Amazing classes, trips, and country Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Some classes were more vigorous than others, but it was mostly just a lot of projects/papers due around the same time that would give the most stress. The courses themselves were great, connected well to the 'real world' and would give insight into what happens when you work in the field. Incorporated field trips for each class.

On-site administration of your program

The only issue I really had was a weird mistake in a schedule where some field studies weren't updated so it said two happened at the same time. It was worked out easily though and nothing else was ever a concern for me.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in a homestay in Hellerup (a suburb north of Copenhagen). I was about 15 minutes away by train and a 5 minute walk to the train station, so transportation was extremely easy and useful since we were given an unlimited use of zones 1 and 2 (didn't have to buy many tickets to get elsewhere). My host family was super nice and helpful. They spoke really good english (the kids were 12 and 15 so their english was good) but would often be speaking in Danish, so you have to be comfortable with that. I had a room and bathroom to myself too.

Since I lived in a homestay, I got meals included, which was really helpful in terms of saving money on food. That being said, any food I did buy was really good but very expensive. A big downside was that the International food sections at the super markets were limited to a very small collection of Mexican and Asian cuisine. When traveling with DIS, they do provide some, if not, most meals. It varied between core courses, but Polar Biology provided AMAZING food for almost every meal except like two lunches and they gave us money for those (but in Norway, things are even more expensive than Denmark so). They will let you know if you need to bring money.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Not very integrated? Walking around, I could blend in and people would speak Danish at me, so at a point you can seem like a local, but you have to really reach out to make friends in Denmark. Danes are unlikely to reach out, so join a club, sport, or some kind of activity to help. Being in a homestay definitely helped get to know a family and their extended family or friends.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Copenhagen is super safe, but you should always be cautious. I only felt a slightly worried in the really early morning, but only out of habit. I never really encountered any creepy guys either while I did in other countries and other people I asked about it said the same.

I loved that this semester didn't feel just like being at another university like the one I go to now. I liked how the classes were set up and the emphasis on small classrooms, field studies, and insight into career applications. Most of the classes I took aren't at my university and all of the classes were taught by people who still work in the field that they teach. The trips they took us on were unique and provided us experiences that would have been difficult to do on our own. I am also really happy that I had the Polar Biology core course because the trips with Peter Gravlund were top tier in terms fo the places we ate and his knowledge and humor.

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

I was able to because I lived in a homestay and only paid for snacks, meals out, and during independent travel. Denmark is really expensive so I tried my best to be selective on what I bought and looked for cheaper or free options (they are there!)

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

It was not required but encouraged to take the Danish course. Other than the course, there was no chance to practice or use it since all the classes are in English and most Danes speak English

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Americans
• International Students

• Unique classes with great teachers
• Travel component
• City/Country

• Immersion with locals
• Language component
• Can't think of another thing off the top of my head

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