Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Copenhagen is amazing May 23, 2023

By (Food Studies, Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/14/2023 to 05/13/2023 with

DIS Copenhagen: Semester

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained independence and freedom.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

Food was not provided. I cooked all my meals.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Healthcare was easy, especially once I had my CPR card. Before that, was challenging.

* Safety:

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

I would have chosen a local program but I do not regret going to Copenhagen

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)

Copenhagen is a very expensive city.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? ~$200
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? I used a budget spreadsheet and allocated an amount of money before I left to spend while abroad.

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
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? I did not take Danish before going.
How many hours per day did you use the language?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

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

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • people
  • trips
  • city
* What could be improved?
  • housing
  • more rigorous classes
  • more money for food given by program
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? more Danish

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Learning in Scandinavian Classrooms
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Learned a lot in this course about education in Denmark. Teacher was great and very knowledgeable. I participated a lot and was assessed through papers, projects, and participation.
Credit Transfer Issues: No.
Course Name/Rating:

Urban Ecology
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: A good amount of challenge. Very interesting topic and great teacher. I participated a lot and was assessed through group projects, papers, and video assignments.
Credit Transfer Issues: No.
Course Name/Rating:

Sustainable Food Production and Consumption
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Not super challenging but interesting. We had great field trips that related to the course. The teacher was very knowledge but teaching strategies were not the best.
Credit Transfer Issues: No
Course Name/Rating:

Politics and Ethics of Food
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Somewhat challenging content. Class was mostly lecturing so not super engaging but teacher was super knowledgeable. Papers and group project and participation was how I was assessed.
Credit Transfer Issues: No
Course Name/Rating:

Danish Language and Culture
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English and Danish
Comments: Learned a lot about Danish culture, I wish the language part was more rigorous so that I could have spoken more Danish. I participated a lot and the assessments were exams and papers. Bianca was great.
Credit Transfer Issues: No.