Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Copenhagen is AMAZING, but DIS is an American bubble Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/14/2017 to 05/14/2017 with

DIS Copenhagen: Semester

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned so much -- I got to travel to so many amazing places, learn a lot about Scandinavian culture, speak a little Danish, and enjoy all the amazing things Europe has to offer.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Quality of instruction was poor and grading was arbitrary

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

I LOVED Copenhagen, but I found DIS incredibly frustrating/restrictive. Also it was very difficult to meet college-aged Danes.

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 300
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? ^above figure includes travel

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

It was mandatory to take a Danish language class and we were encouraged to use the very little that we learned, but it was not a huge emphasis since they had no expectation that we would master Danish during that semester.

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? None

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
  • Hotel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* 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?
  • Copenhagen
  • my living arrangement
  • DIS is incredibly organized
* What could be improved?
  • quality of teaching instruction
  • field studies were often a waste of time
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Courses not related to a particularly danish/scandinavian topic are not of high quality because most often it is the professor's second job.

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 Blazer
Craving 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:

Artificial Intelligence
Course Department: Computer Science
Instructor: Thomas Bolander
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The professor was knowledgeable, but the content of the course was incredibly narrow -- we essentially only covered search strategies. The group programming assignments were tedious and I don't feel like I got much out of them.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Psychopharmacology
Course Department: Neuroscience
Instructor: Jesper Andreasen
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The course work was fascinating. The professor was knowledgeable but not a good lecturer.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Danish Language and Culture
Course Department: Danish
Instructor: Suzanne da Cunha Bang
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This course was great! Suzanne was incredibly knowledgeable, compassionate, and engaging! My favorite class!
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Constructive Journalism
Course Department: Journalism
Instructor: Iben de Neergaard, Jesper Borup
Instruction Language: English
Comments: It often felt like there was not enough material to fill up the 3 hour lectures. Interesting, but got tedious very quickly.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Anthropology of Food
Course Department: Anthropology
Instructor: Ed Romein
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Interesting, but a lot more focused on theory than sociology. The professor was knowledgeable and assessment was fair.
Credit Transfer Issues: