Katie's amazing Copenhagen adventure! June 26, 2024

By A student (Biology, Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/13/2024 to 05/10/2024 with

DIS Copenhagen: Semester

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

I learned a lot from studying abroad. I learned a lot about independence and how to be alone, but I also made many friends and strengthened preexisting relationships. The classes I took were very interesting and they taught me a lot and offered me many new perspectives. Traveling also opened my eyes to many new things. Studying abroad was worthwhile in my opinion.

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.	This program was amazing. Definitely not as rigorous as Middlebury, but the professors were amazing and were very accommodating. The program was also very well organized and the administration was helpful with everything from classes to the logistics of moving to a new country.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?
* Food:	The food in Copenhagen was great, but DIS did not provide any 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?	Yes

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 not a cheap city. The food stipend that DIS provided was helpful but I think the city was still quite expensive.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	at least $200
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Maximize the foos stipend card. Come up with a budget and try your best to stick to it. Track your expenses and see what you are actually spending your money on.

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?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants?	Use the quizlets and practice in cafes, etc.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Dorm
* 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?	Opportunities to tavel Experiences within Copenhagen Great professors
* What could be improved?	Immersion opportunities Language classes Experiences to get to know Danes
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	The transition into studying abroad is quite hard. It is normal to miss home and feel not totally settled at first. It's not all great like how it seems on social media.

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 Outright Urbanite A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Biology of Marine Mammals
Course Department:	Biology
Instructor:	Katja Vindig Petersen
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This course was not very challenging but I think that you got out what you put in. There were many opportunities to dive deeply into the material, such as very special field trips and group presentations and projects. I think that I participated about the same amount that I would have at my home institution. There were exams, projects, presentations, and policy briefs as the assessments in this class.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Danish Language and Culture
Course Department:	Anthropology/Language
Instructor:	Anne Gross
Instruction Language:	English and Danish
Comments:	The language aspect of this course was challenging as Danish is regarded as an extremely hard language to learn. That being said it was pretty fun and the culture part of the class was very interesting and informative. The field trips were great and offered a lot to learn. The professor was great! I participated about the same as I would've at Middlebury. We wrote papers for the cultural aspect of the class and had homework for both language and culture. There were also take home quizzes for language and a final oral exam for language.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Art in the Making
Course Department:	Art
Instructor:	Sarah Alfast
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This course was enjoyable but many of my classmates and I did not love the way that this course was taught. There were many scaffolds which were nice, but at times the instructor would shut down creative ideas because they did not align with her style. The field trips were interesting and helpful. I participated the same as I would've at Middlebury. We were assessed based on a midterm in class project, our sketchbooks, and a final project and write up. I really enjoyed this class, though I think the structure could be improved.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	The Philosophy of Love
Course Department:	Philosophy
Instructor:	Jakob Due Lorentzen
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This course was great but the work was more demanding than my other courses at DIS. It was taught at the University of Copenhagen which had more rigorous requirements for assignments. We had three short papers (4-5 pages) and one long paper (10-12 pages). I enjoyed this class and the professor, though it was a long class and only met once a week. I liked the professor and he was interesting but he didn't allow for many discussion opportunities which I thought limited the scope of the class. I participated about the same amount I would've at Middlebury.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Child Development and Education in Scandinavia
Course Department:	Education Studies
Instructor:	Nanna Duchene
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This was my core course. I enjoyed everything about the class. The professor was amazing and I think the material we covered was great. The field trips were very applicable, informative, and enjoyable. The professor was very qualified to teach the class. I participated the same amount as I would've at Middlebury. We were assessed based on participation, papers, and presentations.
Credit Transfer Issues: