Denmark: A Struggle That May Be Worth It Past Review
By Jon M (Engineering: Computing, Olin College) for
Technical University of Denmark: Kongens Lyngby - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I learned how to cook, learned about different cultures, different foods, and what it's like to live in less than ideal housing. It was important in learning to deal with situations and made me realize how much I take my school for granted. I met some great friends and traveled with them around Europe after my program ended.
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 at for the Business Semester was appropriate for the number of credits I took. Essentially, we rarely had homework and our entire grade was based off an oral exam at the end of the year. All class sessions were 3.5 hours of straight lecture. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I had mixed interactions with the administration. They are very slow with their paperwork. I didn't get my ID card until two weeks before the semester ended. However, they were easy to get in contact with and generally nice people. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
You need to buy sheets for your dorms and probably a space heater because the ones in the rooms are terrible. I had bed bugs in my bed and the entire dorm building is filthy. I hesitated about cooking each meal because the shared kitchens (12 to a kitchen) were a mess. There is a lot of illegal drug use out in the open and theft is rampant. Definitely the worst place I've ever lived. |
| * Food: |
You cook for yourself unless you go to the cafeteria for breakfast/lunch. The food is reasonably priced and satisfactory. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program had a few trips for all the exchange students including a canal tour, dinner at a great restaurant, trips to night clubs, and an international dinner night. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I saw several fights break out over my time in Denmark and saw many, many people throwing up from excess alcohol. I heard gun shots at night and many of my friends had things stolen from them. |
| 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? | I spent about $100 on food weekly, $70 on transportation, $50 on personal expenses like drinks and entertainment |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Transportation is really, really expensive. Actually, everything except beer is very expensive (compared to the US). Shop at LIDL because they have the lowest grocery prices (but sometimes sketchy food). |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
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 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? | Be sure not to spend too much time in your dorm which sometimes ends up happening. You must be able to laugh at your circumstances if you take this program. It won't have ideal living conditions but the people you meet will hopefully make it worth it. |
