That calls for a Carlsberg Past Review

By Molly McMahon (University of Wisconsin - Madison) - abroad from 01/18/2016 to 05/13/2016 with

DIS Copenhagen: Semester

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I gained perspective about how americans are viewed by from other countries. I also gained a lot of knowledge about the workings of the EU and the refugee crisis that is going on. I also learned so much from the classes I took and the friends I made. I learned how I portray myself and how that can be taken in different ways based on the culture I am in.

Review Photos

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	I wish there had been more variation in our field studies.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	Our housing was great it wasn't too far away from downtown and school and was really nice.
* Food:	The food stipend you get wont last the entire semester but it does last for most of it.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	DIS is a really great program but all of your classes are with american's so you have to pursue local culture on your own, but if you are willing to look into it the staff at DIS are really helpful if there is anything you do want to get involved in.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	Before you get your CPR card you have to pay for the doctors, but DIS will refund you it just takes about 6 weeks. After you get your CPR card you can go to almost any doctor and its all free. Its pretty easy to figure it out and the DIS website will answer most questions you have about going to the doctors.
* Safety:	I felt safer in Copenhagen than I do in Madison.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes I loved this program so much. I made so many friends and got to travel a ton. I also was part of a scholarship group that offered us more cultural experiences, so even though I hung out mostly with American students I still got to have Danish experiences. I also volunteered at the local student run cafe, so I worked with all international and Danish students and that was a really great experience. I do wish I could have had more interactions with the Danes, but this program allowed me to study abroad and still gain credits towards my major which as a neurobiology student was hard to find while looking for an abroad program. I loved this program a lot and would recommended it to anyone.

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)	Not super easy, Copenhagen is a pretty expensive city so 2-2.5, depending on the week of course, so if you are on a tight budget plan out your finances before you go how much you want to spend each week and keep in mind you have two whole weeks you can travel for and you will most likely be traveling for a few weekends.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	probably close to $4000
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	if you planning on traveling around Europe a lot while you are there try going to cheaper cities like Prague or Budapest. Don't buy coffee out a lot its expensive go to places like the Studenterhuet its much cheaper there and if you volunteer there you get unlimited free coffee and drink coupons for every hour you volunteer.

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	Pretty much everyone in Denmark speaks english so there wasn't a need to speak the language, but my professor always encouraged us to try and us the language when ordering and stuff like that. Everyone I talked to also was really nice when I would try and speak Danish.
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?	Ask you friends to help you speak in that language, also try to use it when you are out and about like at cafes or bars.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Apartment
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	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?	Week long field study Working at the studenterhuset traveling with friends I made
* What could be improved?	variety in field studies more interaction within the community activities put on by the DRC
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Denmark is cold pretty much the whole time you will be there except if its fall the first 2 weeks you are there and if its spring the last two weeks you will be there. Also it is a pretty expensive city to go to think along the lines of Manhattan prices.

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!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	psychopharmacology
Course Department:	Neuroscience
Instructor:	Jesper Andreasen
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	The class was slightly more challenge than my other study abroad classes, but it was a really great class. I thought that the class material was really interesting and liked the professor. I had wished we had more variety in our field studies they were all lectures and some of the were very interesting and cool to learn about, but it got a bit repetitive.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No transfer issues

Course Name/Rating:	Neuroscience of Fear
Course Department:	Neuroscience
Instructor:	Bettina Hornall
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	The class wasn't too hard and really had the potential to be a really interesting class, however the way Bettina taught the class made it kind of dull.
Credit Transfer Issues:	N/A