Best four months of my life! Past Review
By Tiffany L (Human Sciences, Georgetown University) - abroad from 08/15/2015 to 12/12/2015 with
DIS Copenhagen: Semester
Studying abroad for the fall semester was hands-down the best experience of my life! I'm so glad that I chose Copenhagen. As far as European cities go, I would say that it's one of the most under-rated. Which, for a person living there, is pretty great, because you aren't bombarbed with tourists and too much tourism. That having been said, the city itself is absolutely beautiful and the culture and lifestyle that Copenhagen boasts is quite amazing. I gained another home away from home and, quite frankly, I can't wait to go back!
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I think that this rating is completely relative to the course load that the student would be used to at their home university and it is also highly dependent on the type of courses you take while at DIS. Compared to Georgetown University, I did not feel that my courses were as intense. That having been said, I think it's because I took courses that were not heavily science based (which is what I would normally be doing at Georgetown) and I found it easy to sit in class and listen and absorb things while there, thus I always felt prepared for the exams and less stressed out about studying than I would be at Georgetown. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
DIS was amazing at streamlining the visa application process. It was amazing that we didn't have to worry about a thing, as DIS helped us every step of the way. In addition, the organization of courses and way scheduling worked out was amazing. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in a kollegium in Nørrebro and had an amazing experience! Loved that I was outside the city center and in a different neighborhood, so I got to explore this little part of Copenhagen and make it my own. The apartment itself in my kollegium was everything I needed and the perfect private place. |
| * Food: |
Netto's, Døgn Nettos, Føtex's and Fakta's everywhere to go shopping. The stipend that is available to students living in a kollegium is totally enough to help cover groceries (if you use it wisely). Food is fresh, organic, and isn't filled with the same preservatives and chemicals that might be present in US food, so be sure to pay extra attention to expiration dates! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt pretty integrated because I was able to become very close to my visiting family (basically a host family that I didn't live with) and make a few local friends. That having been said, it gets a little difficult to really "crack" the Danes' shells at first, but when you have, you make some great lifelong friends! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had to go to the doctors office once to get my foot checked out and it was very easy to make an appointment and go get it checked out! I called and they had me scheduled for an appointment within the week. Quick and painless. No prevalent health issues in this host country and as far as vaccines go, I did not have to get any specifically for this program. |
| * Safety: |
I never felt unsafe in Copenhagen, ever. If ever there was something suspicious going on in the neighborhood, DIS and the local authorities would make sure to email the students within that neighborhood and let them know so that they could be aware. But that having been said, I felt very safe during the entirety of my program! |
| 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) |
This is completely dependent on how the student manages their money. While in Copenhagen, I found myself spending much less money because I used the transport pass that was provided by DIS to get around and the food-stipend (købekort) card to purchase groceries and cook for myself. However, when traveling to other countries, I did find myself splurging much more (on food, shopping, souvenirs, lodgings, etc.). With careful planning, studying abroad does not have to be something that causes you to spend a lot of your money! |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $30 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you're like me and are trying to save every bit of money possible, when you're planning trips to other countries, fly Ryan-Air! Check flight prices by going "incognito" on your web-browser and look up prices on Tuesday afternoons, according to the trends, that's when plane tickets are typically at their cheapest. When booking lodgings in the countries you're visiting, make sure to check out both hostels and airbnb. In some countries, hostels are cheaper than staying in an airbnb while in others, an airbnb is cheaper than a hostel. To be quite honest, I loved Copenhagen so much that for the last month and a half, I didn't feel like traveling at all and found that I saved SO much money. It's the traveling that really sucks up your money. If you stay in one city in one place, living abroad doesn't have to be expensive! Find out the local deals that cafés and restuarants have in the city center--there are plenty of them. For example, Paludan Bogcafé has 10kr coffee every weekday before 10:30 AM! If you're a coffee addict, this is the perfect way to get your coffee fix, for cheap. |
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 |
Because the Danes are absolutely perfect at speaking English, it was very easy to get by and speak English all the time. That having been said, Georgetown requires that it's students in this program take the Danish Language and Culture Course. I would highly recommend taking this class! It was my favorite class during the semester, by far and I loved that I was able to study the language and culture of my host country. It gave me a deeper understanding of the country and its people and was an easy point of conversation between me and new Danish friends! |
| 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? | Spanish (Advanced) |
| 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? | To be quite honest, Danish is hard. There are GOING to be sounds that your mouth just doesn't understand how to make. But when it comes to learning it, you just need to practice practice practice! And don't be shy when practicing in public. Try ordering that coffee in Danish, and if the cashier responds in English, don't be offended--they just trying to be nice and polite by switching to the language that would be easier for both. The Danes are really appreciative of people who actually try to learn the language and are completely willing to help if you need it, so don't be afraid to ask and let them know that you want to practice. |
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? | N/A |
