An Invigorating Semester in Beautiful Copenhagen! Past Review
By A student (Peace and Justice Studies, Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/15/2014 to 12/15/2014 with
DIS Copenhagen: Semester
Apart from the excellent courses, I learned a lot about myself, which I think is what made it worthwhile. My biggest challenge surprisingly was maintaining a social life, because I didn't meet anyone from my cultural or religious background who enjoyed doing the same things for leisure as me - I don't like to drink and party, which is what almost every American student in DIS I met wanted to do on the weekends. This led to my often spending weekends at home, which eventually became very lonely. This is the only reason I would have chosen another, more diverse program.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was very kind, and I had a very comfortable bedroom and home. However, I didn't feel like the family was making a genuine effort to teach me about their culture and show me around. There were not many activities planned, apart from them taking me to their family get-togethers. The only time we had to bond was over dinner. I would suggest that future students be very proactive and not hesitate to confront members of the family if you would like to plan an activity with them, spend more time with them, etc. |
| * Food: |
Danish food is delicious but very, very expensive. The food at home was also wonderful, but there were several weeks when I would be informed at the last moment that no one would be home and I would have to prepare my own dinner, which often felt like a lonely experience. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Because the program is all American students, I felt like this was a barrier to studying and meeting Danish students on a day to day basis. More diversity in the DIS student population would have been preferred. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
No health issues in Copenhagen, and when I needed medication it was a smooth and efficient process. |
| * Safety: |
I felt very safe in Copenhagen, and had no safety-related incidents during my stay. |
| 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) |
I did not participate in leisure shopping and tried to eat at home as often as possible, making the student budget very doable. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $50-$75 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Denmark is very expensive, so try to avoid non-essential leisure shopping - new clothes, shoes, etc can all be purchased when you're back home in the States. Save some money for shopping at the end when you can get gifts for family and friends and memorabilia for yourself. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
I took a Danish course in which the professor highly encouraged speaking Danish outside of the classroom, and also offered helpful techniques. |
| 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? | A 300-level French seminar at Wellesley. |
| 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? | If you are with a host family, ask them to help you learn the language by speaking it with you at home once in awhile. You should also try to use it when you go to restaurants or cafes - it's a fast way to learn. |
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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| 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? |
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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? | I don't think I was aware that the program was only for American students, and this was a crucial fact, because I often felt like I was in an American bubble at DIS, and that it was a huge barrier to becoming friends with local Danes. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
