En hyggelig semester i København Past Review

By Abigail (Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/20/2016 to 12/13/2016 with

DIS Copenhagen: Semester

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

I think that, most importantly, I gained a new perspective and outlook. There are so many wonderful and amazing aspects about the Danish way of life that I know I will forever hold dear and try to incorporate into my own life stateside. I think I also gained a lot of independence. I go to school in rural Vermont and prior to going abroad, I had only left the country twice, both on organized trips. In my time abroad, I learned how to plan a trip, book plane tickets, and navigate public transportation in different languages. Living in a city taught me how to take time for myself even when you're surrounded by other people, and Copenhagen offered so many incredible opportunities to explore historic sites, beautiful parks, and cozy cafes. When I first arrived in Copenhagen, I couldn't imagine that I would ever feel like I truly knew the city. But by the time I left, it had become my home, and it is a place that will forever hold a special place in my heart. My time abroad was definitely worthwhile as it has helped me to learn about myself and grow as a person.

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.	DIS is definitely a program that places an emphasis on the academics. My professors were fantastic, and I really enjoyed the cross-cultural perspectives that they offered in class. One of the most unique aspects of DIS is the study tour that you take with your core course class. I thought that this was a great experience, and the academic visits we went on were generally very relevant to the material we were covering in class. The cultural activities of the study tour were very fun as well. All of my classes at DIS placed a lot of emphasis on group work, which is something I am not accustomed to at my home university. However, it was a great opportunity to get to know other students in the program. Overall, I thought the academics at DIS were interesting and engaging, but not so overwhelming that they took away from your ability to enjoy exploring Europe.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	DIS provides a variety of housing options for students. I was very fortunate to be placed in a residential community in the center of the city, only a two minute walk from school. My house was all American students, but I really enjoyed the apartment style living and the proximity to everything in Copenhagen
* Food:	While DIS does not provide a "meal plan", you are provided with a grocery store stipend.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	Copenhagen was a very safe city, which was a very great comfort.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes

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 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?	If you don't want to stay in a hostel and don't want to pay for a hotel, use airbnb.

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
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?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Dorm Apartment
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Americans
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Americans

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	The core course and study tours Field studies

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Danish Language and Culture
Course Department:
Instructor:	Christina Knudsen
Instruction Language:
Comments:	I was required to take Danish, but I am very happy that I did. Although you don't end up learning a very extensive Danish vocabulary, you do learn basic important phrases and grammar. It's definitely nice to be able to walk around the city or go into a restaurant and be able to know a fair number of the words on the menu. Christina was very knowledgable, patient, and helpful. My favorite part of the course was the culture portion. About half of each class was devoted to culture, and we covered a wide range of topics, from Danish history to current events and issues such as immigration, the welfare state, and the prison system. The course included two field studies as well, during which we visited cultural sites in the city that were relevant to the cultural material we were learning in class.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Globalization and European Economies
Course Department:	Core Course
Instructor:	Mikkel Godt Gregersen
Instruction Language:
Comments:	I really enjoyed the Global Economics core course. Mikkel was a great professor and incorporated many current issues, such as Brexit and immigration, into the class. One of the reasons I took this class was to gain a European perspective on many of the economics topics I've learned about in the US, and Mikkel certainly provided this. The class was highly discussion based, and the main grades were a midterm, research paper, group final presentation/paper, and participation. The study tour for this class was also phenomenal, and by far one of the highlights of my abroad experience.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	History of Copenhagen: Structure, Plan, Design
Course Department:
Instructor:	Carsten Pape
Instruction Language:
Comments:	This course covers the history of the urban design of Copenhagen. By looking at the history of the urban layout and structure of the city, you also gain an understanding of the cultural history, which was extremely fascinating. Carsten was a very organized lecturer - he printed out the slides for each class for note taking, had comprehensive reading guides, and created very thorough city companions for Copenhagen and several other cities. The main assignments for the course are three cultural assignments, the midterm, and the final. While the cultural assignments are on the longer side, Carsten allows you to work with other classmates and they are an amazing way to learn the city. Working on the first cultural assignment was how I really got my bearings in Copenhagen and found a lot of really neat parks, restaurants, and sites throughout the city, many of which are still some of my favorite spots in the city. The exams are long and require a lot of studying, but Carsten provides pretty detailed outlines of what will be covered on the exams. Overall, I would highly recommend this course.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Development Economics
Course Department:
Instructor:	David Possen
Instruction Language:
Comments:	This course offers an interesting and comprehensive look at Development Economics. David is very organized, and posts most of his lectures online the night before with short quizzes so that the entire class can be spent in group-oriented, interactive activities. David was also extremely enthusiastic, engaging, and knowledgable. The course studies for this course were very relevant, and included trips to the UNDP and DANIDA. One of the great parts of this course is that it looks at the economics of developmental aid from the different perspectives of the donor and recipient. The assessments in this class consisted of a midterm exam, paper, and a final simulation, as well as class participation.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Virtual Selves: Psychology and Emerging Technology
Course Department:
Instructor:	Debra Quackenbush
Instruction Language:
Comments:	This course was interesting, very relevant to our technology-centric society, and unlike any other psychology class I've taken at my home institution. Virtual Selves covered topics such as identity, attachment, and therapy, which I had learned about in other courses, and looked at them from the perspective of our online lives and interactions. Dr. Q was very knowledgable about the material and very approachable. Some of the main assignments included short online discussion posts about readings, a research paper, leading a class, and a final exam. An additional component of the course involved spending time in Second Life, an online virtual world. We all created our own avatars in Second Life, had field studies there, and conducted interviews with other users.
Credit Transfer Issues: