Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Worth it January 12, 2023

By (Mathematics, Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/19/2022 to 12/17/2022 with

DIS Copenhagen: Semester

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Independence, curiosity , and new perspective. Very 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.

I loved all my classes I took and learned a lot through the courses. The academic rigor wasn't nearly as difficult at Middlebury which in all wasn't a bad thing .

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

I enjoyed the course set-up.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I got great housing in the center of Copengahen.

* Food:

I had to make all my food and I am not the best cook.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Not integrated one bit as it is had to fully assimilate with local danes. Felt very comfortable navigating Copenhagen by the end of the program.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

n/a

* Safety:

Incredibly safe

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Great way to experience other cultures

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)

Borderline impossible, food was super expensive

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 300
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Don't go to resteraunts and book flights early

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

They encouraged but everyone already speask english so it is not necessary .

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? none
How many hours per day did you use the language? 0
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? just pay attention in class

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
* 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 professors
  • Copenhagen
  • Traveling
* What could be improved?
  • The Danish Component
  • affordability
  • weather
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Plan trips in advance, it will save lots of time and money

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Artificial Neural Networks
Course Department: Computer Science
Instructor: Daniel Svedson
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The course content itself was quite challenging, but the weekly projects were super intriguing, and I learned a lot. A very fascinating area of study. There were two graded Psets and a final AI project .
Credit Transfer Issues: No
Course Name/Rating:

Waste Management In Europe
Course Department: Environmental Science
Instructor: Emmanuel Gentril
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Loved this curse, opened my eyes on how the US can replicate hoDenmark and other European countries handle/reduce waste. There was a mid term, daily discussion posts and a final project .The professor was one of the best LCA consultants in Denmark
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Danish 101
Course Department: Danish
Instructor: Bianca G
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This class was pretty hard but overall learned enough danish to pass by. There were daily worksheets, two essays ,an oral exam, and a written final. Bianca was great
Credit Transfer Issues: no
Course Name/Rating:

Ethical Brain:Philosophy of neuroscience
Course Department: Philosophy
Instructor: Rene Rosfort
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This class was pretty hard and overall was more of(entirely) a philosophy class. The content was interesting but the professor would go off on tangents. We had 3 short assignments (5-page papers) and one 10-page final .
Credit Transfer Issues: hope not would like a philosophy credit
Course Name/Rating:

Investing for Impact and Change
Course Department: Interdisciplinary
Instructor: Varan P
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This class was super interesting in analyzing how the ESG space is affecting various market areas such as Asset management, consultancy companies, startups , classic advisory ...etc. We visited a company in each of these areas to get a sense of how each company is incorporating sustainable investing into its business model. There was one mid term project and one final project.
Credit Transfer Issues: hope not