DIS - just do it! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Rigor definitely depends on the classes you decide to take and how much effort you put into them, though on a comparable level, Danish professors are more lenient than American professors and do not expect as much. Architecture and Design program definitely requires a lot more time than some other programs, especially because of studio.

On-site administration of your program

Always available to help, information clear and accessible

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Good variation for choices, really cater to what you want out of your experience abroad. Personally, to speak for host families, I feel DIS really does their best to find good families and to match up students with their hosts. Commute varied depending on your family, but DIS provides transport passes so money is never an issue for traveling to and from school. I loved the fact that DIS provided housing for you - compared to other programs, we definitely had all the logistics laid out for us and that made transitioning to a new country a whole lot easier.

Speaking for host families: DIS gives a stipend to the families and they are supposed to provide meals and supplies for you to make your own - food/cuisine depended on your individual family, and luckily I had a great host mom who loved to be in the kitchen :) I loved coming home to find different things on the table everyday! For students without host families, DIS provides a stipend, and depending on your own budgeting skills, this may/may not last you for the timebeing, though I knew plenty of people who lived fine off of it (despite Denmark's high prices).

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

DIS is very organized and plans out numerous ways for their students to get in touch with the Danish culture and people, through a variety of forums and interests. We had options to mingle with Danish students our age, or to have a visiting family if we didn't live with hosts. DIS really does give you the option to really make your experience an immersive and rewarding one if you choose to.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

As a resident of Denmark (for the few months we were there), health insurance is provided - every student gets assigned their own doctor like the Danes, and visiting your doctor is (mostly) free, I believe. I never had any health issues so can't really speak on how good the provisions were, but they were definitely there if you need it.

Denmark is amazingly safe due to the culture people were brought up with - I never felt unsafe in my time there, whether I was alone or with others, at all hours of the day/night. I really appreciated the ability not to think twice about my safety at all times, it definitely was a luxury.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

This definitely depends on the type of person you are, how much you decide to go out/splurge, and what kind of living situation you had. Since I lived with a family, that largely took care of my food budget. There is a budget brand store for basic daily necessities that was similar to a Dollar Store here in the US (though in DK it is more like a $2 store, haha) and students were able to find things they needed throughout their stay.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

We were given the option to take a Danish Language & Culture course, which more than half of the students in the program chose to do. Personally, it was definitely a lot of fun learning Danish since it is so different from Romance languages, though because of that, Danish itself is pretty difficult (even Danes say so!) We definitely were able to make out what a lot of public signs/ads were saying by the end of the semester and could carry on basic conversation in Danish.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Americans

• Programs & immersive opportunities
• Study tours
• Detailed prep/planning provided by DIS

• More integration with local schools/students
• Lack of diversity in DIS student population