The best experience of my life Past Review
By A student (Scripps College) - abroad from 01/16/2016 to 05/16/2016 with
DIS Copenhagen: Semester
I learned about being an outsider in a foreign country and the value of listening. I also learned a lot about myself through pushing outside my comfort zone.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The courses were not rigorous compared to classes at Scripps, but were very enjoyable. For studying abroad, it was the perfect balance of rigor and having time to explore the city and travel. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I did not have much interaction with the administration. I had a good experience with the program and it seemed to run smoothly |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was happy that I got a single in my first choice living arrangement, but was not happy with my roommates or the responsiveness of housing. Even though I specified my living style, I was placed with students who lived very differently. Additionally, the housing staff where not responsive to requests and it would take multiple email or forms submitted to get a response. |
| * Food: |
I made my own food most days, but the meals provided by DIS through program dinners was fantastic! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
DIS made a huge effort to help students integrate into life in Copenhagen. Unfortunately, it is hard to connect with Danes unless you do clubs within the Danish community or live in a homestay because they are not very outgoing or interested in befriending strangers. That being said, I felt very comfortable and safe in Copenhagen and learned a lot about Danish culture from professors and observing people on the streets and in coffee shops. The limited contact with Danes did not take away from my experience. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I only got a cold, but didn't need any additional help and the woman in Matas was very friendly and willing to give me lots of help. |
| * Safety: |
This is one of the greatest things about Copenhagen! It is such a safe city! As an American woman I am used to being very careful in my surroundings, but in Copenhagen I felt safer than I every had. The men are very respectful and I felt safe walking/biking home alone even late at night. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The program was very supportive and did a great job integrating us into the culture. I class difficulty was perfect for study abroad because it required work, but did have much work outside of class. |
Finances
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* 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) |
DIS provides a 2000kr stipend and I used that until the last week (excluding going out to dinner, which was not covered) |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | ~$30 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | keep track with an app like mint so that you can see where your money is going. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
Scripps required us to take Danish, but it is completely feasible to live in Copenhagen and only speak English. I found the language component helpful because I could do simple interactions (like ordering coffee) in Danish and would recommend it. |
| 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? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | none |
| 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? | start learning Danish with duolingo before you get to Copenhagen. Then it will be easier to understand menus and signs |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I had known to relax and just take things as they come. It is an amazing experience going abroad, but, like any experience, there are some challenging times. It is easier to relax and let things happen than to try to fight to keep things the way they are comfortable. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Royalty in the Land of Equality |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | Steffen Løvkjær |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | THIS WAS MY FAVORITE CLASS ABROAD! Steffen is an incredible professor who knows how to engage the class and guide discussions. My favorite part were the field studies to various castles and going for city walks. It was the perfect way to learn the history of Denmark and to learn more about Copenhagen. It equipped me with cultural knowledge that great increased the value of my study abroad experience in both Copenhagen and traveling around Europe. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | did not take it for any credit, but it counted for Letters GE for another Scripps student |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Biomedicine Core |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | Richard Karlsson |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | The course itself was not challenging (as a biochemistry major), but was very hard to follow lectures. The trip to London was my favorite part, but the lectures were very dry. It would have been more interesting to tour labs, have more interactive experiences, and to have lectures that more closely related to biomedicine. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Even as a biochem major, could not get any credit because the topics covered are so broad with more of a pharmaceutical business focus than a science one |
