Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Great program, better country Past Review

By (Bates College) - abroad from 01/15/2016 to 05/13/2016 with

DIS Copenhagen: Semester

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Very worthwhile, learned loads about myself and my ideas.

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.

Fantastic, great professors and dynamic classrooms with excellent field studies and study tours

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My host family was amazing but quite far from Copenhagen, about an 1 hour 15 min commute, door to door

* Food:

I'm not sure if Danish food is for me.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The language/homogeneity barrier is pretty tough. Everyone speaks English, yes, but you'll never feel totally integrated unless you speak Danish or are Scandinavian. I felt very close by the end though.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Danish healthcare is pretty fantastic, and the program sets us up with the proper registration to utilize the national system.

* Safety:

Denmark is so safe.. I had a backpack with laptop + camera returned to me after I left it on the train.

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

Really just a fantastic educational institution, well run with good professors and semester plans

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, you'll never find a lunch that gets too cheap.

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? Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Fluency + literature courses in Spanish
How many hours per day did you use the language? 0

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? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Denmark
  • Dynamic classroom
  • Great professors
* What could be improved?
  • Not me, but almost every student had a problem with their host family
  • Too many exams the first day/week back from break
  • Please help us connect with Danish students our age! There was so much support for meeting the other Americans on our program but DIS did not really help me meet other Danes besides advice.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Maybe not do a homestay, not because I had a bad experience (my family was great), but because I didn't want to be living at home with Mom as a 20 year old guy.

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:

Cognitive Neuroscience of Consciousness
Course Department: Psychology
Instructor: Claudia Carrara-Augustenborg
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Next level! By far the most influential and intense class I've ever taken. Two exams, three papers, and an attached lab section where you design your own psychology experiment, build it on the computer, carry it out, and present your results in manuscript and poster form. It was an incredibly thought-provoking class, I was truly blown away. It has shaped me and I have learned loads from it.
Credit Transfer Issues: No issues