Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

An Incredible Whirlwind of a Semester Past Review

By (Smith College) - abroad from 08/15/2019 to 12/13/2019 with

DIS Copenhagen: Semester

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Learned how to be an adult and found a good life balance. Came out of it with a new understanding of the climate system and, less academically, Danish culture. Very worthwhile!

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

It's significantly easier than my classes in the U.S., but part of the education is just the experience itself. The opportunity to go places to learn by doing is pretty great!

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

N/A

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I stayed in a kollegium with shared kitchen. Everything's very well-provided and it worked well. Only complaint would be that parties in the common room below us could get pretty loud

* Food:

Doesn't really apply since I lived in a kollegium and therefore cooked for myself

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

There are numerous opportunities to get involved with Danes-- host family, visiting host, kollegiums with a shared kitchen, folkehojskole, clubs, volunteering locally--it's basically up to you how involved you want to get.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Didn't apply to me but I know a few people who found navigating the system rather confusing, but it's also free!

* Safety:

Pickpocketing happens, especially at bars, and some people had their bikes stolen-- but in general it's an incredibly safe city and I never felt unsafe

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

It was amazing.

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)

For living in a kollegium-- If you buy frugally, the grocery card you receive can cover most of your food for the semester. The big expenses come in when going to bars (it pays well to not drink!) and traveling.

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Shop at Netto, don't go out to bars, use apps like Too Good to Go, use hostels and plan trips ahead of time

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

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 in Danish
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? No one in Denmark will talk to you in Danish (because all of them will speak English much better than you speak Danish) If you do really want to use the language- use Duolingo or other resources before you come and then force the Danes you're living with to try to speak in Danish with you

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • 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?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Study tours
  • Living in the city
  • Professors
* What could be improved?
  • Facilitating social connections between Danes and Americans in the kollegiums
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? You will never need cash in Copenhagen, but you will while traveling- so take out euros not kroner from the ATM Kollegiums tend to be American-dominated and many are very partying-focused

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

GIS and Applied Climate Change Cases
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments: Very difficult (!) but you'll learn a lot and have a very fun time doing it. Good if you really want to learn GIS.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Danish I
Course Department:
Instructor: Jacob Cold
Instruction Language:
Comments: Very helpful to get a basic understanding of the language and the people in Denmark! That being said, there is some significant variation in quality between Danish classes, so I highly recommend that you try to switch if you get a professor that isn't working for you.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Glaciers and Human Impact
Course Department:
Instructor: Susanne Lilja Buchardt
Instruction Language:
Comments: She's incredible. I learned so much and had an amazing time.
Credit Transfer Issues: