A life-changing semester in Copenhagen! July 29, 2022
By A student (Medicine, Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/15/2022 to 05/15/2022 with
DIS Copenhagen: Semester
I learned so much about myself, my academic subjects, and Denmark. I gained a huge appreciation for Danish culture, made lovely friends, and fell in love with the city of Copenhagen. It is the most amazing place to explore and live in.
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. |
Great classes with very knowledgeable, kind professors. Most classes had lots of reading and few major assignments which were usually fairly easy in comparison to those at my home university. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
DIS is great—helpful, organized, and tons of resources. When I had COVID-19 they provided a hotel room and helped me with food deliveries. The only thing I wish they did better was tell us more information sooner, for example, I wish we had gotten our housing assignment more than a week before the program started so that I could prepare and pack better. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in a kollegium and I was under the impression that it was going to be a mix of American and Danish students, but instead it was me and 5 other Americans in a suite. We were all in doubles and shared one bathroom which was fine but I would have much preferred getting to live with some locals as many other students in the kollegium did. |
| * Food: |
Lots of delicious restaurants in Copenhagen but the food is very expensive! I recommend doing most of your grocery shopping at Netto because it is cheaper than many of the other stores. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I gained such an appreciation for Danish culture and really enjoyed meeting up with my visiting host family and taking the Danish Language and Culture class. However, I wish I could have lived with locals as well. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I went to my assigned Danish GP at one point for a skin issue. It was not a great process: I had to wait on hold on the phone for over an hour, translate information that was only in Danish multiple times, and wait multiple weeks for an appointment. When I finally had the appointment it was less than 10 minutes long and the doctor did not help me solve my problem or follow up adequately with test results etc. I'm not sure if my experience was just a unique issue with this particular doctor's office because I've heard other good things about Danish healthcare, but it was frustrating to have to wait so long and not get adequate care. |
| * Safety: |
Copenhagen is very safe: the metros and buses run late at night and are amazing and clean, the city is walkable and safe pretty much everywhere, and the locals are always kind and helpful if you need directions or translations. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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? | $220 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Try to avoid eating out and buying drinks because they are super expensive in Copenhagen, make what you can at home instead! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| 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? | 0 |
| 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? | Use Danish duolingo! |
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? |
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? | Don't overpack because you will definitely buy clothes and souvenirs etc. in Copenhagen Bring comfortable walking shoes Talk to your roommates before you arrive to introduce yourself Establish a FIRM cleaning schedule with your roommates and stick to it Be friendly to everyone in your classes even if people are very different from you because you might just find some great friends along the way! |
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 LinguistYou 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! |
