Denmark: Life-Changing Experiences Studying Abroad Past Review
By Devika W (History/Psychology, Wellesley College) for
DIS Copenhagen: Semester
It made me realize how much I want to travel more and learn about new cultures. It also made to gain more knowledge about Europe and European issues such as immigration.
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. |
The workload is manageable and really depends on your individual effort. Be prepared for group work for each class. The teaching methods vary -- some use only lecture, some use powerpoint and some are discussion based like any college class. The grading system also varies for each teacher. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
DIS truly excels when it comes to support. Strengths: they are great at responding to emails, you can also go to their offices, there is a lot of knowledge about American education, the program size is perfect and the class sizes are great. My expectations were exceeded; I thought they were were a highly organized and supportive program. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family were very welcoming and supportive. They were very generous and extremely comfortable. However, I did find it hard to communicate (and therefore, get close) with them at times because they did speak Danish a lot. Therefore, my advice to you: tell your family at the beginning how much English to Danish you want/would like. That can really go a long way! |
| * Food: |
My host family specifically asked for a host sibling who was not vegetarian because they are big meat eaters. Be prepared for a lot of potatoes :-) |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I like that every Wednesday is set aside for class field trips. For example, with my classes I visited two different Danish prisons -- a closed and an open one. I watched movies with my classes or visited museums. I also liked that we had study tours with our core classes. My trip to Paris was amazing with my core course. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Copenhagen is extremely safe. I was not able to experience the health care system; I have heard that the Danish system is not as efficient and fast as the American, but hey, it's free :-) |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | too much money. Even though I had a host family, be expected to spend money. 30 dollars a week? |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Just know that Copenhagen is not cheap and that you will spend money. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Someone who still wants to be academically challenged, but also wants to travel. Also someone who is not looking for a big cultural experience in the host city. Copenhagen is a great city to live in, but I would not call it a a great tourist attraction. |
