Focus on what Denmark does best Past Review
By A student (Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/14/2017 to 05/13/2017 with
DIS Copenhagen: Semester
I think it was worthwhile. It was nice getting to actually live in a city and learn about it's culture and history and how that is reflected in city life today.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Depending on the course, the work will keep you busy and demand you put in effort. That said, coursework is not overwhelming or particularly difficult. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They provide a lot of structure and resources that making all of the technical aspects of living abroad really easy. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in a Residential Community and I was definitely in the nicest RC offered (STAY Apartments). My living arrangements were spectacular - roomy, clean, well-stocked, good location - but definitely not the average experience. |
| * Food: |
I bought groceries and cooked for myself. It was very easy. Except for a few specifics, groceries stores were just like those in the U.S. They gave us a $600 food card that lasted me the entire semester. I am also pescatarian and had absolutely no issues with finding food, either in grocery stores, at restaurants, or on school trips. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I lived with Americans so I didn't have a distinct avenue for connecting to the local culture, but I definitely could've put more of an effort in to connect. In the neighborhood/walking around the city I didn't feel out of place. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
No specific health concerns for Denmark. I had no health issues, but if I did I had several options available to get care and felt that all those options were communicated well to me. |
| * Safety: |
If anything it was unsettling how safe Copenhagen felt. I felt safe walking/taking public transportation alone at any time of day. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
DIS is a really great experience if your Core Course is focused on something uniquely special to study in Denmark. I studied Sustainable Development in Northern Europe and felt learning the Danish approach to the subject was just as worthwhile as the actual content of the course. There were so many local resources and relevant activities that it felt like it really mattered that I was in Copenhagen. If you just want to get credit to take a vacation or if you want to study something that is not especially important to be in Copenhagen for I wouldn't recommend DIS. |
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) |
Copenhagen is a very expensive city - you can't go out to eat or drink regularly without spending a lot of money. Even a typical takeout meal is gonna cost you a minimum of $15. DIS does provide a lot of things that make it less expensive like food cards and transportation passes. I typically spent $100/month on groceries (without meat, but with fresh produce). Everything else I regularly paid for were elective purchases and the bulk of what I spent was on travel. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $40 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Buying food adds up. Set a schedule for treats. Days I had classes all day I would buy myself a pastry and coffee and try and avoid otherwise. Invest in good tupperware and thermos and keep snacks in your bag to limit impulse food purchases. Also if you're going out, know open container laws - pregame on the way to bars all the way up to the door (or maybe like 20 ft back). Then you can just buy one cheap drink. |
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 |
Required by my school, not sure how much DIS encouraged it otherwise. |
| 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? | Use Duolingo and talk to Danes and other DIS students. You'll be bad but have fun with it. The Danes will enjoy laughing at you; it's a good icebreaker. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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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? | It is more academic work than you expect, and it is A LOT of group work that will require you time more than your brain power. |
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 LinguistYou 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! |
