Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Wonderful, Eye-Opening Semester in a Beautiful City Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/13/2017 to 05/12/2017 with

DIS Copenhagen: Semester

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Independence, ability to navigate a new city, learned how to be comfortable with being uncomfortable, gained exposure to a wonderful city and culture. Absolutely worthwhile.

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.

The academics are what you make of them. There isn't much day to day work, so it's really about taking the liberty and doing the readings if interested. Nothing really compared to what I am used to at Middlebury, which is nice because you study abroad to be able to enjoy the city and explore your new surroundings, not be stuck in a library doing work all day.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Loved living in my residential community. The location was perfect and it was a great way to immediately meet people at the start of the program.

* Food:

Food in Denmark is amazing, just very expensive!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had strep throat for a week but the local healthcare system was incredible. I called the doctor in the morning, got an appointment that afternoon, was seen within 15 minutes, and picked up my prescription immediately after my appointment. It was incredibly efficient and easy!

* Safety:

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)

As long as you're smart with your spending (i.e not going out every night, making your own meals, etc.) it's really not difficult to live in the city.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Less than $100 a week.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Don't go out at night all that often and you'll save money on cover charges and drinks. Dining out also can be very expensive, so keep that to a minimum if you're looking to save money.

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

Practically everyone in Denmark speaks English so there isn't much need to speak the language. Knowing a little Danish helps with reading signs, but the locals are pretty helpful with that.

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? The Danish language is difficult but the program does a great job of introducing it to new students. The most helpful component is learning how to read signs and understanding what certain things you see on a day to day basis mean.

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? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Location
  • Study tour component
* What could be improved?
  • Academic Rigor
  • Opportunities for students to meet
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Can be difficult to do the program alone because many students do it with friends from home universities and often make all travel plans before the semester starts, thus making it difficult to accommodate for extra travelers. Also, Copenhagen in the spring is very cold! It did not consistently reach above 60 degrees until early May.

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:

Sustainability in Northern Europe
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments: This class was my core course and was very dry and I didn't feel like I learned anything new, much less could have looked up everything we learned in the semester in about one hour. The professor didn't give any feedback on papers so we often didn't know why we received certain grades. Every assignment was a group project, which I really didn't like because many students' grades do not count toward their GPA while abroad.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Psychology of Human Sexuality
Course Department: Psychology
Instructor: Debbie Quackenbush
Instruction Language:
Comments: Incredible class and hands down one of the most interesting classes I have ever taken. Take this if you get the chance! Debbie is a licensed practitioner in Denmark and brings in case studies from her clients, which is so interesting.
Credit Transfer Issues: