Friends, food, fun in colorful, cold Copenhagen May 30, 2023

By icedoatmilklatte (Environmental Writing, Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/13/2023 to 05/12/2023 with

DIS Copenhagen: Semester

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

This was extremely worthwhile and boosted my independence and self-efficacy. I loved the city, enjoyed traveling and valued all of my new experiences. It was a really fun semester.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	DIS is not academically rigorous, but many of my professors were passionate about their subjects and gave a lot of feedback on assignments. The field studies were a fun way to engage with Copenhagen. Expect a lot of group projects.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	DIS can be helpful with fix-it requests, however I feel like orientation was handled poorly and more support could've been given within the first few weeks.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	I really liked living in a Kollegium with Danish students and I would really recommend it. However, I do wish I had my own room. My room was small and my roommate and I didn't even have our own desk. I'm pretty satisfied with my housing but the quality of room/size/location really varies.
* Food:	I cooked for myself mostly, but Copenhagen has an awesome (and expensive) food scene. DIS food stipend can last if you shop at Netto and Fotex.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	You have to go out of your way to integrate with the local culture, but living with Danish roommates really helped me.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	I didn't use healthcare personally but I would've felt comfortable using the welfare benefits. Denmark seems to have a good healthcare system.
* Safety:	I felt really safe walking around Copenhagen, using public transportation and being out alone as a woman.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes I really loved the city and I liked the activities incorporated into DIS classes.

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 really expensive city! It really hard to budget because coffees and other treats can add up, but you can avoid spending more by buying cheap drinks and cooking for yourself.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	I'm not sure because this varied, but I'd often get a snack/drink for about $10/day, and I'd spend more on weekends doing activities. I used my grocery stipend for food until April, so I made that last.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	You can save money on drinks and food by grocery shopping and not buying drinks at bars. I enjoyed saving spending money out for special occasions. There are some cheaper eats around the city (hot dogs, pastries, dumplings, etc.).

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	Although we were encouraged to practice, Denmark is an English-speaking country and not all DIS students even take Danish. All encouragement came from my Danish professor.
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?	To be honest, many Americans don't speak Danish but picking up some basic phrases is just helpful and nice to know.

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	Americans
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?	Exploring the city/location Field studies/study tours Living with locals
* What could be improved?	Housing Orientation
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	It takes time to make friends, especially since most of my friends came over time through classes.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Sustainable Food: Production and Consumption
Course Department:	Sustainability
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This was not a challenging course- all of the graded work was group projects. The instructor's instructions were sometimes a little unclear but she is very kind. The lectures can be a little boring. Minimal homework, mostly some reading which can be skimmed. Our waste management field study was not that relevant, but our study tour to Barcelona was amazing and a highlight of my time abroad.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Podcast Production: The Impact of Sound
Course Department:	Media
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This was not a challenging class and the instructor is very knowledgeable, but I wish we did more hands on projects and focused on different things. I felt like I didn't learn as much as I wanted, but I enjoyed the classroom environment and the field studies.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Women, Art, Identity
Course Department:	Art History
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This was a fascinating course that really made good use of our time with lots of exhibition visits. Sometimes the reading was confusing but the classroom discussion was lively. Learned about a wide range of artists. One of my more demanding classes with an oral presentation, a big midterm exam and a long research paper but it was ultimately very manageable. Would definitely recommend.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Positive Organizational Identity
Course Department:	Psychology
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	The lectures were sometimes a little boring but there are a lot of fun activities and student-led classes. This class really emphasizes bonding activities and fun field studies which I enjoyed. The instructor is an easy grader despite some intimidating looking projects.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Danish Language and Culture
Course Department:	Danish
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	English/Danish
Comments:	This course definitely has its challenging and time consuming moments. The instructor is a very demanding professors and I think she can be a tough grader. Although this course was sometimes demanding, I think it was very worthwhile class to take and I appreciated learning about Danish culture specifically.
Credit Transfer Issues: