Abroad in Copenhagen June 11, 2025

By A student (Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/11/2025 to 05/10/2025 with

DIS Copenhagen: Semester

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

I think my abroad experience was definitely worthwhile because I learned a lot in my classes that is relevant to my major and career aspirations. I also became more independent as a result of my time abroad and learned more about myself.

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.
* 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?	The healthcare in Denmark is free, which is useful for any issues you might have, but in my personal experience some of the healthcare workers are not friendly and unhelpful.
* 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)
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	DIS offers a $600 stipend for food, so I was able to use that for most of my food expenses. Other expenses weekly probably averaged to around $50-100 a week.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	I would definitely try to cook for yourself as much as possible and avoid eating out a lot, especially in Copenhagen where it is very expensive.

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?	I took Danish 101 abroad and had no previous experience.
How many hours per day did you use the language?

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?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	Built in travel with your core course Living in Copenhagen Ability to meet students from many different universities
* What could be improved?	Professors' teaching methods
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	One thing I know now is that you have to get out of your comfort zone a little bit in order to truly experience being abroad. While it can seem daunting at first, being a little uncomfortable while trying something new is part of the process and allows you to grow.

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 Academic or Linguist You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Immunology
Course Department:
Instructor:	Lubna Khatoon
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This class was not extremely difficult in terms of content, but the instructor was extremely disorganized and her lectures were hard to follow, thus making it difficult to learn. The expectations for major assignments were also unclear, and our tests and presentations were not graded until weeks to months later, so we could not use any feedback to improve. Overall, while I enjoyed the topic, the professor was not well-prepared to teach the material to us and I would not recommend taking this course with her.
Credit Transfer Issues: