Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

International friends for a lifetime! Past Review

By (Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies., The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 02/03/2014 to 06/30/2014 with

University of Copenhagen: Copenhagen - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
The best part was making friends from all over the world and learning from them. That aspect was definitely worthwhile, but the academic part was terrible.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Courses were a joke! And the administration at UCPH is a mess. No one knows what's going on at all and they are very unhelpful and rude.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Not clear as to what they expect of students and what procedures to follow when working on and submitting exams.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My apartment was fine, but the housing foundation was terrible. The staff are very rude, unhelpful, and condescending.

* Food:

The food at the cantine on campus was great! Lots of variety and affordable, especially in comparison to the prices of eating out in CPH.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt closer to the other international students than I did any of the Danish students, which was disappointing. There needs to be better integration to the Danish culture.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Healthcare is free in Denmark as long as you have a residence permit and your health card. My program did not assist me at all when I needed to go to the doctor. It was nice having free healthcare, but it was more difficult to get an appointment. It was also very frustrating that I was required to purchase international health insurance through my university when Denmark has free healthcare. There were not any specific vaccines for this program.

* Safety:

I felt very safe in CPH. Just make sure to use a lock on your bike if you get one because bike theft is pretty common there!

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

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)

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Get a bike and eat at home as much as possible! Taking the metro/bus/train and eating in restaurants will totally drain your wallet.

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

The Danish language classes were terrible. Don't waste your time like I did.

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Intermediate
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Beginner
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? One accelerated semester of Danish.
How many hours per day did you use the language? 0
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? If you want to practice and learn Danish, you really have to use it a lot and try to talk to people in Danish. Everyone speaks English so it is very easy to speak English and not practice your language skills.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • N/A
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • International Students
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?
  • Making friends
  • Trying Danish food
  • Biking everywhere
* What could be improved?
  • Courses
  • Administrative support
  • Housing
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? The classes suck! Just pick easy ones (the culture courses) and enjoy your semester making friends and immersing yourself in the culture.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.
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.