DIS Copenhagen - supportive program, beautiful city August 07, 2022
By A student (Architecture, Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/15/2022 to 05/14/2022 with
DIS Copenhagen: Semester
My semester at DIS helped me to understand my academic interests in a different socio-cultural context, develop connections with students from a range of collegiate experiences, and gain independence to explore the city on my own terms. It was such a wonderful and growing experience!
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My apartment had its quirks, but the neighborhood was beautiful, historic, and convenient to the center city. |
| * Food: |
Not a huge fan of Danish food, to be honest, but DIS provided a really accommodating grocery stipend that covered nearly all of my grocery shopping expenses for the semester. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I got covid in the first few weeks of my program, and I thought the Danish public health system as well as DIS did a great job at providing efficient testing and social support while I recovered. |
| * Safety: |
It's certainly worth being cautious and having a friend nearby, but Copenhagen felt much safer to me than most of the American cities I've visited. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $5-$20 USD per week, as the program provided grocery and transportation stipends |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Eating out in Copenhagen is expensive, so cooking everyday and packing lunch + snacks are great approaches to cut down on expenses. If you're interested in visiting local museums, many have days in which tickets are free (often wednesdays) or you can find special free events if you're lucky. |
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 |
Getting by in Copenhagen without any knowledge of Danish was manageable as nearly everyone speaks at least basic English. DIS does offer (but not require) intro Danish language and culture courses if you're curious. |
| 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 |
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? | 0 |
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? | I wish I knew how many interesting places there are to explore near Copenhagen (in Denmark and just over the bridge in Sweden). There are an infinite number of travel opportunities, but I much preferred the weekends I spent nearby, taking advantage of the local public transit system. Copenhagen is such a beautiful city and I wouldn't have gotten to know it as well as it did had I jetted somewhere around Europe every chance I got. |
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! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Architecture Foundations Studio |
| Course Department: | Architecture & Design |
| Instructor: | Søren Amsnæs |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Søren was such a lovely and supportive professor, engaged in our individual approaches to assignments, curious about our experiences in Copenhagen and back in the US, and genuinely passionate about his creative work. Highly recommend! |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
