the happiest four months of my life! Past Review

By (Economics., Middlebury College) - abroad from 04/17/2014 to 12/15/2013 with

DIS Copenhagen: Semester

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I feel rewarded by the challenges of living independently and immersing myself in a foreign culture. Copenhagen is a unique and beautiful place, and its people are culture are equally so. I will forever remember my home in Cope and the incredible things I learned there.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

you definitely need to do work, but the quality of the classes aren't great

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

very well-run, organized program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

i lived in a kollegium in norrebro- it was a bit lonely and lacked a sense of community. but it was quiet and could have been worse

* Food:

you cook for yourself or eat out. cooking can be a pain, but you get used to it.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

living in a kollegium and being spread throughout the city from other DIS students helps you to meet the Danes. commuting and riding bikes is a great way to interact

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

there should be a health center at school. there is not. you have to go to local doctor

* Safety:

safest city in the world! except iPhones get stolen all the time so be very vigilant!

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)

very expensive

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 150

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

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
How many hours per day did you use the language?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Other
  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
* 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?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • the travel breaks
  • organization, logistics
  • study tours
* What could be improved?
  • quality of classes
  • credits--should only take 4 courses, not 5
  • class hours (long afternoon classes were tough)
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? be organized and explore while its warm out!!

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.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

corporate finance

Course Department: econ
Instructor: todd johnson
Instruction Language: english
Comments: This course was miserable. Todd is a bland and useful professor and I would hardly consider was he did teaching. It was okay in that you learn a little about corporate fiannce, capital structure, etc, but the group case study assignments each week were a huge waste of time and did not add to my learning experience. Exams were not too difficult.
Credit Transfer Issues: The economics department will probably not allow this to count towards the major
Course Name/Rating:

Al Qaeda and Intelligence

Course Department:
Instructor: Soren
Instruction Language: english
Comments: the professors were great-- both intelligence officers. class was way too big for a discussion and lecture course. the intelligence portion was boring. it was very different from any course you'll take in the states and pretty interesting overall.
Credit Transfer Issues: no
Course Name/Rating:

positive psychology

Course Department: psych
Instructor: Kay
Instruction Language: english
Comments: this course was amazing. we took wonderful study tours to sweden and london, that allowed us to experience positive psychology in a real sense-- meditation, garden therapy, exercise, etc-- and speak with some of the leading names in this new field of psychological research. kay was wonderful. there were a few exams a few papers, overall not nearly as much work as Middlebury. the class environment was very friendly and engaging.
Credit Transfer Issues: no
Course Name/Rating:

The Ethical brain

Course Department: philosophy
Instructor: rene
Instruction Language: english
Comments: painful to sit through. classes at DIS are often 3 hours long in the late afternoon, making it difficult to focus, particularly if you're not intereted in the topic. Rene was not very clear, but he had a great sense of humor and was a really nice and understanding guy. there were four papers. work was minimal
Credit Transfer Issues: no
Course Name/Rating:

danish language and culture

Course Department: danish
Instructor: Mogens
Instruction Language: danish/english
Comments: Danish was a huge waste of time. Tons of busy work every day and met twice a week. It was interesting to a certain extent to learn about danish culture, but the field trips were excessive and unneesccesary. The language component of the course was also unnecessary, as you never actually put it into use, given that everyone in Denmark speaks english. there were exams, and homework assignments to be turned in
Credit Transfer Issues: no