A beautiful semester in Copenhagen Past Review

By A student (Beloit College) - abroad from 01/18/2016 to 05/13/2016 with

DIS Copenhagen: Semester

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I think my semester abroad gave me a better understanding of the world and myself. I became much more independent and confident in myself during my time abroad, but I also was able to meet people from all around the world and get to see the world from their perspectives.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	I lived with a host family and I am so grateful that I was able to live with such an amazing family. Everyone in the family was so amazing and it gave me a much better understanding of Danish culture.
* Food:	It was a bit hard to find vegetarian food sometimes, but overall pretty good.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes DIS is so organized. They were able to address any questions or concerns immediately and efficiently. I was also able to travel on the study tours to places that I absolutely loved. They also offered so many classes I wanted to take and gave me the opportunity to also study voice at the Royal Danish Academy of Music.

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)	Because I was living with a host family, food expenses weren't really an issue
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	Maybe $50 per week
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Watch out for places that charge extra for using an international card.

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?	Beginner
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program?	Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	I took Spanish in high school, but that wasn't useful I'm Denmark
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?	In Copenhagen, utilize the Language Café at Studenterhuset. It encourages you to learn a language with native speakers as well as others who are just beginning to learn. At DIS, you can also go to the study sessions on Wednesday. The biggest thing I experienced with Danish was a fear of not being understood due to mispronunciation. While that definitely did happen, it's important to take the risk and just try speaking to Danes in their language.

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 friends I made My classes Danish culture
* What could be improved?	More involvement with activities outside DIS Study hours for more classes more tips on transportation around the city
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	The semester is shorter than it seems. Take every opportunity to go out, meet people, and truly enjoy your time in a new country.

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:	European Clinical Psychology
Course Department:	Psychology
Instructor:	Karen Raaberg-Møller
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	The class was very fun and taught very well, but we were also challenged to work hard. The grading was tough, but that challenged me to work harder to do well. Karen was an excellent professor who treated the class with respect and was so knowledgeable about everything we learned.
Credit Transfer Issues: