Four Months Can Change Your Life Past Review
By A student (Cross-Cultural Communication, Trinity University) - abroad from 08/15/2015 to 12/13/2015 with
DIS Copenhagen: Semester
I can't put all that I learned from my experience into this text box, so I'll just say this: study abroad gives you an opportunity to get real-world exposure and knowledge, and you can truly find yourself in a foreign 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. |
In terms of academic rigor, DIS courses felt somewhat comparable to high school courses, which I wasn't too upset about considering study abroad should't focus too heavily on grades. What DIS lacked in academic rigor it more than made up for in field studies and using interactive teaching methods to get students out into the real world and apply the lessons they learned. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I chose to live in a homestay, which potentially has the greatest risk involved. I chose to do this because I hosted a student when I was younger, so I wanted to see what the flip-side would be like. I could't have asked for a better fit with my host family. DIS did an amazing job of putting us together, and they are people I will hold with me the rest of my life. |
| * Food: |
Danish food is amazing, ranging from the frikadeller to the flaeskesteg, the leverpostej to the aebleflaesk, and the risengrod to the risalamande. You have to try Danish food. It was so good, I made Christmas Eve dinner for my blood family, making only Danish food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Integration was easy, as I lived with the host family and got to meet locals through them. I had a ton of Danish friends around my age, and I also rode my bike to school every day, joining the Copenhagen bike culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt completely safe the entire time I was abroad. |
| 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) |
As I said, I completely lucked out on my living arrangements. Rarely did I have to pay for groceries or my own food, which significantly helped in my budgeting. I found that I had plenty of money to do what I wanted, but I also budgeted ahead of time knowing I would lose money while studying abroad. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $20 max |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Go into study abroad prepared to lose money, and budget for that. Make educated guesses. Track your expenses during a normal semester to get a feel for what you might spend while abroad. |
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 |
DIS wanted us to be familiar with the language, and the Danish Language and Culture course I took really helped understanding minor things with locals. Once again, the homestay helped even more with this. |
| 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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | no Danish, 3 years of Spanish |
| 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? | Meet locals and practice with them! If you're really into it, speak Danish to them and have them speak English to you, or vice versa. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 10+ |
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? | I wish I knew how hard it would be to come back to the States... |
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 BlazerCraving 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.' |
