Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

I'm extremely glad I went abroad Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/16/2016 to 05/17/2016 with

DIS Copenhagen: Semester

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a lot about a different culture, and through this, a lot about my own culture.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The most important things I learned came from exploring the city itself. The classes were okay, but could be boring at times. Great professors, but not always great material. Grading could be a little strange and arbitrary (and definitely was not standard). Overall, I did not learn as much from the classes as I do at my home college, but the classes were good and I got a lot out of them because of the cultural context. If I could change anything about the classes at DIS it would be to standardize the grading.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

DIS ran the program very well.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My housing was fine, but my room and apartment had way too many people. I told DIS I could have a roommate expecting to get 1, but instead I got 3 (there were 4 of us in a single bedroom). Likewise, the apartment I was living in would be a good size for 5-6 people, but DIS put 11 people in it. The housing was probably the worst part of my abroad experience.

* Food:

N/A. I cooked for myself, though the stipend was fine. It lasted me the entire semester.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt very integrated in the local culture because I worked hard to go out into the city, befriend people who weren't just American, etc. I had to work hard to integrate myself into the culture, but it was possible.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

N/A. Did not use any health services, but did have a doctor assigned to me.

* Safety:

I always felt very safe.

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

I would choose DIS, but I might take different classes, and I would definitely try to get different housing.

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)

I even had money left over from the $600 stipend at the end of the semester. However, this might have been because I traveled a lot on weekends, and therefore, was not using it on many weekends. I was able to eat healthy very cheaply. I spend a lot of money when I went out (a beer on a weekend cost 35-50dkk ($5.25-$7.50), but if you don't go to places with high cover charges and don't buy a lot while you're out you will be fine.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $70.00
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Pre-game bars and bring alcohol for the line if where you are going out has a long line or long commute. Don't go out to eat all the time, and be smart about what you buy at the grocery store (I ate mostly vegetables and paid less than $40 a week for groceries).

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

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

The program encouraged us to use the language, but it was not necessary. I tried to use it as much as I could, but there were people in the program who never used it.

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? None
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? Actually use the language and practice with Danes and other Americans.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
* 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?
  • Everything was planned well
  • We got ample time to travel and explore Copenhagen
  • Copenhagen is a fantastic city
* What could be improved?
  • Housing
  • Being separated from the Danes
  • Grading
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? You have to work hard to integrate yourself into the culture, but it is possible.

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.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Activism: Engagement & Resistance
Course Department:
Instructor: Jesper Lohmann
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Activism was an interesting course, though sometimes the readings and lectures could be boring. It was evaluated by class participation, papers, and a huge group project. I did not like that the group project was such a big part of the grade because some students' abroad grades transferred to their schools while other students' grades did not. Therefore, only students' whose grades counted ended up working hard on the project and had to do the other students' work for them.
Credit Transfer Issues: No
Course Name/Rating:

Art In The Making
Course Department:
Instructor: Andrea Homann
Instruction Language: English
Comments: I really enjoyed this class. You had to put in time and effort, but it was a good break from my other courses and I enjoyed that we got to be creative. Projects, participation, and an ongoing sketchbook were graded. Andrea seemed to grade using the 'Danish' method more than the 'American' method (if you did extremely good work you would get an A- because an A was reserved for absolutely exceptional work). I participated in this class about the same as I would have at my home university.
Credit Transfer Issues: No.
Course Name/Rating:

Danish Language & Culture I
Course Department:
Instructor: Morten Lykkegaard
Instruction Language: English
Comments: I would not call this course challenging, but to get an A you had to put work into the course. It was very obvious in class who actually studied and made an effort to learn Danish, and who only looked at Danish during class. I participated in class about the same as I would at my home institution, though this was much more than many of the other students in my class. We were assessed on exams, papers, and participation. Morten was fantastic and I am very glad I was in his class. He taught us better than some of the other Danish professors, and was much more reasonable than other Danish professors. I heard horror stories about some other Danish professors, but I absolutely loved Morten. I highly recommend taking Danish with him.
Credit Transfer Issues: No, I had no issues.
Course Name/Rating:

European Clinical Psychology
Course Department: Psychology
Instructor: Lars Rossen
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This class itself was not challenging and the textbook material could be boring. However, Lars was awesome and I learned a lot about clinical psychology in a cultural perspective from the field trips we went on and stories Lars shared. I spent a lot less time outside class time on this class than I would have at my home institution, but I still participated in class.
Credit Transfer Issues: I had no issues.
Course Name/Rating:

European Clinical Psychology Practicum
Course Department: Psychology
Instructor: Lars Rossen
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Papers and lectures could be boring, and the work was not challenging but sometimes graded arbitrarily. However, by going to an actual social psychiatry site, I learned a lot about how cultures look at mental illness. While I did not love the class (and often did not like it), I took more away from this class than any other class I took at DIS, and Lars is a great professor.
Credit Transfer Issues: No issues.