Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Amazing Abroad Adventure! Past Review

By (Washington University in Saint Louis) - abroad from 01/16/2016 to 05/17/2016 with

DIS Copenhagen: Semester

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned about being on my own a lot. I would commute on my own every day, and I was the only American student in my homestay. However, my host family was very kind and approachable, so I spent a fair amount of time with them. I also gained a cross-cultural perspective on topics I'm interested in (psychology, education), which will enhance my approach to my career later on. DIS makes a great effort to integrate experiential learning into the classroom learning, which I greatly valued!

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The academics were intense in terms of work load but not overly difficult. The teachers were very accessible, though.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

DIS is extremely organized and well run.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

LOVED my host family!

* Food:

Food is really good but eating/drinking out is expensive.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Being with a host family increased my integration in the local culture. With all of the classes in English with American students, I sometimes felt isolated from the locals, but the weekly field studies, core course week, and long study tour helped me integrate more.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did not see a doctor while there, but I have a chronic medical condition with which DIS was helpful and accommodating.

* Safety:

Super safe! Free healthcare

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

I absolutely loved Denmark! It is a very easy country to live in, with accessible public transportation and practically everyone speaks English. It is a bit expensive, but if you budget yourself, you should be fine. I would recommend a homestay, but be aware of the potentially long commute (mine was ~35 minutes). DIS gives you lots of breaks to travel around Europe and takes you on trips. The workload was overwhelming a little, but overall this was a great program.

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)

I bought coffee almost every day, which skews the rating.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? ~$100
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? If you're in a home-stay and have a coffee maker, use it! Also, make a written budget so that you can keep yourself on track, especially if you plan to pay to travel to other countries.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* 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 city itself
  • The teachers
* What could be improved?
  • Less busywork
  • Better communication between teachers about due dates
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? They take the academics and skipping class seriously - probably more so than other programs.

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 Linguist
You 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!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

History of Copenhagen: Structure, Plan, Design
Course Department:
Instructor: Carsten Pape
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This class can be work-intensive at times, but provides an extremely useful background on the city of Copenhagen. It makes living in the city more impactful and meaningful. Highly recommended! Also, the teacher is awesome.
Credit Transfer Issues: