Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Adventures in a Comfortable City Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/18/2018 to 12/15/2018 with

DIS Copenhagen: Semester

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a lot about myself, and it was definitely worthwhile.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Courses had a good level of difficulty but not much was expected of the student. This led to a variety of effort placed into classes

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in a kollegium and it was a great balance of living near to the city, with other DIS students I bonded with, and Danes who made the experience for me

* Food:

The stipend is a great amount.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Easy to get trapped in the DIS bubble just because of the sheer size of the program. But with my danish friends (roommates) and visiting host family I felt a good sense of connection

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Very safe city, especially after traveling elsewhere you reall notice the difference. But like everywhere, things will happen so it’s important to be smart and aware.

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)

Travel is more expensive than I planned for. Eating out is a social activity but also expensive.

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? Budget and keep track of everything

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

  • Local Students
  • 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?
  • Copenhagen as a city
  • The travel and field trips
* What could be improved?
  • The difficulty of the classes
  • Integration into local culture
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? How large it was

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 Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Danish Language and Culture
Course Department:
Instructor: Suzanne
Instruction Language: English
Comments: I had to take this class as a requirement for my university, and it ended up being one of my favorites. It helped me get a better sense of the society and learning about small things I otherwise wouldn’t think about. They are great at teaching danish at a doable pace.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Health Delivery & Prioritization
Course Department: Public Health
Instructor: Line Fredericks
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This course was not that challenging for me, though it was interesting. It was more of a survey class on health systems and then we did comparative studies that seemed elementary.
Credit Transfer Issues: None.
Course Name/Rating:

Muslims in the West
Course Department:
Instructor: Jesper Petersen
Instruction Language:
Comments: Great way to learn more about the immigrant crisis in Europe right now. Instructor touched on nuances and relied heavily on readings and papers which served learning well.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Urban Transportation in Europe
Course Department:
Instructor: Silvia Drogmier
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This course started out very interesting, with us getting to ride many different forms of transit. Relied heavily on group work and wish we discussed more of the nuances in the readings
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Philosophy of Mental Health
Course Department: Copenhagen University
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments: This was definitely geared more to clinical psychologists and psych majors than I was hoping, but very interesting class.
Credit Transfer Issues: