Copenhagen was a great place to study abroad! July 09, 2025
By Malini B (Health Sciences and Policy, Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/10/2025 to 05/10/2025 with
DIS Copenhagen: Semester
It was definitely worthwhile, it was an amazing experience. Getting to live in an apartment, close to a city, travel with other students was amazing. I also really enjoyed learning about health systems in other countries.
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. |
I would say the quality of the education was amazing! But it was not supremely academically challenging. I think this is greatly because a lot of classes did not have pre-requisites and I was taking classes in disciplines I had previously taken classes in to fulfill credits. There were many resources available to me. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Great administration! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Very satisfied! I lived in a Kollegium and the housing accommodations were great and conveniently located to the city. |
| * Food: |
I cooked most of my food or got ready-made from the grocery store. I had a full kitchen, so it was easy to cook. They also have a lot of fast food in the city center. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It was difficult to connect with Danes and become integrated, but I think that taking Danish classes and solo-traveling around the city helped. If I had done a homestay, I think I would have felt more integrated. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The health system is easily accessible. I do not have any underlying/previous health issues. |
| * Safety: |
Copenhagen is a very safe city and I often walked around at night without feeling threatened. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I put "no", but I actually mean "maybe". Honestly, I loved Copenhagen and I really enjoyed my time there, but I think I would have preferred a program where I spoke the language; I feel that would have helped me get better connected with the culture. If I did it again, I would have stuck with my French classes and tried to study abroad in Paris. However, this program was great for me considering the fact that I definitely cannot take classes in French and was able to get credit towards my major, minor, and gen-eds through this program as a STEM major. |
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) |
Copenhagen is very expensive, I struggled to spend less than $100 a week, and that is not including groceries. But also, I was spending money on smoothies, coffee, pasteries, restaurant lunches, travel, etc. You do not have to spend money if you do not want to. They give you a transit pass and a grocery stipend that lasted me the whole time there, but if I did not have a transit card and a grocery stipend, it would have been difficult to stay for under $200 a week. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Around $100 - $150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Cook all of your meals! Except for when you want to go out with friends or to a specific restaurant, but if you are just looking to feed yourself, cook food. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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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 |
Danish is so fun! My university takes abroad credit as pass-fail, so it was a fun and forgiving way to try a new 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 French for 5 years and reached intermediate, but I had never taken Danish. |
| 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? | Talk to Danes and with your fellow students in Danish. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | That Danish is not that difficult to learn and you should make an attempt to learn the basics before you get there. Also make an effort to join clubs and volunteer opportunities. Its like the beginning of college all over again and even if you won't see many of these people ever again, you should still make an effort. |
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 UrbaniteA 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. |
