living in a coutry for only four months so she emphasized the conversational language and gave us readings to help us integrate better with the Danes. She has a very Danish approach to learning which inspired exploration rather than repetition drills for pronunciation.
Credit Transfer Issues:	Another great class! Danish is a somewhat difficult language, but fun to learn!

Course Name/Rating:	Healthcare Prioritization & Delievery
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This was my core course at DIS. I learned a lot, but didn't realize it until I had to study for the final. Int hat way, I think it was a great class because the learning happened through conversation and field trip interactions. I participated more often than at Middlebury because there was a participation grade component.
Credit Transfer Issues:	General credit transfer. Good class, especially interested in the healthcare field.