Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

As cliche as it sounds, my semester at DIS was the best 4 months of my life Past Review

By (International Politics, Macalester College) - abroad from 08/15/2015 to 12/13/2015 with

DIS Copenhagen: Semester

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
My experience at DIS was unique from my friends' experiences at their semester programs because DIS was a well balanced combination of interesting school work, hands on experiences, independent travel, and learning to be independent in general. I got to learn about topics that interested me from professors who were experts in their field and work on projects that these professors have worked on "in the real world." I also had time to travel on my own and explore new cities, which a lot of my other friends didn't get to do. Copenhagen is also the most amazing city I have ever been to and I had an amazing experience I will never forget.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The travel breaks and field studies built into the semester really enhanced my educational experience like no other classes I have ever taken before. Each class is very hands on and the professors are experts in their field of study.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Everyone was very helpful and the DIS staff was experienced in dealing with our questions and concerns.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in a kollegium and got to know many Danish students as well as get to know 15 other DIS students I lived with. It was a perfect balance of immersing myself with the Danes, but also having Americans to hang out with.

* Food:

I had to cook my own food, but it was a great learning experience.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Living in the kollegium and having Danish professors really helped me.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Universal health care was given to us as part of our CPR cards so you could go to a doctor at any time for free.

* Safety:

Copenhagen is an extremely safe city and I never felt scared walking alone.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

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 pretty expensive.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $100
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Do not eat out as much, instead shop at Netto even for basic things like snacks.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

Everyone s

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?
  • Location
  • Independence given
  • Academics
* What could be improved?
  • Quality of dorms
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Don't be nervous and don't be afraid that you are going to miss out on everything happening at your home institution because you'll be having such a great time abroad that you won't even care what is going on back home.

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 Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.