Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

A Bank-Breaking Euro Trip Past Review

By (PSYCHOLOGY., Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/19/2014 to 05/18/2014 with

DIS Copenhagen: Semester

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a lot about myself, traveling, other cultures, and pushing myself outside my comfort zone. I think the best thing I learned was how to be comfortable by myself

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 took five classes, so there was a lot of work during the finals period, but not so much daily during the semester.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

They give you a meal card that you can use at three chains of stores. Most people's (including mine) ran out before the program ended. Beware - food is very expensive

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I never sought health care

* Safety:

You can walk home alone in the middle of the night and feel perfectly safe

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)

EVERYTHING is so expensive

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? People that were in homestays saved a lot of money on food. I had class from 8:30-5:45 twice a week so I always had to buy food
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Buy tupperwares and bring food. Also learn to cook a few things before you go abroad

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 took intro to Danish Language + Culture - absolutely take it to feel somewhat integrated into the culture

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? Practice with other people taking intro to Danish Language and Culture

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* 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?
  • The opportunities for travel with DIS (breaks, study tours, location, etc). I also loved the city itself - beautiful, historic, safe, clean
* What could be improved?
  • I didn't like the quality of person / the intersts of the other program students. I also found it impossible to meet / befriend Dane because of our cultural differences.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That this isn't a place where you will make non-American friends if you don't know the language

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 Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Positive Psychology
Course Department: Psychology
Instructor: Line
Instruction Language: English
Comments: It was awesome and she was so nice! The only problem was that it was a big class and Line needed to crack down on the distractions (texting / emailing in class etc)
Credit Transfer Issues: No