Bike to class and make friends with progressive people in a historic city Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I actually had to do work! I know it sounds crazy for a study abroad program, but it did feel good to be accomplishing something. It all depends on the classes you take, but similiar to my home university I had several essays (beware of group essays!) and projects throughout the semester and as my finals. Other classes had regular exams and final exams as well.

On-site administration of your program

DIS took care of everything! Residence permit, transportation pass, food stipend all arranged by DIS. Other academic-based things were communicated via email like when are where to pick up books, updates about exams etc. Also the semester facebook page was a great place hear about events around the city.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in a kollegium (a danish residence hall), which was brand new and the first kollegium owned by DIS. There were 11 Danes and 31 Americans in the house, which was located right by the harbor in the historic nighborhood of Christianshavn. It was a 10 minute bike ride to DIS. My living situation was hands down the best part of my study abroad experience. The location, the interaction with Danes, the facility, and the balance between independent living and socialization created the perfect environment for me. The only thing about requesting to live in a kollegium is that there are several extremely large ones with a lot less personality. Also many kollegiums are further away from the city center than mine was...However, it is so easy to get places in the city, so if you want the chance to make Danish connections and live close to the city than a kollegium is your best option. DIS residence halls are VERY close to DIS, but also keep you in a bubble of Americans.

Because I lived in a kollegium, DIS gave me a food stipend card to buy groceries (all students get this if they don't live in a homestay). In my kollegium I had a shared kitchen (some kollegiums have private kitchens, some have shared - I would recommend shared because it's a great way to make friends!), so I just made food myself. Aside from the day to day, Copenhagen has a great food scene with New Nordic Cuisine restaurants (Noma and it's descendants) as well as cheaper food halls like Paper Island and the Glass Market.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I tried to integrate myself as much as possible by living with Danes, biking, and taking Danish class. It felt so amazing to bike somewhere and then order a cup of coffee in Danish, and then go home and tell my Danish friends about it! Another thing that DIS offers is the Visting Host Program, that makes you with a host family that you can meet up with as little or as much as possible to do activities with. This was great for me because it gave me a little retreat from the hustle of being with university students so I could just have a relaxing Danish family experience.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

As a Danish resident all DIS students get a CPR card which gives you access to the Danish health care system. The card assigns you an english speaking doctor. I tried to make an appointment but the doctor listed on my card was away so I had to ask a Danish friend to translate the message and then call another doctor on my behalf. I as able to see the second doctor the same day I called (you have to call in the morning) because I thought I had an ear infection. It was simple and I just used my card and didn't have to pay for the visit at all.

I've never felt safer in a city. Especially because of biking, I felt safe biking home alone at night. Usual smart tips still apply, like walking in groups at night, and avoiding drunken people by major transportation hubs like Nørreport or Central Station. The biggest crime in Copenhagen is bike theft, which still usually only happens if you don't park your bike in a rack.

DIS created the perfect conditions for me thrive. Things that normally might have made me nervous (trying to find housing, figuring out transportation, visa paperwork), were all handled by DIS. With all that stuff aside, I had a safe and livable city at my fingertips. There was no language barrier (everyone speaks English), and any Danish I learned was just fun!

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

Copenhagen is very expensive. However, I was able to use the food stipend the whole semester and I'm not a big spender so I was fine.

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

My Danish acquisition was due to my own work. I religiously did the language app DuoLingo before my semester, and watched Danish shows on Netflix. I enrolled in the intensive Danish class, which met four times a week, instead of the normal class that meet twice a week, and chose to live in a kollegium (where I could listen to Danish conversations all the time). DIS did not really encourage language acquisition other than offereing the classes themselves.

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• Dorm

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• Local Students
• Americans

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• Americans

• Built-in study tours with core course
• Living in a kollegium with Danes
• Diversity of courses

• More DIS organized social activities with Danes
• Better language learning activities

The Academic or Linguist