Stockholm: a slow roasted love Past Review
By A student (Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/13/2018 to 05/12/2018 with
DIS Stockholm Semester
My experience was incredibly worthwhile. The field studies along with the interactive classroom setting was very refreshing. I got to explore Stockholm and other European countries and built invaluable friendships.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
In general, the classes were not as difficult as my own university. That being said, there were some classes that were really easy and some that did match the academic rigor back home. I had a mix of both. In terms of resources, the academic advisor and other staff members were always available to help whether it be during their office hours or through email. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Considering the small size of DIS Stockholm, I thought the administration could have handled things more smoothly such as communicating the attendance policy and housing rules. Other than these minor details, I did not run into any other problems. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in the Studentboende which is a dorm mixed with DIS students and some Swedish students. I had a great time and met amazing people. We all lived together peacefully. The only downside is the use of the shared space. The kitchen was extremely dirty at times. |
| * Food: |
There is not much of a food culture in Stockholm. Although there were a lot of options and good food available, food was expensive. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I met Swedes through my housing, learned about the Swedish culture in my classes and was assigned a visiting host family. I could have done more to learn about the culture such as spending more time with my visiting host family. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not run into any major health issues other than common colds and flu. |
| * Safety: |
Very safe and easy to get around. |
| 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) |
Money was hard to manage because Stockholm is so expensive. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Grocery shop wisely. Buy sale items if you can. Meal prep will also help you save money. |
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 |
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| 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? | Very homogenous, not very cash-friendly |
