DIS Copenhagen: 11/10 would recommend Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I found all of my classes to be extremely engaging and relevant. All of my classes encouraged me to use explore and examine the city of Copenhagen to further the lessons that I was learning in class. The professors were great and book costs were covered. The classes were less intense than my courses at Wellesley, but the professors still expected that we would turn in good, complete work on time.

On-site administration of your program

DIS efficiently took care of getting its student legal status and documentation in Denmark. It was a really easy transition process, and they did a great job orienting us to the city and telling us what resources were available.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I loved my kollegium! I lived in the Hvidovre Hospitals Kollegium which was about a 30-40 minute bus ride or bike ride outside of the city. I had my own room and bathroom, but lived in a hall with other Danish and international students. We had a shared kitchen and common room at the end of the hall, so I got to get to know my neighbors really well. Sometimes we had game nights or cooked together. There were about 20 other DIS students spread throughout the building too, so I had them as a resource.

Copenhagen has delicious food! They really stress organic, fresh produce. I cooked dinners for myself and often ate lunch out in the city -- lots of sandwiches, rye bread, and juices. Eating out is a bit pricey, but you can grocery shop on a budget.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

It can be hard to meet Danes, but DIS provided me with many ways to get to know some Danes or international students living in my area. I got to know my Danish SRA (essentially the RA of my dorm) and she held events in my kollegium. I also bonded with my visiting host family and learned so much about the culture and country through them. I also found it easy to blend in even though I didn't speak Danish -- mostly everyone could speak English very well.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I visited a doctor's office for a minor health problem during my stay. DIS assigns you a doctor in your neighborhood. I called her office and it was very simply to set up an appointment. She was able to see me within a couple of days of calling, and got me a prescription the same day. Quick and painless.

To me, Copenhagen was one of the safest cities I have ever been to. It has a very low crime rate, and I never felt unsafe walking the streets at night. I would sometimes leave my architecture studio after a long night of working on a project at 1:00am or 2:00am, and I felt completely comfortable on my journey home. There are usually people still out on the streets late at night going to bars or taking public transportation.

DENMARK IS THE BEST, and DIS is a great way to experience the city of Copenhagen. My professors practiced what they taught in the classroom in the real world and I found the field studies and travel weeks incorporated into the program extremely valuable.

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

My stipend for food ran out about halfway through the semester even though I shopped at discount super markets. I also often bought coffee and sandwiches during the day, which added up. At most cafes in Denmark, a coffee or a latte was around $6-7. DIS students can get discounts at a lot of food stores around the DIS campus area, but for the most part Denmark prices are higher than those in America across the board. I also had to buy extra art and construction supplies for my architecture course that students in other courses didn't have to buy... that was an added expense I was not expecting.

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

I took a Danish language courses which made me semi-conversational by the end of the semester. Since mostly everyone in Denmark speaks English, though, I didn't need to use Danish to communicate unless I wanted to practice. I often ordered coffee and sandwiches in Danish.

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• Dorm

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

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• Americans

• Freedom
• Flexibility
• Integration into the city

• Chances to meet Danish people
• Opportunities to connect to local organizations

The Academic or Linguist