IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT THE PARTYING Past Review
By Shivani Desai (Trinity University) - abroad from 01/12/2018 to 05/11/2018 with
DIS Copenhagen: Semester
I learned how to be independent, learned how to deal with getting lost, eating new foods, getting accustomed to a new family and realizing that life is too short to not create who you want to be everyday.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Amazing. DIS did not disappoint. I learned a lot through all my classes and took away meaningful insights and experiences. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Very helpful. They helped me with every question I had and I did not have a problem getting help from the administration in Copenhagen. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was very satisfied. The host family was more than I could hope for. They were understanding, helpful and treated me the way I wanted to be treated, like an adult. |
| * Food: |
Haha I love spicy food and Copenhagen lacked that but besides that could not complain. They had better vegetarian options than America! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Actually not so much. Danes are quite reserved and I did not feel totally immersed in the culture besides interacting with my host family. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
VERY SAFE. I did not feel unsafe at all. But obviously be vigilant. I would come back home late at night from studying and even then I felt more safe than I would in America. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I loved Copenhagen. I loved it because of the art, the culture, my host family and I miss it everyday. I did a lot of self-retrospection while I was away and really took the time to meet people and travel and do as much as possible. There was not a day that went by when was bored or wanted to come back to America. It was a great experience for me, one I will never forget. |
Finances
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* 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 150-200 dollars |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Take a VISA instead of an American Express. Places rarely took AE and so it was quite difficult for me to spend on the stuff I wanted. The main reason why I resorted to eating with host family more often and did not eat out at restaurants quite as much. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Danes are not going to talk to you, so you have to talk to them. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
