Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Socializing with only Americans but in another country June 07, 2023

By (Psychology, 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 learned how to be okay with a lot of alone time, got to know myself better, became more independent, and became more appreciative of my life at Middlebury

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:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

I did not meet a single danish person in this program besides my original host family which I moved out of. Since I moved into the student dorms late, I did not meet anyone in my living situation and had a hard time making friends.

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 moved into the student dorms a month in because I was previously in a home stay so I did not end up using all of my grocery money despite only getting $600 for groceries for 4 months. Copenhagen was absurdly expensive though so it was definitely hard to limit my expenses.

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? N/A
How many hours per day did you use the language?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • Host Family
* 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?
  • How responsive the administration was
* What could be improved?
  • Socialization opportunities with non-Americans
  • Less American students (program needs to be smaller)
  • More social programming, especially in dorms without apartments
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Kollegiums or special interest houses are the best living situations

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 Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Philosophy of Mental Health
Course Department: Philosophy
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

European Clinical Psychology
Course Department: Psychology
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: We only talked about the outdated psychoanalytic theories of Freud, Adler, Frankl, and Melanie Klien. It was more of a history of psychotherapy class than a class on current clinical psychology practices in Europe.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Applied Psychotherapy
Course Department: Psychology
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments: It was an interesting course and the instructor was a great teacher. It was a bit redundant because I took a similar course in the fall before. A lot of the instruction, however, was done through student group presentations with wasn't ideal for actually learning the content by an experienced professional.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

The Future is Feminine
Course Department: Gender and Feminist Studies
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Did not challenge any of my knowledge, I would treat it as a very foundational gender studies course except with a lot of questionable essentialist ideas and little actual academic content.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Danish Language and Culture
Course Department: Language
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This was actually my favorite class at DIS, mostly because I got lucky with the instructor (I know many people who did not like it because they did not like their teacher). This course was very engaging and a great way to get to know more about the culture and gain some base level conversational Danish. It was also super interesting and engaging, contrary to most of my other classes.
Credit Transfer Issues: