Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Scuttling through the Danes Past Review

By (University of Rhode Island) - 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?
Doing things solo can be the best way to have fun.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

In my particular program (sustainable development in Northern Europe) was easy but can be time consuming.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The administration was fine. I didn't really use them all that much so I cant really rate them.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The house itself was fine. I lived in a LLC. But we did have significant trouble due to an pantry moth outbreak at the start of the semester that couldn't be fixed and problems with the dryers not working. We also had some personal problems with people not fulfilling their cleaning duties which lead to more problems.

* Food:

We had our own kitchen, so we prepared our own food. But the nearby restaurants were awesome.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I never got my CPR card, which you need for healthcare purposes. Thankfully i didn't need it.

* Safety:

The city was safe. I had no problems walking around in the middle of the night. there were lots of drunk people, but we lived near two bars so it was to be expected. We were told by our RA to avoid the parks at night because those places could be dangerous.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

I would choose a program that let met meet the locals more. It was too easy to stay with Americans and pretty much impossible to get out of it, especially when you consider the cultural difference between American and Danes.

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)

We had a food card that had $600 USD on it. I didn't use it up till the last two week of the semester was upon us.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Not alot honestly. My food lasted me awhile so maybe $40 a week.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Plan your meals out and if you can in bulk, do it.

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

Our field study's in that class let us frequently talk to people in Danish. But outside of the classroom i barely used it because no one could understand me.

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? I took German for two year but didn't have any background experience in Danish.
How many hours per day did you use the language? 0

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Other
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • 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?
  • The field studies to other place in Scandanavia
  • The classroom atmosphere in general
* What could be improved?
  • emails to student about important cultural differences like how most if not all stores are closed on holidays.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Danes that there holidays very seriously, so expect almost all stores to be closed.

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!