Semester in Copenhagen January 30, 2025
By A student (Psychology, Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/17/2024 to 12/14/2024 with
DIS Copenhagen: Semester
I have gained a newfound level of independence and a curiosity for life. I feel more comfortable trying new things and looking for fun experiences.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
DIS provided students with so many experiential learning opportunities. I loved the embedded travel of the program and how much hands on learning we did. I really appreciated how much the teachers used the city as part of their class - we went outside on field trips at least once a week. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Everyone who worked at DIS was extremely friendly and approachable. The DIS navigate app was very user friendly and it was easy to find resources. If I had any other administration questions, I could easily talk to someone at the front desk or email. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Living with a host family was one of the highlights of my experience abroad. I learned so much about Danish culture and have made life-long connections. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The classes all emphasized cultural immersion, but I think living with a host family gave me the best social and cultural integration. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt very safe traveling alone in the city, even at night. I found the police friendly and approachable. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
It was great to get a different experience from my home university. I learned so much about Danish culture and made life-long connections. It was rewarding to push myself out of my comfort zone and immerse myself in another country for a prolonged period of time. |
Finances
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* 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) |
Since I ate with my host family on most days, my daily expenses were pretty low. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Less than $75 per week - sometimes more (if I went on a trip), but sometimes less (if I didn't eat out) |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Plan ahead on what you want to spend your money on. Don't feel pressured to spend money just because your peers are. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
Since almost everyone speaks english in Denmark, it was hard to get opportunities to use Danish. Most people defaulted to english in stores or restaurants in Copenhagen. |
| 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 |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | It takes time to settle in - take things slow and don't worry about doing everything right away. |
