Great academics in a beautiful city February 06, 2023

By Anna W (English, Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/20/2022 to 12/15/2023 with

DIS Copenhagen: Semester

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

Even though Copenhagen is a very accessible city with a high quality of life, abroad is inherently an uncomfortable experience. This causes a lot of personal growth as one has to adjust to a new place with new customs and values. I learned how to persevere through discomfort and really push myself.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	DIS Copenhagen was more academically rigorous than I expected it to be. It wasn't quite as rigorous as Middlebury, but I felt like I learned a lot. I took five classes and probably had 2 hours of homework each night.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	DIS was very organized before arrival. I had all the necessary information which made the transition much easier for me. I was robbed my third week at my dorm, as were a couple of my dormmates. The thieves took my passport from my room as well as cash. After that, there were two other attempted breakins. The DIS administration did hire a security service but they were very relaxed and at time inappropriate, such as offering cigarettes to girls in my dorm. Therefore, the administration response was not quite what I was hoping.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	I was lucky enough to get a single but as I mentioned above, I didn't feel fully safe in my dorm because of the breakins. Also the dorm was somewhat dilapidated with likely mildew and showers that flooded.
* Food:	Food is not provided by DIS and it is very expensive in Copenhagen.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	DIS does a good job of taking students on field trips around the city and one of my classes was Danish. However, it is an American program and I lived in a dorm with other American students. My only consistent connections with Danes were with my professors.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	I did not have any health issues when I was there.
* Safety:	Again, my dorm had a security issue that was not effectively dealt with by the school. Myself, and many of the other girls at my dorm, did not feel fully safe living there.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes I really did love DIS Copenhagen overall. Copenhagen, besides the cost of living, is quite a beautiful city. I went with a lot of my friends from Middlebury and we were able to explore the city everyday, enjoy the yummy food and take rigorous and engaging classes.

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)	1. It was not easy to live on a student's budget. As I mentioned earlier food in Copenhagen is really expensive and so is really anything else.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	$300
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Try to cook as much as your can. DIS has a small budget that can be used at some of the grocery stores.

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	I had to take Danish and am really glad that I did. It made it much easier to understand signs etc. A lot of people in Copenhagen speak English but I felt more engrained in the city with the language component.
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
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	I hadn't taken a language since Spanish in high school
How many hours per day did you use the language?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants?	Living with a host family definitely would've helped improve my language skills

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Dorm
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	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?	0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	The city of Copenhagen Professors New friends
* What could be improved?	Dorm security Food costs Having to take five classes
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Keep my personal belongings, such as my passport, with me at all times.

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 Avid Adventurer The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Sense of Place in European Literature
Course Department:	Literature
Instructor:	Mette Jungersen
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	I really liked the rigor of this course. Mette picked amazing books and we had really engaging discussions. We also wrote three papers. My favorite part of the course was our week long trip to Berlin where we visited Dachua, went to the Jewish history museum and read really impactful literature.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I did not have any issues transferring credits. Midd and DIS make it very easy.