DIS Stockholm Spring 2018 Past Review

By (Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/13/2018 to 05/12/2018 with

DIS Stockholm Semester

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I made a lot of friends both within the program and locals that I still keep in touch with. I would definitely recommend the visiting host family option for those who aren't living in a homestay.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Definitely not as rigorous as my home university, but I felt decently challenged and was able to take a variety of courses.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The program is still relatively new and growing.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The studentboende allowed me to meet Swedish university students and eat meals and hang out with my peers.

* Food:

I cooked a lot on my own. The food stipend doesn't cover as much as you might think. The restaurant at DIS itself is great and offers good discounts for students.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I lived with Swedish students and people from my program and also had a visiting host family who I had weekly meals with and who took me on day trips on the weekends. I definitely felt like it was up to me in terms of how integrated I wanted to be because I could have easily just spent time with the other study abroad students.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

I loved Stockholm and miss the city so much!

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)

Stockholm is definitely an expensive city and you can easily spend $30 on an entree at a regular restaurant.

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

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • 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?
  • Provided housing
  • Travel time
  • Location
* What could be improved?
  • Food stipend
  • Program organization
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Because this DIS program is newer, it requires more assertiveness and independence on the part of the student that I wasn't really anticipating. Also, almost everybody speaks English, so there wasn't really a lot of need to learn and practice Swedish.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

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The Outright Urbanite
A 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.