A Hyggeligt Semester in Copenhagen Past Review
By A student (Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/16/2016 to 05/17/2016 with
DIS Copenhagen: Semester
I gained a lot of confidence to become more independent. I also became more organized as I planned weekend trips and found my way around new cities.
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. |
The courses were not extremely work intensive, but they required thoughtfulness and a good understanding of the topic in order to be successful. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
DIS is a very well-run program. I was pretty independent during the semester, but it was comforting to know there was support from the program if I needed help with anything. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in a kollegium (dorm) outside of the city, where I was able to live with other Danish and international students. It would have been nice to be a little closer to the city but I really enjoyed my housing and the people I met there. |
| * Food: |
I had a kitchen so I was in charge of my own food arrangements. The only problem is that food is pretty expensive in Copenhagen. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Living in a kollegium and having a Danish visiting host family gave me ample opportunities to meet the Danes, which I really enjoyed. DIS gives us a lot of travel time, which is amazing, but it was a little difficult to feel fully integrated in the Danish culture when I was always on the go. I would recommend spending as many weekends as possible exploring Copenhagen and greater Denmark, because there is so much to see! I did spend a fair amount of time with other DIS students through my classes, but I still felt integrated with the Danish culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I was reimbursed by DIS for a doctor's visit. |
| * Safety: |
I felt very safe in Copenhagen. The buses ran all night. |
| 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) |
Copenhagen is a really expensive city. DIS takes care of transportation costs and gives us a food stipend. |
| 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? | Bring your own lunch and make coffee at home. |
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 |
I enjoyed my Danish class, but I did not have many opportunities to speak it because English is used so much in Denmark. Having the Danish background was helpful when reading signs and menus. |
| 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 |
| 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? | Duolingo app |
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? | I experienced a lot and visited many places in a short amount of time, so it is really important to live in the moment and take the time to reflect. Also, be prepared to spontaneously travel on the weekends with new friends! |
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 UrbaniteA 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. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism from a European Perspective |
| Course Department: | European Politics |
| Instructor: | Jesper |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This course required me to think about terrorism from different perspectives. I gained a deeper understanding of the implications of and reasons behind terrorism, through discussions in the classroom and through experiential learning on our trips. This was my core course, so we travelled to several countries as a class. Our field studies were incredible and very relevant to the subject. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
