Denmark: A lively place to explore Past Review
By Christof H (Aerospace Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin) for
DIS Summer in Scandinavia
My study abroad was an invaluable experience as I saw how limited our American views really are. It gave me in general a better worldview perspective on people and values. After the program I was fortunate to see even more of Europe and gained a cultural appreciation for the side of the world. At the same time, it made me even more satisfied to call America my home.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was fine for 3 week classes and the teaching methods did not significantly differ from America. As far as grading, the system is similar to what I would expect in America, except there were no tests, just essays. The grading was fair and not overly difficult. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration was well organized and helpful. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Dorms were great as they were close to classes and included a full kitchen and washer and dryer. The place felt secure as long as people remembered to fully close the doors. |
| * Food: |
Difficult to stay on a specific type of diet, as the nearby grocery had limited types of food items. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program was good in getting all the Americans together for social dining and gave students freedom to plan events in their free time, like going to a bar or the park. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Safety as a guy did not seem to be a concern. It was not uncommon for Danes to be walking or bicycling early in the morning after a night at the bars. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Denmark is just economically more expensive for Americans, one of the few downsides of the country. |
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?
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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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? | The best advice I can give is always double check what you need and plan accordingly. Also do not overpack! This program is best for any student who is creative and curious of scandinavian culture. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Positive Psychology |
| Course Department: | Psychology 1103739 |
| Instructor: | Marie Brinkgaard |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Not academically stimulating. The teacher was inexperienced, and did not push us mentally. Felt like elementary school when she had do a sharing circle every day on things we were happy and thankful for. Also missed 4 days of class which is substantial for a 3 wk class. The guest lectures were entertaining and insightful, but again not very scientific. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No issues. Always double check before you leave, that your home university takes them. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Positive Psychology |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | Marie Brinkgaard |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | The class was too easy as the professor was new. There was very little depth into the science behind it. I did not feel like I learned the academia behind the subject matter. Instead it was a bunch of random, though interesting guest lecturers. The actual professor lectures were superficial. At times it felt like preschool again, as each morning the professor would have a sharing circle and everyone would say what they were thankful about. Also the professor had 4 sick days, which is quite abit for a 3 wk class. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No issues. Always double check before you leave, that your home university takes them. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Sustainable Technology & Culture |
| Course Department: | Summer session 2 |
| Instructor: | Patricia |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Class was well organized, though the power point presentation lectures were not engaging. The trip to Norway was a great experience. A couple of the companies we visited, however, didn't always give alot of insightful info into how they were personally handling the future energy crises. Instead they repeated the well known political issues of why more can't be done. Of course, the professors couldn't control what the companies talked about. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No issues. Always double check before you leave, that your home university takes them. |
