Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

An Interesting time Away from Home Past Review

By (Economics., Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/18/2014 to 12/09/2014 with

DIS Copenhagen: Semester

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned to live outside of America.

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.

I found DIS somewhat challenging. Some professors were excellent, others, just okay. I had a decent amount of homework.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Actually very organized and helpful.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Close to campus--choose and LLC, otherwise you could live very far away from school.

* Food:

You get a food card, but it is a really terrible grocery store.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

You do not interact with many Danes.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I didn't have any health issues really.

* Safety:

Felt very safe.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

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)

2 very expensive place to live

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $200
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? cook at home

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

All Danes speak English.

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? None
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? intro to 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? Don't go to Denmark to learn Danish--you won't!

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?
  • Traveling
* What could be improved?
  • Integration with Danes
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew how small and insular Copenhagen was.

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:

Behavioral Economics
Course Department: Economics
Instructor: Jimmy Correa & Toke Fosgaard
Instruction Language: English
Comments: It was challenging. No field trips. Two teachers--would have been better to have just one. We only had two quizzes and they were one question each--didn't assess full course info. The exam was challenging. I participated a lot.
Credit Transfer Issues: no
Course Name/Rating:

Women, Art & Identity
Course Department: Art History
Instructor: Andrea Homann
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Amazing professor. Great field trips--went to lots of really cool museums. Wonderful readings and interesting class discussions. Well evaluated papers and exams.
Credit Transfer Issues: no issues
Course Name/Rating:

Danish Language
Course Department: Language
Instructor: Nina Tolov
Instruction Language: Danish/English
Comments: This class was horrible. The teacher was not very good, played favorites a lot. Boring class trips. The teacher did not put any grades into the grade book until the semester was over. There was only one test. All Danes speak English and I never used the Danish language.
Credit Transfer Issues: no
Course Name/Rating:

Global Economics
Course Department: Economics
Instructor: Kristian Sorensen
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This course was challenging and interesting. Kristian was a great teacher. I really liked him and the class evaluated our understanding of the course. I participated a lot. We had both papers and exams.
Credit Transfer Issues: none
Course Name/Rating:

Environmental Economics
Course Department: Economics
Instructor: Piret Stern, Nina Torm, Sarah
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This class was taught by three teachers, which was extremely confusing, We hardly had any quizzes until the final. The field trips were boring.
Credit Transfer Issues: none