DIS Clinical Psychology Past Review
By Sophie B (Psychology and HSSP, Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/18/2015 to 05/18/2015 with
DIS Copenhagen: Semester
I learned so much academically--I want to pursue a career in clinical psychology but most of the psychology courses at Brandeis aren't clinically focused, so I really enjoyed my classes at DIS. The learning is hands on and experiential and I felt like I learned more about careers and the "real world" while abroad that at my home university. It was definitely a worthwhile experience. True to the cliches, I became more independent through studying abroad and also learned a lot about my own cultural identity. I loved that DIS builds travel into the course schedule--each core class takes short trip, usually within Denmark, and a week long trip outside of the country!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I felt like I worked equally as hard in my classes abroad as I do at Brandeis, in a totally good way! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
DIS is really great and everything is well organized. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Living in a kollegium was nice, but a bit dirty. |
| * Food: |
Good but expensive! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Having a visiting family, taking a practicum course and taking a Danish course really helped with the cultural integration. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I went to the doctor a few times and it was easy. The local system is different because it is public and more difficult to navigate without speaking Danish (a lot of appointment scheduling is done online). |
| * Safety: |
Copenhagen is really safe! |
| 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) |
Honestly, Copenhagen is super expensive and it is very difficult to be on a student budget! It is doable but requires a lot of planning and determination. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $50-100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Living in a homestay will be cheaper than a kollegium, I think! |
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 |
Taking a Danish course is necessary for Brandeis students and definitely a smart requirement. |
| 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? | Level 34 (Converstional Hebrew) |
| 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? | If you have a visiting family/host family, ask them to practice with you! |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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? | Nothing--I knew a fair amount about DIS before beginning the program, but I was also appreciative that I didn't have many expectations. It is easier to take everything in and enjoy the experience without having huge expectations beforehand. |
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 LinguistYou 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! |
