Denmark Wasn't Really For Me Past Review

By (Biological Chemistry, Grinnell College) for

DIS Copenhagen: Semester

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I'm glad I went, but I wouldn't want to go back, at least not for an extended period of time.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The program thought it was academically competitive but it was not. They put a lot more emphasis on memorization than concept knowledge, which I found very frustrating. The workload was perfectly managable, it was just a lot of busy work and time spent memorizing facts.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The program wasn't that well organized and was overall underwhelming.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was living with a young, unmarried couple and it was kind of uncomfortable because I felt like the "third wheel" in my own home. It wasn't as close as I would have liked it to be, but such is the nature of a big city. I was treated well, just not like I belonged.

* Food:

The food was fine, everything is pretty expensive and I hated the bread, but I survived.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Trips were really fun, I liked that the program incorporated travel into the curriculum.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

No issues.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

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)

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
Language acquisition improvement?

Everyone was capable of speaking English, so if I had more than a 2 sentence exchange with another person we just spoke English, so I knew only enough Danish to order food and make minimal small talk.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Trips
* What could be improved?
  • Class Organization
  • Teachers that know how to teach
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Maybe it's because I'm a small town girl and being in a big city full of people speaking another language freaked me out, but I wasn't a huge fan. It can be lonely unless you are very extroverted.