Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Best semester ever September 07, 2022

By (Neuroscience, Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/13/2022 to 05/14/2022 with

DIS Copenhagen: Semester

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned how other countries were experienced by locals as opposed to just tourists. It made me excited to continue traveling and return to Copenhagen one day.

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 academic rigor is hard to put on a scalar as the Danish approach to education is extremely divergent from the one used in the United States. The courses were less intense than at Middlebury but that certainly does not mean they were less valuable (I would argue many were more valuable to my future career than the more demanding classes I have taken at Middlebury)/

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The administration thought of everything for the smoothest transition into the program. From offering chances to explore the city, being proactive about academic support, the resources available to help adjust to living abroad, I could not give the Admin higher regards.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

It was spectacular to live in a kollegium biking distance from the city center, but with its own unique 'neighborhood feel'.

* Food:

I was cooking all my meals which was a fantastic change of pace.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Taking the Danish class was extremely fun, and the Kollegium provided some opportunity to meet some of the hilarious local students. Everyone is extremely friendly but only being abroad for 4 months makes it challenging to be 100% integrated to the local culture. This level of integration was perfect as I felt welcomed but excited to return and get to know people better.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I was exposed to covid and the program took unbelievable care of me while in quarantine housing.

* 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)

I was living off of approximately $30-50 a week buying food. It is extremely expensive to go out to eat in Copenhagen, but grocery prices were fairly comparable to the United States.

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
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • 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?
  • The way travel, work, and social life were balanced by the program.
* What could be improved?
  • Not much, everything was pretty perfect.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? There is no need to stress about getting set up in Copenhagen.

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 Blazer
Craving 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.'

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Anthropology of Food
Course Department: Anthropology
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

The Ethical Brain
Course Department: Philisophy/ Neuroscience
Instructor: Rene Rosfort
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Students would benefit from prior exposure to philosophy. The lectures and reading materials were extremely manageable and fairly engaging. Rene is an extremely friendly and helpful professor, especially if you attend his office hours. All grades were assessed using papers (3 + a final).
Credit Transfer Issues: This class did not count toward my philosophy requirement for neuroscience, or the major as a whole. Check with the study abroad office prior to leaving.
Course Name/Rating:

Neuroscience of Conciousness
Course Department: Neuroscience
Instructor: Claudia Carrara-Augustenborg
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Claudia is a good lecturer but expects a high level of autonomy from students. I normally welcome professors who operate their classes like this, but our final lab project was to create, design, and test a research study. It was challenging to navigate some of the testing parameters (such as rooms available to test) without going through a central entity, but never too challenging. Ultimetly, Claudia changed the way I thought about consciousness, presenting the lecture material and her own research in such a way conducive to forming my own ideas.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Danish Language and Culture
Course Department: Language and Culture
Instructor: Camillia Kirchhoff
Instruction Language: Danish/ English
Comments: The class was a fantastic way to meet fellow students, learn the history of Denmark and Copenhagen, and enrich my time abroad. As many people will tell you, Danish is a difficult language to speak for Americans, but DIS manages to maintain reasonable expectations while making it fun. As I was leaving the country to return home, I spoke to the emigration officer completely in Danish which was a testament to the value of this course.
Credit Transfer Issues: