Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

The city where I fell in love with cities May 24, 2023

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

DIS Copenhagen: Semester

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
So worthwhile. I learned to feel much more comfortable spending time alone and planning travel and budgeting. I feel much more confident with hard life skills coming back.

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.

My courses at DIS were all topics I had touched on in Middlebury courses, but Middlebury did not offer full classes on. So I had a wonderful experience learning information beyond Middlebury’s scope but within the realm of my major and minor interests. The professors were all very personable and the program utilizes experiential learning. We had multiple field trips and travel days with our courses to expand learning outside the classroom and foster engagement.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

DIS was extremely attentive and always there if you needed anything. I called the emergency health line once and they were completely there for me and continued to follow up until they knew I was ok. Our housing advisors and facilities staff were all so kind and respectful.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in a beautiful apartment of 12 people about 20 minutes away from DIS. We had a big common room and kitchen, fully furnished and outfitted for living comfortably and using the space. Our bathrooms and rooms were very nice as well. They do a great job pairing roommates, I loved all of mine.

* Food:

At first I thought the DIS $600 stipend was not enough to cover my groceries, and it was not, but it got me much farther through the semester than I anticipated. I had a grocery store very nearby. Cooking was great as my apartment had our own kitchen.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We definitely did not interact with Danes very much unless you found ways to get out and hang out with them. The program is inherently very American. But, just living in Copenhagen and taking Danish Language and Culture, and biking around, I felt very integrated into the culture.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Great. The Danish Healthcare system provided us with CPR cards or healthcare cards through our visas. When I needed a prescription, I was able to reach someone on the phone quickly and get help. I only had to pay a $10 fee for the prescription.

* Safety:

Copenhagen is an extremely safe city. I never once felt scared walking alone or taking the metro alone even if it was late at night. It is clean, well-lit, and no one bothers you.

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

Copenhagen was perfectly suited for me. It isn’t too big a city but still is hustling and bustling. It has nature and environmental programs I gained lots of knowledge from.

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)

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? Spanish for 7 years, but never at Middlebury
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? Go to language cafes and talk in Danish at restaurants, stores

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • 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? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • My apartment/location
  • My friends I made
  • My classes
* What could be improved?
  • Getting to know other students
  • Integration into Danish culture
  • Clubs
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Copenhagen is so expensive!!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Sustainable by Design
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments: This course was very interesting, but not what I expected. I expected more of an architectural design course, instead this was more lectures on way too many topics around sustainable design that we didn’t get to fully integrate together at the end. Still very interesting and applicable to my major.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Getting There: Transportation in Urban Europe

Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments: This was a fantastic class. We worked with the Metro, the people who form Copenhagen’s public transport systems, to redesign their stations for better public space and flow usage. This class elevated my skill set so much, and I learned exactly the knowledge I was hoping to get out of the class. Lots of landscape architecture and urban planning concepts.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Sustainable Food Production & Consumption
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments: Fantastic class with a professor who has worked in the field for years. I was accessed with 2 papers and 2 projects with groups. The class was very discussion based and felt similarly to Middlebury.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Danish Language and Culture
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments: I loved this course. We learned a ton about the culture we were living and partaking in, more than I would have ever figured out on my own living there. Danish was very hard, but fulfilling to learn and use outside the classroom. We were accessed through 2 papers, an exam, an oral exam, and participation.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Art in the Making
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments: I got to explore many different art mediums and express myself creatively in this course. It allowed for a lot of freedom and just trying something new, which I really appreciated and enjoyed. I learned a ton through different graded art projects.
Credit Transfer Issues: