A Stunning Semester in a Beautiful City Past Review
By Sophie Clyde (Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/11/2019 to 05/12/2019 with
DIS Copenhagen: Semester
I learned a lot about the culture of Denmark, Scandinavia and Europe as a whole, and living in another country taught me a lot about what I like and what I would like to change in America. It was absolutely worthwhile and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The classes are super interesting and well run but some classes expect that you can do the work with only a little supervision or help. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
DIS was always available and willing to answer questions and help whenever necessary |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived with an amazing host family, my housing was definitely one of the highlights of my time in Copenhagen. |
| * Food: |
I mostly ate with my host family and got to try a lot of Nordic cuisine this way. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Living with a host family allowed me to learn a lot about the culture of Denmark and Copenhagen but I mostly interacted with the older generation that my host parents introduced me to |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I never had to use the healthcare system but you can use the Danish healthcare system for free when you arrive just like a Dane would. |
| * Safety: |
Copenhagen is very safe and I never had any concerns for my safety while living in the city. Even the pickpocketing that exists in every major European city was never an issue. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
DIS Copenhagen has been a wonderful experience that taught me so much about Scandinavian culture and exposed me to places experiences that I would probably have never had to opportunity to see otherwise. |
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 an expensive city but being in a homestay allowed cut down on food costs |
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 |
Danish was not absolutely necessary for my time in Copenhagen but learning the basics did allow me to navigate the city and social interactions a little better. The program offers Danish as an optional course and I found it to be interesting and useful, as learning the language taught me a lot about the culture. |
| 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 |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Danish is more useful for reading signs and navigating the city than speaking to people since basically all of the citizens speak fluent English and Danish is very hard to pronounce correctly. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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? | Be prepared for rain more than snow in the winter and a lot of cold sunshine as spring slowly moves in. |
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.' |
