Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Time of my life! May 25, 2023

By (Psychology, Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/12/2023 to 05/12/2023 with

DIS Copenhagen: Semester

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
So worth it. I learned so much about myself and my community, and am so grateful for the experiences I had and people I met.

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Classes were fascinating and engaging, with unique opportunities that would not be possible to experience in America (specifically medicine courses).

* 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:

I have never felt more safe walking around a city alone than I did in Copenhagen!

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

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)

Copenhagen is very expensive. It's definitely possible to cook most meals, but the culture revolves around many meals out which adds up.

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? Intermediate/advanced Spanish in high school.
How many hours per day did you use the language?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 10+

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Location
  • Courseload
  • People/Professors
* What could be improved?
  • Course shopping period - syllabus ends up being different from course
  • Learning about living situation earlier
  • Nothing else!
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That it would be much colder than expected for most of the program!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Daish Language and Culture
Course Department: Language
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English/Danish
Comments: This course was challenging as Danish is a very difficult language to speak, but also appropriately paced for the amount of time we were enrolled in the class. It also covered a lot of fascinating and important cultural issues!
Credit Transfer Issues: No? Credits haven't transferred yet since are transcripts have not been returned, but as every Middlebury student is required to take this course, I am sure there will be no issues.
Course Name/Rating:

Human Health and Disease
Course Department: Medicine/Interdepartmental
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This class was fascinating, and we were able to do so much more than we ever could in the U.S. Highly recommend!
Credit Transfer Issues: Credits haven't transferred yet since are transcripts have not been returned. However, as Middlebury does not offer many health courses and I have already completed my Global Health minor, I am unsure what credits will be met by this course.
Course Name/Rating:

Narrative Medicine
Course Department: Humanities
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This was maybe my favorite course I've ever taken. Challenging but interesting, incredible field trips, and lots of room for discussion. The instructor was a fountain of knowledge and such an incredible teacher.
Credit Transfer Issues: No.
Course Name/Rating:

Ethical and Scientific Legacy of Nazi Medicine
Course Department: History
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This course was much more of a history class than a medical ethics course, which was disappointing. The professor is amazing and very passionate, however it definitely requires more of an interest in history and English than anything else.
Credit Transfer Issues: No.
Course Name/Rating:

Applied Psychotherapy
Course Department: Psychology
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The instructor was amazing. Her ability to share stories of experiences as a therapy as well as bring in guest speakers made the class very exciting.
Credit Transfer Issues: No.