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1. Name (optional)
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Simrat Malik Simeat Simrat Malik James Neshek Janis Huang Mitchell Perlman Sarah Quon Andy Weiss Laura Stathatos Jeff Boone Alexander Vella Bayleigh Nana Ito Kate Ikehara Kelly Sisney Luke Beshar Kelsi Bohnen Kelsi Bohnen Jennifer Waibel Scott Fairbanks Josh Adler donny Michaela Sinrod
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Total Responses 23 2. E-mail Address (optional)
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[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
[email protected] [email protected]
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Total Responses 17 3. Location
# Answer Bar Respo nse %
39 Aalto University School of Economics 0 0% 4 Australian National University 0 0% 6 Chinese University of Hong Kong 0 0% 5 Copenhagen Business School 37 100% 3 Corvinus University of Budapest 0 0% 37 Chulalongkorn University 0 0% 2 ESADE Business School 0 0% 40 ESCEM 0 0% 38 ESCP-EAP 0 0% 65 Fudan University 0 0% 13 HEC School of Management 0 0% 7 Hong Kong UNiversity of Science and Technology 0 0% 58 ICHEC Brussels 0 0% 63 IE School of Business 0 0% 15 Korea University Business School 0 0%
16 National University of Singapore 0 0% 18 National Taiwan University 0 0% 27 Peking University 0 0% 14 Rotterdam School of Management 0 0% 61 Seoul National University 0 0% 19 Singapore Management University 0 0% 1 Thammasat University 0 0% 57 Universidade de Nova de Lisbon 0 0% 64 Universiidad de Carlos Madrid III 0 0% 11 Universita Commerciale Luigi Bocconi 0 0% 62 University of Hong Kong 0 0% 9 University of Manchester, Manchester Business School 0 0% 10 University of Melbourne 0 0% 12 University of Navarra 0 0% 17 University of St. Gallen 0 0% 59 Vienna University of Economics and Business 0 0% 8 WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management 0 0%
Total 37
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Min Value 5 Max Value 5 Mean 5.00 Variance 0.00 Standard Deviation 0.00 Total Responses 37 4. What is your academic status this semester?
# Answer Bar Respo nse %
1 Sophomore 0 0% 2 Junior 18 49% 3 Senior 19 51%
Total 37
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Min Value 2 Max Value 3 Mean 2.51 Variance 0.26 Standard Deviation 0.51 Total Responses 37 5. What is your expected date of graduation from USC (Semester and year, eg Fall 2009)?
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Spring 2009 May 2010 May 2010 May 2010 Spring 2010 Fall 2009 May 2009 Spring 2010 Spring 2011 Spring 2011 2011 May 2011 Spring 2011 Spring 2011 May 2011 Spring 2011 Spring 2011 Fall 2010 Spring 2011 Spring 2011 Spring 2011 Spring 2012 Sprin 2012 May 2012 Spring 2012 Spring 2012 Spring 2012 Spring 2012 Fall 2012 May 2010 may 2013 Spring 2012 May 2013 Spring 2013 Spring 2013 spring 2013 Spring 2014
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Total Responses 37 6. What is your major?
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Business Administration Business Administration Business Administration Business Administration BUAD Business Administration BUAD Business Administration Business Administration Business Administration Business Administration Business BUAD Business Administration Business
Business Administration & Accounting Business Business Administration Business Admin. Business Admin Business Administration Business BUAD and ACCT Business Administration Business-Cinematic Arts Business Adminstration Business Business Administration Business Administration Bus. Admin Accounting and Business Admin. Business Administration Business Business BCA Business Administration
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Total Responses 36 7. What is your concentration (Business majors only)?
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marketing, international business International Business International Business International Business International Business International Business International Business Don't know yet International Business International Business Corporate Finance, International Business Entrepreneurship Finance, Marketing Corporate Finance International
Management Consulting Making my own International Business International International Business International Business International Business International Business Entrepreneurship International Business International Business International Business International Business International Business Sports Media Studies International Business Entertainment cinematic arts International Business
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Total Responses 34 8. Please indicate the term in which you were abroad (semester and year, eg Fall 2009).
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fall 2008 Fall 2008 Fall 2008 Spring 2009 Spring 2009 Spring 2009 Spring 2009 Fall Spring 2010 Spring 2010 Spring 2010 Spring 2010 Spring 2010 Spring 2010 Spring 2010 Spring 2010 Fall 2010 Fall 2010 Fall 2010 Fall 2010 Spring 2011 Spring 2011 Spring 2011 Sping 2011 Spring 2011 Spring 2011 Spring 2011 Fall 2011 Fall 2011 sp 2012 Spring 2012 Spring 2012 Spring 2012 Fall 2012 Fall 2012 Spring 2013
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Total Responses 36 9. I. GENERAL PROGRAM EVALUATION Please rate the following items:
Very So mewhat Mo st ly Very T o t al # Quest io n Neut ral Mean dissat isf ied dissat isf ied sat isf ied sat isf ied Respo nses
1. Your overall satisfaction with the 1 0 0 0 11 20 31 4.65 program.
St at ist ic 1. Yo ur o verall sat isf act io n wit h t he pro gram.
Min Value 4 Max Value 5 Mean 4.65 Variance 0.24 Standard Deviation 0.49 Total Responses 31 10.
No t at all So mewhat Mo st ly Very much T o t al # Quest io n Neut ral Mean so so so so Respo nses
1 2. To what extent did the program meet your expectations? 0 0 2 10 19 31 4.55 3. To what extent was your participation in the program a valuable 2 0 0 1 8 22 31 4.68 learning experience?
2. T o what ext ent did t he pro gram meet yo ur 3. T o what ext ent was yo ur part icipat io n in t he pro gram a valuable learning St at ist ic expect at io ns? experience?
Min Value 3 3 Max Value 5 5 Mean 4.55 4.68 Variance 0.39 0.29 Standard 0.62 0.54 Deviation Total 31 31 Responses 11.
Wo uld no t Wo uld May reco mmend Wo uld surely T o t al # Quest io n reco mmend at Neut ral reco mmend Mean wit h reservat io ns reco mmend Respo nses all mo st st ro ngly
4. To what extent would you recommend 1 0 0 0 7 24 31 4.77 this program to other USC students?
St at ist ic 4. T o what ext ent wo uld yo u reco mmend t his pro gram t o o t her USC st udent s?
Min Value 4 Max Value 5 Mean 4.77 Variance 0.18 Standard Deviation 0.43 Total Responses 31 12. II. ACADEMIC PROGRAM
No t at So mewhat Mo st ly Very T o t al # Quest io n Neut ral Mean all so so so much so Respo nses
1 5. To what extent were your courses intellectually challenging? 3 8 12 8 0 31 2.81 6. How comparable was the quality of instruction and academic demand of 2 8 14 8 1 0 31 2.06 classes to that of USC?
5. T o what ext ent were yo ur co urses int ellect ually 6. Ho w co mparable was t he qualit y o f inst ruct io n and academic demand o f St at ist ic challenging? classes t o t hat o f USC?
Min Value 1 1 Max Value 4 4 Mean 2.81 2.06 Variance 0.89 0.66 Standard 0.95 0.81 Deviation Total 31 31 Responses 13.
St ro ngly St ro ngly T o t al # Quest io n Disagree Neut ral Agree Mean disagree Agree Respo nses
7. The grading system used in the courses was 1 3 1 3 19 5 31 3.71 explained. 2 8. I was able to register for all the classes that I wanted. 1 2 6 11 11 31 3.94
St at ist ic 7. T he grading syst em used in t he co urses was explained. 8. I was able t o regist er f o r all t he classes t hat I want ed.
Min Value 1 1 Max Value 5 5 Mean 3.71 3.94 Variance 1.21 1.13 Standard Deviation 1.10 1.06 Total Responses 31 31 14.
No t at all So mewhat Mo st ly Very much T o t al # Quest io n Neut ral Mean so so so so Respo nses
1 9. To what extent were you prepared for the coursework? 0 1 1 14 15 31 4.39 10. To what extent do you feel you were immersed in the culture of the 2 0 1 3 12 15 31 4.32 host country? 11. To what extent did you gain a better appreciation of the host 3 0 0 1 8 22 31 4.68 culture's perspectives?
9. T o what ext ent were yo u 10. T o what ext ent do yo u f eel yo u were 11. T o what ext ent did yo u gain a bet t er St at ist ic prepared f o r t he co ursewo rk? immersed in t he cult ure o f t he ho st co unt ry? appreciat io n o f t he ho st cult ure's perspect ives?
Min Value 2 2 3 Max Value 5 5 5 Mean 4.39 4.32 4.68 Variance 0.51 0.63 0.29 Standard 0.72 0.79 0.54 Deviation Total 31 31 31 Responses 15.
Very So mewhat Mo st ly Very T o t al # Quest io n Neut ral Mean dissat isf ied dissat isf ied sat isf ied Sat isf ied Respo nses
12. Please rate your overall satisfaction with the content of 1 0 3 8 17 3 31 3.65 the courses you took. 13. Please rate your overall satisfaction with the quality of 2 1 6 9 14 1 31 3.26 instruction.
12. Please rat e yo ur o verall sat isf act io n wit h t he co nt ent o f t he 13. Please rat e yo ur o verall sat isf act io n wit h t he qualit y o f St at ist ic co urses yo u t o o k. inst ruct io n.
Min Value 2 1 Max Value 5 5 Mean 3.65 3.26 Variance 0.64 0.86 Standard 0.80 0.93 Deviation Total 31 31 Responses 16.
Very So mewhat Higher t han Very T o t al # Quest io n Average Mean lo w lo w average high Respo nses
14. Please rate the overall level of faculty interest in 1 1 6 13 9 2 31 3.16 students.
St at ist ic 14. Please rat e t he o verall level o f f acult y int erest in st udent s.
Min Value 1 Max Value 5 Mean 3.16 Variance 0.87 Standard Deviation 0.93 Total Responses 31 17.
Very So mewhat Mo st ly Very T o t al # Quest io n Neut ral Mean dissat isf ied dissat isf ied sat isf ied sat isf ied Respo nses
15. Please rate your overall satisfaction with the 1 1 2 7 18 3 31 3.65 academic program.
St at ist ic 15. Please rat e yo ur o verall sat isf act io n wit h t he academic pro gram.
Min Value 1 Max Value 5 Mean 3.65 Variance 0.77 Standard Deviation 0.88 Total Responses 31 18. III. LANGUAGE PREPARATIONIf you did not take a foreign language class this semester, please choose "Not applicable" for each question.
No t Needs T o t al # Quest io n Po o r Fair Go o d Excellent Mean applicable impro vement Respo nses
16. How were your language skills before the 1 28 3 0 0 0 0 31 1.10 program? 2 17. How were your language skills after the program? 27 1 0 3 0 0 31 1.32 18. Your living situation aided your language 3 28 1 0 2 0 0 31 1.23 acquisition.
16. Ho w were yo ur language skills bef o re 17. Ho w were yo ur language skills af t er 18. Yo ur living sit uat io n aided yo ur language St at ist ic t he pro gram? t he pro gram? acquisit io n.
Min Value 1 1 1 Max Value 2 4 4 Mean 1.10 1.32 1.23 Variance 0.09 0.83 0.58 Standard 0.30 0.91 0.76 Deviation Total 31 31 31 Responses 19.
Very So mewhat Mo st ly Very T o t al # Quest io n Neut ral Mean dissat isf ied dissat isf ied sat isf ied sat isf ied Respo nses
19. If you studied a foreign language on the program, please rate your 1 overall level of satisfaction with the language education component of 1 0 27 2 1 31 3.06 the program.
19. If yo u st udied a f o reign language o n t he pro gram, please rat e yo ur o verall level o f sat isf act io n wit h t he language educat io n St at ist ic co mpo nent o f t he pro gram.
Min Value 1 Max Value 5 Mean 3.06 Variance 0.33 Standard 0.57 Deviation Total 31 Responses 20. IV. SUPPORT SERVICESPlease rate your level of satisfaction with the following categories:
Very So mewhat Mo st ly Very T o t al # Quest io n Neut ral Mean dissat isf ied dissat isf ied sat isf ied sat isf ied Respo nses
1 20. On-site academic advising 0 6 10 9 6 31 3.48 2 21. On-site orientation 0 0 4 9 18 31 4.45 22. On-site academic facilities (e.g. classrooms, libraries, 3 0 1 3 12 15 31 4.32 computer labs), excluding housing. 4 23. Communication with the USC Marshall office in Los Angeles 0 0 6 9 16 31 4.32 5 24. Overall impression of on-site support services 0 3 6 12 10 31 3.94
20. On-sit e 22. On-sit e academic f acilit ies (e.g. 23. Co mmunicat io n wit h t he 24. Overall impressio n 21. On-sit e St at ist ic academic classro o ms, libraries, co mput er labs), USC Marshall o f f ice in Lo s o f o n-sit e suppo rt o rient at io n advising excluding ho using. Angeles services
Min Value 2 3 2 3 2 Max Value 5 5 5 5 5 Mean 3.48 4.45 4.32 4.32 3.94 Variance 1.06 0.52 0.63 0.63 0.93 Standard 1.03 0.72 0.79 0.79 0.96 Deviation
Total 31 31 31 31 31 Responses 21. V. HOUSINGPlease rate your level of satisfaction with the following categories:
Very So mewhat Mo st ly Very T o t al # Quest io n Neut ral Mean dissat isf ied dissat isf ied sat isf ied sat isf ied Respo nses
1 25. Housing coordination 4 8 3 7 9 31 3.29 2 26. Location of student housing 1 1 2 8 19 31 4.39 27. Quality of housing 3 2 1 6 15 7 31 3.77 arrangements
St at ist ic 25. Ho using co o rdinat io n 26. Lo cat io n o f st udent ho using 27. Qualit y o f ho using arrangement s
Min Value 1 1 1 Max Value 5 5 5 Mean 3.29 4.39 3.77 Variance 2.15 0.98 1.11 Standard Deviation 1.47 0.99 1.06 Total Responses 31 31 31 22. VI. OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS 31. Why did you choose this program?
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something completly different Copenhagen seemed like a fun city to live in. CBS is known to be a good business school. Copenhagen is in a good location for being a base from which to travel. Copenhagen looked like an interesting city and it was something completely different than what I had expected so I was looking forward to broadening my horizons and the students who had been to CBS before me all highly recommended it. Denmark people are supposed to have an exceptionally high quality of life. Copenhagen is known for its green energy. I didn't know much about Denmark but I know it is egalitarian. I wanted to see a society totally different from that of the US. Friend's Advice I heard Copenhagen was a fun, urban city where people spoke English. i wanted a place where people spoke English so that I could integrate myself with the culture pretty well I chose this program because the previous USC students that went on exchange at CBS could not stop saying amazing things about their experience. They emphasized the people they met -- Danish and other international students -- and they were 100% correct that the people that are at CBS are the best! Copenhagen is a very active city, people walk and ride bikes everywhere, the people are beautiful, CBS is internationally renown, you can drink beer ANYWHERE, it is a quite uncommon destination for a semester abroad, and the people speak great English. 1) I am interested in sustainability and Copenhagen is the cleanest and greenest city in the world. 2) I love cycling and Copenhagen has twice as many bikes as residents. 3) Copenhagen is different. Paris and London are mainstream. Copenhagen provides a more unique experience and is a livable city. Good location in Europe, classes sounded interesting, Denmark has the happiest people in the world so I wanted to see what their culture is like. I heard great things about it and it was a unique place that not everyone goes to I wanted to choose something completely different and new. A few reasons: 1. I had been to Asia a few times recently including twice with the Marshall School, so I wanted to switch it up and live in Europe instead 2. I hosted two Danish students at USC with the IEP program previously and what they had to say of Copenhagen piqued my interest 3. I had an image in my mind that Denmark would be a great place to live (as in, a high quality of life) ... and I ended up thinking right The literature on the school beforehand explained the prestige of the school and the concentration in business made it very appealing to me. I wanted to go to Europe. Copenhagen was not my first choice, but I ended up being very happy here. I wanted to broaden my perspective and I also wanted to get out of USC for a semester - to experience something more refreshing. Close to Norway (my nationality), speaks English, was told by my Norwegian family CBS is a good school. I wanted to be totally out of my element during my semester abroad. Copenhagen seed like a good place to study because Scandinavia was so foreign to me and I had no idea about the culture of the country. I felt that my personality would fit well with the city that was innovative, trusting, design-oriented, and home to the happiest people on earth. It was different and that's what I wanted. I also knew everyone spoke English, which would make it easier to get around and adjust to my new surroundings. I chose the program becuase I had heard from older students that it was an amazing program (which it was!). I had also never been to Denmark and wanted something a little bit different from the "normal" western European location. I've heard great things about the location and school. Danish society proved to be an eye-opening experience both through the study of their compact, yet robust economy and their positive, happy people. Copenhagen was a perfect city to spend 5 months studying abroad: 1.5 million people, easily navigable, great weather by the time May and June came around, and it was super easy to meet other international exchange students. I was interested in concentrating in International Business; partook in the Global Leadership Program my Freshman year which fueled my interest in studying abroad; interested in pursuing a career regarding international relations Really wanted to study abroad because I heard so many good things about it and knew it would be tons of fun. IEP was the best option since I could complete my concentration and spend a significant amount of time overseas and really get to know what it was like to live in a different culture. Definitely changed my perspective of the world and gained a better understanding of global relations. I chose my location because I wanted to be somewhere in Europe, and Copenhagen seemed to be the most interesting and fun. Copenhagen is an awesome city I wanted to go somewhere in Europe and experience the culture and everyday life there as I have plans to someday moving there for a career. I also was looking to go to a city that did not require a foreign language - almost everyone in Copenhagen speaks fluent English. I wanted to go somewhere that was less touristy for a European city, somewhere vastly different from Los Angeles, and somewhere where everyone spoke English so I could be sure to connect with them. I heard great things about this program from previous abroad students. It exceeded my expectations. Gain foreign expeience My initial interest was to be in Asia for my 'abroad' semester. When I chose to change my focus toward Europe, I was drawn toward Copenhagen for several reasons. I mainly chose the city because I knew that it seemed to be the unlikely European choice. I was also aware of its biking culture and its political orientations toward heavy social welfare. But in the end, I would say the decision came down to wanting to be in Europe but away from the popular capital cities that most students seem automatically attracted towards. Copenhagen was not my first choice, but I could not be more happy that this is where I was placed. The city is incredible--beautiful, such friendly people, much to do, and easy to travel from. The program is extremely well organized and I instantly felt comfortable and at home. More people should strongly consider Copenhagen, because it is a unique city, a well-regarded school, and the perfect place to spend a semester abroad.
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Total Responses 30 23. 32. Please compare these aspects of your program with study at USC.
# Quest io n Equivalent USC/Abro ad Bet t er USC/in L.A. Bet t er T o t al Respo nses Mean
1 1) Quality of instruction 8 0 22 30 2.47 2 2) Content of courses 12 2 16 30 2.13 3 3) Intellectual challenge of courses 7 0 23 30 2.53 4 4) Faculty interest in/support of students 9 1 20 30 2.37 5 5) Individual assistance provided 6 0 24 30 2.60
1) Qualit y o f 2) Co nt ent o f 3) Int ellect ual challenge o f 4) Facult y int erest in/suppo rt o f 5) Individual assist ance St at ist ic inst ruct io n co urses co urses st udent s pro vided
Min Value 1 1 1 1 1 Max Value 3 3 3 3 3 Mean 2.47 2.13 2.53 2.37 2.60 Variance 0.81 0.95 0.74 0.86 0.66 Standard 0.90 0.97 0.86 0.93 0.81 Deviation Total 30 30 30 30 30 Responses 24. 33. How much study time per week do you recommend in order to keep up with classes?
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5 4 hours Just do a little bit of reading each week so that you are more or less caught up with the classes and don't have to cram at the end of the semester. A few hours for reading but it depends on the class. 1 hour...honestly 2 hours 4 hours a couple hours 2-10 Hours 4 hours per week A few hours at most 4 At least a few hours per class a week if you want to learn something, or a couple hours total per week if you just want to pass (it all depends on what you want to get out of the experience) 15-20 hours 1 hour per week. If that. Seriously. 6hours 4hours (to pass the courses, not to get an A) It really depends on your courses. Maybe 2-3 hours per week for each class if you really want to keep up with readings, but not necessary to do well. 3 hrs (but then I studied A LOT before the week of the exam) 10 Not much, a couple hours varies with individual and classes he/she is registered for Almost every class is 100% graded on the final and there is no homework. So to pass you can easily not do anything till the last few weeks. 1-2 hours Maybe 3 hours (depended greatly on whether I had something due or not) Virtually none, until the final. 0, I literally did not do anything school related till 1 week prior of the exam. 10 hours 1-2 daily, but study hours are more heavily skewed toward the end of the semester because the finals are 100% of the grade Depends on the classes, maybe one hour/week until finals
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Total Responses 30 25. 34. How, if at all, does the structure of the courses differ from those at USC? Did you like or dislike these differences?
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There is only 1 final at the end of the year and it is worth your entire grade. I didn't like that because you have no idea the grading styles, the expectations, the requirements of anything. Also, the lectures are not well structured or necessarily relevant to the course so everything is dependent on entirely the reading, no notes, slides, or other options. The classes that I took at CBS only met once a week, so we only had a total of about 10 sessions. A lot more emphasis is put on you to study on your own. The grade is completely based on the final exam. There is nothing that you are graded on in the course except for the final which makes it more stressful, even though I was taking the class pass-fail I found myself studying much harder than I do for pass-fail classes at USC because there was nothing else to base my grade on. The lectures are a lot longer than the lectures at USC too so it was somewhat difficult getting used to sitting and focusing for that long. There is only one grade which is the final exam grade. The teachers do not make you come to class and have no assignments to make sure you understand the coursework along the way. You need to do everything on your own and ask the professor questions if necessary. They give elective classes which make study very easy because most of the regular students are taking all of the more intense classes The final is your entire grade. One can get by with less studying. As a result, one has a novel understanding of the material Not all of the classes meet every week, and most classes start different weeks throughout the semester. In addition, attendance was never taken. Classes met just once a week. I loved this structure because it allowed flexibility and something new every week! Yes, the entire course grade is dependent on 1 exam or paper. Class participation and attendance, as well as homework are in no way mandatory. 100% of your grade is the final. This seems scary, but if you are accustomed to USC coursework, this is a zero stress situation. 100% different. Lectures don't matter at all, the book is what is the primary focus of the course. Also, there is no homework or quizzes or tests so it's difficult to gauge how you are progressing through the course. The final is 100% of your grade. Intense! There are no quizzes, midterms, etc. The final is worth 100% of the grade. I didn't like it or dislike it, it was just different. Even though there were no midterms, I would HIGHLY recommend keeping up with the reading; lectures make a lot more sense if you have done the reading, and if you leave it until the final it can be overwhelming. They meet more rarely. It was nice because your schedule was more free. At the same time, they allowed for class overlaps, so sometimes you had no choice but to miss a class in order to attend another. As in most of Europe, the course grade usually consists of only one or two components, for example, a 15-page paper followed by a 20-minute oral exam or a four-hour written test. You have to be a bit more disciplined with studying ahead of finals time because everything rides on your final performance. Also, courses usually will meet only three hours a week tops and professors place less emphasis on lectures. The Danish students say at least 90% of work is done studying outside of lecture, and your local classmates will probably go to the library to work after sitting through a three-hour lecture. At USC, I find attending classes is more obligatory yet also correlates more into understanding of the course topics. At CBS, lectures tend to skip over a lot of the necessary book readings, so don't be surprised if half of the exam questions are not in lecture slides or discussion. The only grades were the finals and there were no Ta's or Professor office hours. Classes are held only once per week each, which made it nice to not have to go to class as often. However, classes were 3-4 hours long so it was very difficult to pay attention for all of it or stay until the end. Also, 100% of your grade is the final and there's basically no assignments throughout the semester, so I found it very hard to care about anything until about a month before finals. The one exam at the end determine your whole grade. I prefer this method a lot more. The grade consists of one exam (and/or a project) at the end of the semester. Attendance was optional. I likes the abroad system better. Structure of courses were very different: one or two meeting periods per week for three hours at a time. The long class time was fine because we had breaks in lecture, so it didn't seem too long. All courses are weighted 100% on the final exam or project. It was something new to get used to, but I felt prepared going into the exam coming from USC. I liked the class structure because I had a lot of free time to explore the city and travel. The weighted exam worked out fine for me, no big deal. They do not care if you go to class. Most of the exams are based on the reading only and not on much that is said in class. Therefore, you do not need to go to class but to be successful in the classes but you need to do the reading. I think is the opposite of USC where you need to go to class but don't need to read). Most exams are open book/take home so you don't need to memorize the information like at USC but understand where to find the information and how it all connects. I liked these differences because it made traveling very easy and stress free. However, it is stressful that your entire grade is based on the one paper/exam and you have no idea how they grade, so failure is common. Therefore, even though you don't have to do much the entire semester you have to study hard before the exam. Everything was based on 1 final and oral exams. I liked the difference. You can choose to take quarterly classes (5 hours per week) or semester long classes (2.5 hours per week). I took mainly electives which were rather easy, especially as a native english speaker. They were also quite easy to pass with minimal effort. 100% of your grade is a final exam or project; attending class/ participation is not a part of your grade; I didn't mind these differences. It was interesting to be in involved of a program that was quite different from USC. The classes are lectures just like USC but usually bigger. There is no busy work and the teachers just expect you to learn the material on your own accord and be ready for a final. 100% of your grade is the final I took four quarter long classes (two in the 1st quarter and 2 in the second quarter). For each class you only attend class once a week for about 3 hours at a time, with the occasional lab or discussion on another day of the week. There are only 10 lectures per course and attendance is rarely mandatory. While I would not have enjoyed this lack of structure and discipline at USC it enabled me to experience Danish culture and travel when possible. In terms of grading - 100% of your grade is based on your final exam (can either be oral, written, take home, or essay). Oral exams are much harder than they my seem because generally all you do is go into the room and the professor asks you any questions about the course material for about a 20-30 minute time period. Attendance to all classes is optional, with the exception of a 1 or 2 easy 10-minute presentations. Classes are purely lectures, and 100% of your grade is based on the final (paper, written exam, or oral exam). It's great for studying abroad because you don't have to do much at all, but if you want to learn anything it's on you.
The structure of the courses was extremely different than USC. Your final grade in each class is 100% of your grade. There is no attendance score, homework, midterm, etc. The only thing that you are graded on is your final. I took 4 classes. One final was a take home 10 page paper on whatever topic I wanted, another was a 15 minute discussion with my professor, another was a 4 hour open book/note exam in class, and the last was a 48 case study. This alternative method of teaching allows abroad students at CBS to travel and not worry about school. I am happy USC does not offer this, but it was great abroad. I don't like the fact that it doesn't have any pressure at all and students only get one shot(the final) for the class.
There is much more attention on the course's syllabus which was used to deliver home the selected themes and concepts of the course. This is true of any course at home or abroad, but when I was at CBS, I felt there was more of an overarching narrative to each course that was being taught throughout the semester. To achieve this, the syllabus was emphasized, more than at USC at least.
There is almost no homework, except for a few small group projects. Your grade is 100% your final exam, which makes the semester a breeze, but for a week or two you have to study really hard. The grading scale is different as well, but you get the hang of it. Pretty easy compared to USC.
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Total Responses 30 26. 35. Are there courses or professors that you would particular recommend? Please explain:
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Scotland and Switzerland I would recommend outside the norm. I had no strong professors who i felt i learned from International Management Organizing International Business - the main professor is very interesting International Management: This class was extremely interesting, especially because it was filled with foreign exchange students so we really got to discuss cultural differences. Service Marketing: The professor who taught the class had an amazing background in the service industry and gave great insight into the industry during lectures. International Management-very interesting textbook about differences across cultures. - Sports Economics was a fun class. The final was a 10 page paper on your choice. Plus, it had to be on sports (which I'm a fan of). International Finance was pretty intellectually stimulating. The professor was a great communicator of the material Sports Economics - Troels Troelsen. Great class to learn about the economics of European Football. International Management - Interesting if you are interested in global business Intercultural Business Communication - Lill Ingstad. Lill is a very approachable and thorough teacher. This class is very similar to Int'l Management, in that you learn a lot about the different styles of communication in other cultures. Green Innovation - Patricia Plackett. Great professor and interesting topic for today's world. Trolls Trollson for Sports Economics if you are into sports/European soccer. Lill Ingstad for Intercultural Business Communication and Frank Brandt for International Management if you want to learn about the differences between most cultures and the way others view Americans. Sports Economics. Best professor at CBS and very interesting content. Troels Troelson is the man, he teaches Sports Economics. He's pretty laid back and he's funny and likable, and he set the world record for the 400m hurdles for men over 40. He's very well connected to the sports world as well, and likes Americans. Also Patricia Plackett is Canadian so she is easy to understand and is a really nice teacher who actually cares about her students and wants them to learn. Take her! Green Innovation with Patricia Placket was really interesting (if you did the readings) Troels Troelsen for Sports Econ. Awesome class. Foreign Direct Investment and the Multinational Corporation had a trio of professors with extensive backgrounds in dozens of developing nations around the world, which was an unusual combination. Nicolai Pogrebnyakov, the young professor from Belarus, reminded me a lot of a Prof. Voigt protege. Very shrewd strategist and definitely the best professor I took a course with. Also, Green Innovation, despite being disorganized (probably since its a brand-new course), would be a good choice for green business enthusiasts. After all, Denmark is a world leader when it comes to these "alternative" business topics. Psychology of Influence "Intercultural Business Communication" with Susanne Lassen. The class was only 2 hours once per week and the teacher is nice and easy to listen to. "Sports Economics" wasn't bad either, especially if you're in to sports. And it's only a 6-week course, so I didn't even start this class until late October. Definitely, I appreciate I got to take a broad range of topics: green innovation, psychology of decision making and risk mgmt, sports economics. and internet marketing. Sports Economics, Green Innovation; great, interesting, intelligent professors. I really like Robert Strand for Corporate Social Responsibility; passionate American professor who is really knowledgeable about the subject. Also Susanne Lassen for Intercultural Business Communication; super nice and easy going. Troels Troelson for Sports Econ; quirky guy with lots of energy I took International Management, International Corporations and Global Markets, Organising Global Businesses and Marketing, and Sports Economics. The first three courses were all similar and boring. However, they were not very difficult so I would recommend taking them as long as you do the reading. Sports Economics is interesting and there are many guess speakers. Also, your grade is based on a final paper on a topic of your choosing so you do not have to know any of the information in class, going to class is just for your own interest. I would recommend taking classes with take home papers/48hr home exams because they are less stressful and you do not need to study as much for them. No. Sports Economics with Troels Troelson is a must - your whole grade is a self-selected paper on a sport of your choice! And he takes you to sport events all around the city. International Management was easy and interesting: studied for about 2 hours for a 4 hour exam, took the exam in half the time and scored a perfect. International Corporations and Global Markets: mediocre content but easy exam - 5 page paper assigned over 2 days. Management of the Creative Process: really cool and interesting class, I still flip through the book. No I would take Sports Economics as the teacher was really cool and interactive. You also get to go to a few sporting events in Denmark and talk to some important execs. The final was also a take home paper about anything related to sports, so if your into that subject it should be really simple. The other classes I took, International Management and International Business Enviro were interesting too, but nothing special, and the finals were easy. Psychology of Influence - Jacob De Lichtenberg Sports Economics - Troels Troelsen Green Innovation - Very basic course material - Final project is a group synopsis of a green innovation of your choice and then you have a 20 minute oral on the innovation/course material - professor is a bit strict but if you are on top of the info a relatively easy class Sports Economics - professor is a very cool guy but can be a bit chauvinist - you also get the opportunity to attend sporting events (soccer, horse racing, etc) in the copenhagen area - final is a 12 page paper on anything related to sports economics - very easy/fun class Sports Economics- Troels Troelson. Go to sporting events, entertaining teacher and subject I would take my exact schedule all over again if I could. I had the best classes if you want ample time to travel and enjoy life in Copenhagen. Take these 3 classes in Q3: 1. International Corporations and Global Markets (E137) 2. International Management (E31) 3. Management of Creative Processes (MACP) and in Q4 take only: Sports Economics (E684) This school schedule fulfilled my USC requirements and allowed me to travel abroad. CSR Scandinavian Sustainability and CSR: ironically, this class is taught by an American but the concepts it teaches through the lenses of the Scandinavian region, that performs so well in CSR, is a unique opportunity. If you are going to take a CSR class, you might as well take it at a business school that works with the best in the field.
Troels Troelsen for Sports Economics
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Total Responses 30 27. 36. Are there courses or professors that you would advise against taking? Please explain:
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I would advise not taking business strategy. He mentions several times in the year that he has up to a 40% fail rate at times and I swear he prides himself on that, I dont know why. No no No - No No. No - I wouldn't recommend International Management with Frank Brandt, it's pretty boring. No none Green Innovation, unless you are passionate about CSR, sustainability, etc. Strategy and Management of Human and Financial Resources, if you have already taken a strategic management course, since it was more about general strategy and management than about strategy within HR and finance specifically. No "International Management" with Frank Brandt and "Efficiently and Innovation" with Malek Maalouf. Both of these professors speak terrible English and they are painfully boring to listen to. It's safe to say I didn't learn anything from them. At least "Efficiency and Innovation" had an easy take-home final. I advise not taking Internet Marketing taught by Ravi V. He was very disorganized and very unengaged. He just read the slides out to us in lecture. He did not make the topic interesting. Psychology of Decision Making; very unengaged professor. None, all courses were good for me. I would recommend not taking a finance class. Most people do not study on a daily/weekly basis, which is something necessary when taking finance. Also, finance tends to be something that you need to have taught to you versus just being able to read a book about the topic. Therefore, I think it is difficult to take a finance class abroad (unless you love finance and are really good at it). No. I remember a lot of my friends stressing out over the EU Law final exam, but they said it didn't end up being that bad. No Had a good experience with them. Maybe not Internet Marketing unless that interest you a lot. n/a I did not take any but I would not recommend taking any accounting or finance class. Everyone I knew who took them either failed or did terribly in them and studied all the time. Entrepreneurship & Innovation in a Global Perspective. TERRIBLY theoretical class, especially for one dealing with entrepreneurship. I literally could not stand it. I heard finance classes at CBS were hard. Try and take 3 classes in Q3 and 1 class in Q4. No Naming and Framing: A Creative Vehicle for Wordmaking: An issue with classes at CBS in some instances is that professors may seem distant from the classroom environment because their focus isn't really about teaching. This is my opinion of course, but the professors in the course lost momentum quickly and never recovered. The subject matter is also dry and had little to do with brand management/marketing which was what initially got me interested in the class. (side note: classes may have more than 1 professor or have may switch professors in the middle of the semester) n/a
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Total Responses 30 28. 37. Has participation in this program influenced your academic or career goals? How?
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Yes, in studying on exchange my intention was more to immerse myself in the lifestyle and culture, not necessarily for the course requirements. It was a new way of life and a good experience. It has further increased my desire to work for a company located outside of the U.S. for a few years after I graduate. It has confirmed my career goals in showing that I really do want to go after a career in the service industry. No Yes, more internationally aware of opportunities that exist outside of the US Yes, it has helped me to understand how big this world is and how many opportunities there are to take advantage of international business Yes, I am very interested in working in international business. It has encouraged me to work in a multinational corporation or in a foreign country. This has given me a world perspective. Europe is a very different place than the US and EVERY American should experience life outside of the States. It showed me that being abroad is a great experience, but I'm not sure I'm the type of person who could live on the other side of the world for years on end, so now I know that I want to pursue a job in the States. I want to work and live in a foreign country in the future! Yes-- I have met people from all over the world. Things like communication are drastically improved. Yes. In my opinion, it has increased my academic and career possibilities and I am less worried about sticking to specific goals I had last year. Since I enjoyed living in Denmark so much and had a decent amount of success with the difficult Danish language in a very short span of time, I have left the possibility of living or working there again wide open (and now I know what are my options and who to contact if I return). No The major things I learned in this program were not in the classroom. I had the opportunity to travel A LOT and I feel like it's had given me a lot of insight into other cultures as well as myself. I feel more confident and enthusiastic to pursue my goals in the future. Yes; I realized that I want to spend more time abroad and look for employment elsewhere (i.e. Not LA). I also realized I am very interested in Sustainable development and Green Innovation. Made me realize I want to go into sustainable development. It made me open to the idea of working abroad for a few years or perhaps studying abroad once again if I have the chance. Met lots of people who did their MBA abroad, so could be a possibility for me in the future I want to continue to learn more about other cultures and work in international business No, I was pretty disappointed with the quality of the education. I am now more familiar with the EU markets and practices and feel I'd be more fit to work abroad there at some point. Yes, I am certain now that I would like to pursue a career concerning international relations Ya definetely. It really made me want to spend more time aborad and possibly even live in some of the places I vistied. Would for sure seriously consider taking a job where I work internationally. not really Studying abroad has reaffirmed my desires to expand my career abroad, hopefully in the near future. It's definitely furthered my interest in working abroad, and helped me build connections with students around the world. Yes, I realized that I love to travel and wouldn't mind working abroad for a few years after college. I am more clear what lifestyle suits me better. My career goals have not necessarily changed, but perhaps now, I consider how I could expand my search based on the contacts I made abroad. I am much more open to travel in my career path, as well as interested in looking into new locations to start a career.
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Total Responses 30 29. Please tell us about your experience with the foreign language of your host country: 38. Besides English, what is (are) the language(s) most prominently spoken on the campus of the university where you studied?
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Danish Danish Danish Danish Danish Danish Danish Danish Danish Danish Danish Danish Danish Danish Danish Danish Danish Danish, but everyone speaks fluent English. So easy to get around and communicate. Danish Danish Danish Danish Danish Danish Danish Danish Danish Danish Danish Danish
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Total Responses 30 30. 39. Did you speak the host language, or receive any language training in the host language prior to, or during your semester abroad? If yes, please explain:
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I took the danish crash course but the speed and accent of the language made it difficult to understand people, but the danish course was helpful in aspects of groceries or food etc. I took a crash course in Danish the week before the introduction week in Copenhagen. There is a crash course before orientation so we learned some of the basic phrases. No, but I took the "Danish Crash Course" at the beginning of the semester. It is a one-week course which teaches you the essentials (hello, thank you, excuse me, etc). This was very helpful. Yes, One week of training No No. We took the week long Danish Crash Course and learned the basics like "Hi" and "excuse me." We received a "crash course," which was enough time to learn your "pleases, thank yous, cheers, and hellos, and goodbyes.," - The language is very difficult, but I encourage anyone who has the opportunity to try and learn it. I took a 5 day "Danish Crash Course" but it did not aid in my understanding of the language long-term. I took a crash course in Danish, but it's one of the hardest languages in the world to learn, so I stopped after that. No Yes, not much though. A 1 week crash course at the beginning. Yes, I tried to learn some very basic phrases over winter break before leaving and that covered about the first day of what I learned in the crash course. During the five-day crash course, a week before the official orientation, I exponentially increased my language skills and finally had confidence to hold short conversations outside of class. Most students that even attempt to try Danish stop after that week, but I continued with the partner school called IA Sprog for a few months after that with a grand total of three people in my class (the other two had been residing in Denmark for years, though). The best part about most students being intimidated is if you decide to continue, you get a whole lot more personalized instruction time. I became certified as proficient in Level I Danish by some EU language committee and had the option to test for Level II but dropped out to focus on exams at the business school. No. I did one day of the Danish Crash Course, but that's it. Literally EVERYONE speaks great English, and Danish is impossibly hard to learn or pronounce. I easily got through the whole semester with only knowing how to say "thank you." Yes, I took a one week introductory Danish crash course. Briefly at orientation Came in knowing no Danish, still don't know much Danish except for "hi" and "thank you." Took the Danish crash course in the beginning of the introduction week, but it was impossible to pronounce any words for me. It was helpful because I met lots of people in my class during that crash course week. The Danish Crash Course: I would recommend taking this because you get to know people in your class and during the activities at night and it is a little helpful to learn some Danish (but it is also very tiring to go to night events and then class especially since you are jet legged. Another option is to not take the class but come for the week and just do the night events). Only phrases here and there to get by. I learned some from locals. Almost everything in the city is written in Danish. I took the Danish Crash Course. It was a nice way to meet other students, but wasn't necessary as everyone in Denmark speaks 98% perfect English. The course did help with reading food labels and stuff at grocery stores, which helped because we cooked nearly every meal to save money. I took a language course at the Copenhagen Business School, however learning the mother tongue was not necessary considering almost all Danes are proficient in English. Regardless, if you are interested in learning Danish, the government offers exceptional language courses through CBS. However, Danish is an extremely difficult language to learn and the courses alone are not enough to master it. One must devote significant time and energy outside the classroom to learning it. No I didn't speak the language at all and didn't take the "crash course" they provide where you learn the basics. Anything in Danish is super hard to say besides the basics...if that. I would take the "crash course" though only because its the best time to meet all the exhange students and make friends. Otherwise you come a week later and people already know each other which makes it harder. everyone speaks english I did not speak Danish. During the Orientation week you have the option of taking a Danish Crash Course. Danish is an extremely difficult language and you rarely need to use it since everyone speaks perfect English. I would HIGHLY recommend taking the Danish Course simply as an opportunity to meet other exchange students - there are generally a couple hundred other exchange students in total. I participated in the "Crash Course" that was two weeks before school started, and learned virtually nothing. It totally depended on the teacher you had, but I didn't need it at all. It was a great way to meet people early on and they plan a lot of fun events in the evenings. Yes, I signed up for the 1 week Danish Crash Course. Although you will be no where near fluent after one week, you meet a lot of kids in your program. No It is impossible to learn Danish while you study abroad. Mainly because everyone (and I mean everyone) speaks English at a proficient level. Because of this, it is hard to pick up the language beyond the casual greetings and phrases. Unless, you are actually trying to learn Danish through a course, which CBS does offer, it will be difficult to learn. And the students who I met from other universities that were required to take the associated foreign language with the country, had an absolute miserable time taking the class. But if you are one of those language wizards, don't let me stop you from coming to CBS because of the language. In reality, I thought that not having to learn Danish made my ability to consume Danish culture so much easier. The communication barrier between foreign student and local Dane is much lower than your average foreign country. And in the end, you will learn the 'important' Danish words. No. I took the 5 day Danish crash course at the start of the semester, but what little I know of the Danish language I have learned from daily life, not the course. Everyone in Denmark speaks English, but they default with speaking Danish until you start speaking in English.
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Total Responses 30 31. Then rate:
# Quest io n Excellent Go o d Fair Po o r T o t al Respo nses Mean
1 1) Your language skills before the program: 0 0 2 28 30 3.93 2 2) Language training on the program: 2 4 13 11 30 3.10 3 3) Your proficiency after the program: 0 0 11 19 30 3.63
St at ist ic 1) Yo ur language skills bef o re t he pro gram: 2) Language t raining o n t he pro gram: 3) Yo ur pro f iciency af t er t he pro gram:
Min Value 3 1 3 Max Value 4 4 4 Mean 3.93 3.10 3.63 Variance 0.06 0.78 0.24 Standard Deviation 0.25 0.88 0.49 Total Responses 30 30 30 32. 40. Did cultural/social activities sponsored by the program assist you in language acquisition?
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no Yes Not really Not really since the Danes spoke English Yes No. However, I never put much effort No, everyone speaks English. The buddy system allowed Danish students to help us with the language, but it is not necessary because everyone speaks English. No Everyone speaks English in Denmark, so we all just spoke English to each other. There was a Danish Crash Course before the semester started, which helped us learn a few basic words Yes Not really, and it's hard to say because most Danish people will choose to speak in English if there is a foreign student with them NO The Danish Crash Course, but I didn't really do it or find it necessary... No Yes No, everyone in the program spoke English No Yes, they taught us some basic words and also gave us pamphlets for general translation. No, I never really tried to pick up Danish Some; other activities involved interaction between Danish and exchange students where you could choose to practice Danish. No, but didn't really try. Yes You are assigned a Buddy and she taught me a bit. No yes Somewhat yes N/A
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Total Responses 30 33. 41. Did outside/other activities help? Please explain.
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Several friends live in private housing and had danish roomates who I tried to speak with at times. Yes, just interacting with the students and other Danish people. Not really. We spent a lot of time with other exchange students and since everybody in Copenhagen is fluent in English, we were not forced to use Danish and therefore did not. No since everyone speaks English - No No, everyone speaks English. N/A No - Danish is an incredibly confusing language and cannot be redily acquired. No You pick up on basic words by going to the grocery store and walking around Yes; meeting locals etc. Everyone also speaks English, so communication is easy. Not so much, besides taking the rare trip to some small town outside the Copenhagen area that would have an older population and less English speakers (probably the only chance for some feeling of "immersion") NO No, I really didn't learn any Danish. No No Same as above, everyone speaks English No Yes, we all had an assigned "buddy" that was a local. No, I never really tried to pick up Danish Yes, CBS was consistent in informing exchange students about activities both at or away from school, some of which including language acquisition. No n/a Dating a local - if you hang out with all Danish people in a group they will generally speak all in Danish but are really helpful and welcoming No Everyone speaks english, besides few older people. Somewhat Perhaps, but only if it was specifically for language learning activities. Shopping for groceries, stores, restaurants, and daily conversation help you learn helpful phrases.
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Total Responses 30 34. 42. What percentage of students on the campus of your host country (would you estimate) actively speak English?
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90% 99% of them were fluent in English, but the Danish students when speaking amongst themselves always spoke Danish. almost 100% 99% 100% 95% Everyone speaks English. 99% will speak English to you. 100% speak English, but among each other, 100% speak Danish 100% 100% 99.9% 99%, as a conservative estimate 98% Definitely 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% (they speak Danish to each other but can easily switch) 95%+ 99% 100% 100%. Honestly everyone speaks perfect english and its zero trouble to get around and talk to people. Even the 7-11 guy speaks perfect english. 100 100% 100% 99.99% 80 precent 100 100%
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Total Responses 30 35. 43. How would you recommend that students prepare for language differences abroad?
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Practice basic expressions Be prepared to get a little frustrated. Have patience. For coming to Denmark, you do not need that much preparation. They teach you enough of the language in the Crash Course and you can easily get by in a semester speaking English. Not necessary Dont worry about it Don't Everyone speaks English. None needed, only by choice. Not necessary N/A You can't really prepare for Danish, it's a really tough language to learn Learn as you're there. Don't sweat it. Most Danes (around Copenhagen and other big towns, at least) speak near-perfect English. Nevertheless, I'd recommend picking up as much Danish as possible since it significantly changes your level of appreciation for everyday things. In terms of Copenhagen, it is not necessary to do any preparation because most Danes speak English You don't need to. I literally didn't meet one person who only speaks Danish. Older people might speak bad English, but anyone college age speaks it perfectly. Don't have to worry about it because everyone speaks English. Don't have to worry about it. No preparation needed. Everyone everyone speaks English in Denmark, so don't worry. no need to Basically everyone knows how to speak English. Learn how to read some foods It is polite to know some Danish, but not necessary. Not only do the majority of Danish people speak English, but they are very keen on practicing it with exchange students. Not a problem at all. Its impossible to read things in stores though so you'll need to figure that out by just guessing haha n/a You will be fine speaking English. The only time I encountered people who did not speak English was people who were much older and when I took a trip out into the very rural areas. Not something to worry about. The government offers free language courses, so if you do want to take one don't sign up for it through CBS. Danish people don't want to talk to you in Danish if they realize you don't speak it, so it's an uphill battle. Don't worry about it Hang out with locals write down all the phrases you want to remember in the first couple days/weeks and try to work them into your social interactions with random people or friends. dont be afraid to use what you learned either. you will most likely embarrass yourself the first couple of times, but dont let that deter you. Not necessary. Research helpful phrases if it interests you, but everyone speaks English so it isn't an issue.
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Total Responses 30 36. Click to write Column 2
# Quest io n No t Available Available But No t Used Available And Used T o t al Respo nses Mean
1 Housing coordination 0 4 26 30 2.87 2 On-site personal advising and informal support 2 13 15 30 2.43 3 Orientation in Los Angeles 3 1 26 30 2.77 4 Instructional facilities 0 5 25 30 2.83 5 Medical/dental facilities 3 18 9 30 2.20 6 Recreational facilities 7 10 13 30 2.20 7 USC Financial Aid 5 13 12 30 2.23 8 Communication with office in Los Angeles 0 13 17 30 2.57
On-sit e perso nal Orient at io n USC Co mmunicat io n Ho using Inst ruct io nal Medical/dent al Recreat io nal St at ist ic advising and inf o rmal in Lo s Financial wit h o f f ice in co o rdinat io n f acilit ies f acilit ies f acilit ies suppo rt Angeles Aid Lo s Angeles
Min Value 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 Max Value 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 Mean 2.87 2.43 2.77 2.83 2.20 2.20 2.23 2.57 Variance 0.12 0.39 0.39 0.14 0.37 0.65 0.53 0.25 Standard 0.35 0.63 0.63 0.38 0.61 0.81 0.73 0.50 Deviation Total 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 Responses 37. Click to write Column 2
Belo w Abo ve # Quest io n Unaccept able Average Accept able T o t al Respo nses Mean Average Average
1 Housing coordination 2 8 8 6 6 30 3.20 On-site personal advising and informal 2 1 1 18 7 3 30 3.33 support 3 Orientation in Los Angeles 1 0 8 16 5 30 3.80 4 Instructional facilities 0 0 5 14 11 30 4.20 5 Medical/dental facilities 0 2 10 8 10 30 3.87 6 Recreational facilities 2 2 10 7 9 30 3.63 7 USC Financial Aid 1 2 12 5 10 30 3.70 8 Communication with office in Los Angeles 0 1 9 13 7 30 3.87
On-sit e perso nal Orient at io n USC Co mmunicat io n Ho using Inst ruct io nal Medical/dent al Recreat io nal St at ist ic advising and inf o rmal in Lo s Financial wit h o f f ice in co o rdinat io n f acilit ies f acilit ies f acilit ies suppo rt Angeles Aid Lo s Angeles
Min Value 1 1 1 3 2 1 1 2 Max Value 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 Mean 3.20 3.33 3.80 4.20 3.87 3.63 3.70 3.87 Variance 1.54 0.71 0.72 0.51 0.95 1.41 1.25 0.67 Standard 1.24 0.84 0.85 0.71 0.97 1.19 1.12 0.82 Deviation Total 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 Responses 38. 44. Did you live in...
# Answer Bar Respo nse %
1 Dorm 18 60% 2 Apartment 9 30% 3 Other 3 10%
Total 30
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Min Value 1 Max Value 3 Mean 1.50 Variance 0.47 Standard Deviation 0.68 Total Responses 30 39. 45. If you used STA Travel for transportation arrangements, were you satisfied? Please explain.
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na N/A Did not use STA travel No - NO Not applicable N/A - N/A Did not use STA N/A N/A no i didnt use that I didn't use them. N/A N/A Did not use STA Travel Did not use did not use n/a n/a N/A n/a did not use N/A no Didn't use yea, but i would recommend using (studentuniverse.com) if you are comfortable N/A
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Total Responses 30 40. 46. Is there any aspect of the program that you would like to see changed or different? (VERY IMPORTANT!)
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I would like to find out more about the housing, classes, or thingsg available to me sooner. But in some cases its not up to us. Onsite help with classes was very difficult to get. No, overall I was very satisfied with the program given the resources that they have. Are very accommodating to the international students and make sure that we feel welcomed. Most of the dorms available to us to choose from were only international student dorms. Therefore it was very difficult to meet Danes since our whole dorm was full of international students. Furthermore, the classes we took were all in English so that was also unhelpful to meet Danes since there were only 1 or 2 Danes in them (Danes who were English majors). I don't think it is something USC can change, but I would suggest it to CBS. Also, many of the Danish buddies were flaky or never present. Though I had a great Danish buddy, he ended up having to help my friends too since they never met their buddies or their buddies never reached out to them or responded. I would like to see more involvement from the Danish buddies. no Not really. The people here coordinating our international program have been awesome. It is up to you to take advantage of the activities they provide. More preparation before going abroad. When all we have to do is "pass" the course, it is difficult to get yourself to attend class, study, or be involved in the subject in any way. The CBS International Office is quite disorganized. Makes you realize that USC is really on top of their stuff. Basically, don't get overly frustrated...you are in Europe, so stress should not be in your vocabulary! Nothing on USC's end, but the CBS people are very disorganized and difficult to deal with. They need to get their act together. No None. It was incredible. Change nothing. In terms of CBS's housing coordination, their housing department was weeks behind schedule in preparing the new IT system for the application process. Even when it was completed, the new system required you to commit to the housing offering they gave you within 30 minutes or you would have to start over again. It was more stressful than necessary, but for me it thankfully worked out fine. Not on the USC side. But for Copenhagen there internet housing application was very unacceptable. They did not have USC listed as a school and they would not respond to my emails and when I called for support they were unhelpful saying that I would just have to wait for my school to be posted. Because of this I was not given student housing and I feel that I missed out on a big aspect of getting to know other international students. They did supply me with housing but I was isolated from other students and it took me a very long time to get to campus. I didn't like how classes, finals, and room locations can randomly change. Registering for classes was a confusing and disorganized process. It's not really and issue with the program, but more CBS. For a business school, I was very surprised at the apparent disorganization all around. No, my experienced reached my expectation and more. None; everything exceeded my expectations. I would have liked the CBS housing coordination to be better; we were relocated to a new residence a week or two before leaving for Copenhagen. We were moved to a new residence that wasn't even an option when we chose housing. It worked out fine though, just the sudden change was inconvenient. I think that an orientation dinner with all the USC students going to a location and the students from that location on exchange at USC would be very beneficial. Much better communication between the Copenhagen Business School administrative departments (academic and housing) and exchange students. It was always difficult to get a hold of them. Sometimes it would take many days to receive a reply and sometimes there wouldnt even be a reply. There was an issue before we arrived where the building 60 students were supposed to live in was deemed uninhabitable so we all got reassigned. It ended up working out for the better but it took a while to get our rent refunds to compensate the difference and we were sort of blind to the process. Other than that it was a perfect semester. n/a On USC's end its really good no complaints. At CBS the housing department can be difficult to deal with. Other than that nothing serious. Better housing coordination on part of CBS. The CBS housing department was pretty much worthless. They rarely could answer questions and when there was an issue they didn't follow through very well on correcting it. Their housing department is a nightmare, but otherwise everything was great. Getting housing was difficult in Copenhagen. I went through CBS and luckily got a single downtown. The online system is extremely confusing. Hopefully they fix it for future students. Let students know what they should expect and adding more options of schools. Because the study abroad process starts with pre-depature to re-arrival over the course of several months, issues that seem important in the beginning will subside and maybe other issues will grow in importance later. I don't have any gripes with the program, but if I think of something I will bring it up. I would say that 99% of issues or complaints with the program happen before departing. Once you are on the ground in the host country, problems are much easier to solve (housing, classes, etc.) I wish there was more assistance with getting a residency permit, but I figured it out just fine on my own.
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Total Responses 30 41. 47. Additional comments on services and coordination.
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na N/A none CBS administration offices had difficult hours of operation to work with. They were only open a few hours a day and only on certain days, definitely not on weekends. If you had a problem or concern, it could not be addressed until Monday came. I understand this may just be because the cultures are different, but it is still frustrating so be aware. Also, email communication was very slow. The housing/transcript offices took over a week to answer my emails. I u Grade Transferring? If you want to integrate yourself with the Danish culture, do not rely on the services provided by the school. Go out and join as many social activities that you would think are fun (yoga, soccer, tennis, cards...) Danish are resistant to make international. One has to put forth a great deal of effort to get through to them. N/A - Poor coordination at CBS. Classes change rooms mid-semester, randomly take weeks off, and nobody had any idea of when the finals would be until about a month beforehand. Also, one new teacher had no idea how the grading system worked, and when he asked seasoned colleagues for advice, they were just as clueless and had been "feeling" their way through grading finance exams all these years. Ridiculous! CBS did an AMAZING job getting us acquainted with both the city and the school. They get around 500 exchange students from all over the world each semester, so they really have their exchange program perfected. They have a ton of activities before the semester to help you meet people. CBS internet systems are very dated. Hopefully it won't happen again, but they seriously messed up on the housing for all international students this semester. It was repeatedly delayed and then when you finally could apply for housing, there were seriously flaws in the online system so it randomly wouldn't let some people register and made it look like it was full. Every international student I talked to experienced problems with applying for housing and many not only didn't get the housing they wanted, but didn't get housing at all. N/A Housing department was slow to fix problems in our residence, but the international office at CBS was efficient with emailing me back. no commens Difficult to know when/how to prepare for exams because final exam times/dates are not released until roughly 1 month before the exam. Most European housing offices are slower, and Denmark is no exception, but if you want something done fast, you can make it happen. Simply call them or go to the office and they will be more than willing to help. I think they get flooded with maintenance emails. n/a Make sure to sign up for housing quickly. n/a If you don't like your class schedule just ask and they will very likely change it for you. Besides in housing, they are very accommodating to exchange students. As a resident of Denmark, you get a health card that gives you free care at a local doctor and hospitals. The only thing not covered is dental. USC did great. No
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Total Responses 24 42. Please tell us about your travel experiences. 48. How did you find your arrangements to the host institution?
# Answer Bar Respo nse %
1 Travel Agent 2 7% 2 Online 26 87% 3 Other: 2 7%
Total 30
Ot her:
School owned property
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Min Value 1 Max Value 3 Mean 2.00 Variance 0.14 Standard Deviation 0.37 Total Responses 30 43. Would you recommend this method?
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yes Yes yes Yes yes yes Yes Yes. Yes - Momondo.com is the best website for comparing flight prices yes yes yes Sure Yes. Yes.
Yes; probably the most affordable way to go. Yes; you can get the cheapest deals. Yes, found cheap flights online through the airline I normally fly with yes Yes for convenience, but no for premium price for below average quality. Probably paying double of what locals pay for a room the third of the size. Yes Yes, use momondo.com for flights. It's the best site for comparing prices of all airlines and travel agencies. Yes yes Yes, book travel as soon as possible Yes, easiest way to go. yes Yes Depends on the city...for copenhagen, metro transportation and the ease of travel is unprecedented. The host program also provides buddies, but I found my way without needing a buddy's help. Yes.
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Total Responses 30 44. 49. What was the average cost for round-trip tickets to your host country?
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1300 $1000 $1500 around $500 each way. Do not buy round trip tickets unless you know the date of your last final, which you won't find out until mid-semester Don't remember $500 N/A used frequent flier miles $700-$1,000 Varied....maybe $200 or so. Around $1100 $100 (used frequent flyer miles) Approx 700 US Paid by Delta SkyMiles but I remember seeing cash prices around $700 at the lowest end $1500 $800 to get here, $1500 to get back (because my flight was right before Christmas). Book early is my only recommendation.
1400.00 $1500 $700-800 depending on the month $800 1300 $900 $1000 1000 600-700 if you book early. ? used frequent flyer points $1000 depending on advance booking from LA i flew miles 1300 my travel arrangements were not round trip $700-1000
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Total Responses 30 45. 50. How often did you travel and to where?
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I traveled a decent amount on the weekends and 2 trips during weeks off. I traveled to Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, England, Scotland, Czech Republic, Italy, Austria, and the Netherlands Almost every week. Around Europe. I traveled about half of the weekends of the semester. I traveled to London, Sicily, Norway, Berlin, Prague, Austria, Sweden, Amsterdam, Brussels, and Paris I traveled every weekend the 2nd and 3rd months since Copenhagen weather was crappy anyway. I made my schedule so all my classes would be on Tuesday and Wednesday so I usually traveled Thursday-Monday. I stayed in Copenhagen the rest of the time which was great since the weather got warmer. I highly recommend staying in Copenhagen during the warmer months since it has great parks to play sports/relax in, Tivoli amusement park is open, and people just love to be outside since it's sunny and nice. Places I traveled to: -Goteborg, Sweden -Venice, Italy for Carneval -Canary Islands, Spain -Malmo, Sweden -London, England -Prague, Czech Republic - Budapest, Hungary -Krakow, Poland -Oslo, Norway -Around Denmark Almost biweekly, everywhere in europe total of like 3 weeks. i went to amsterdam, oxford, paris, london, venice, florence, milan, malmo, lund Sweden, Spain, France, Italy, Prague, Budapest, Ireland 2 Trips planned by the university (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!) - One cruise to Oslo, Norway and another trip planned by a student to Russia (Stockholm to Helsinki to Moscow to St. Petersberg to Tallinn). Rented a car and drove to Berlin (autobahn also highly recommended!). Paris and London for weekend trips. Costa del Sol (South of Spain) for a week at the end of the semester (we deserved it, Copenhagen is cold!). Made a point not to travel too much, and I am happy for it! Once, twice, three times per month. Moscow, St Petersburg, Riga, Helsinki, Oslo, Stockholm, Malmo, Paris, Fes, Marrakesh, Agadir, Casablanca, Berlin, Barcelona, Madrid, Toledo, Amsterdam, Brussels, Bruges, Antwerp, Prague. Copenhagen has a lot of flight options and getting to the airport is super easy. I traveled frequently throughout Europe. I visited most of the countries in Europe west of the Czech Republic. I traveled a lot over spring break, and then only 3 weekends other than that. Went to Stockholm, Paris, Nice, Brussels, Amsterdam, Cinque Terre (Italy), Florence, Vienna, and Prague. Sporadically. Made it to 12 countries. I mostly stayed within Denmark and spent only three weeks outside of Copenhagen in six months. On my random days off, I explored most suburbs and towns around the capital, thanks to the awesome public transit system of trains and buses, and I also spent a weekend in Skagen at the northernmost point in Denmark. However, I did make three day trips across the sound to Malmö and Lund in Sweden, spent spring break around Lithuania and Latvia, took a week off in northern Italy and Slovenia, and relaxed before finals for a few days in Berlin. Some of my favorite lesser-known places around Copenhagen were Faxe, Ølstykke, Tisvildeleje, and Jersie Strand (Denmark's Jersey Shore, kind of). I traveled six times. 2xBerlin, Malmo, Italy, England and Austria Almost every single weekend, which was amazing. I went to: London, England; Prague, Czech Republic; Bornholm Island (part of Denmark); Stockholm, Sweden; Vienna, Austria; Berlin, Germany; Helsinki, Finland; Granada & Madrid & Barcelona, Spain; Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Budapest, Hungary; and Marrakech, Morocco. I travelled probably every three weekends. I went to Berlin twice, Istanbul, Amsterdam, Oslo, and St. Galen. About every third weekend; Berlin, Oslo, Amsterdam, Istanbul, St. Galen, Munich I hardly traveled during the first few months. I went to Berlin a month into the program then stayed in Copenhagen for two months straight with only short day trips to Sweden. Lots of people traveled tons, but I enjoyed staying in the city and exploring it even though it was freezing. Just came back from easter break travel (2 weeks) and went to: Madrid, Barcelona, South of France, and Amsterdam. In a week, I'm heading to Prague. Doing most travel at the end of the program with my family. It's really expensive to fly out of Copenhagen, so if you can hit many cities in one trip, you should do it in order to save money by not flying back to Copenhagen. I travelled to Berlin, Germany; Prague, Czech Republic; Oslo, Norway; Manchester, England; and Zermatt, Switzerland on weekend trips spread throughout the semester. Then, I went on an organized trip with many people from my residence to Tallin, Estonia; Helsinki, Finland; St Petersburg, Russia; Moscow, Russia; Riga, Latvia; Gothenburg, Sweden; and Stockholm, Sweden which was a lot of traveling but an amazing trip. I grouped all my travels within a 1.5 month period and travelled throughout Denmark, Amsterdam, Dublin and Prague. Early in the semester not so much, but once April came, I traveled all over the place. Germany, Spain, Poland, France, England, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Netherlands, Czech Republic very often; Paris, London, Amsterdam, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Italy I traveled a lot and you could go at anytime during the semester really. My friend and I got a "EuroRail" pass that allowed 10 days of travel within a months time by rail . Went to places in Germany (Oktoberfest is a must), Austria, Prague, Switzerland, Barcelona, Paris, Belgium, Amsterdam, and Sweden. Even with all the traveling it still allowed me to get to know Copenhagen pretty well and being able to travel to a lot of different places was tons of fun and interesting. A few times. Berlin, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Prague, Budapest, Bucharest, Istanbul, Kiev, Italy, Spain. In the first two months I traveled nearly every week. The weather in CPH is very cold at that time and I had barely anything to do with my classes so I used that time to travel. The last two months there I did not travel except for a week trip with my family between quarters. England, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Sweden, Norway, Croatia I would travel roughly every 2 to 3 weeks. I went to Berlin, Budapest, London, Ibiza, Barcelona, Sweden, Norway, and Amsterdam Twice a month, mostly in EU 3: the first to norway, the second was to belgium and budapest, the third to rome. i know students who traveled to more countries than you could count on two hands though. Once or twice a month in the beginning, now that classes have ended early, all the time. Stockholm, Berlin, Dublin, London, Prague, Budapest, Vienna, road trip through all of Switzerland, Salzburg, Munich, Amsterdam, Madrid, Seville, Lagos, Lisbon, Paris.
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Total Responses 30 46. 51. Did the structure of the host institution's course schedule foster travel opportunity or prevent it? Why?
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It fostered travel because i only had classes 3 days a week and they give a week break halfway through the semester. Also, my classes ended a full 2 weeks before my finals. Yes, I only had class three days out of the week, so I had more time to travel. Yes it completely did. Classes are not scheduled for every day of the week so it was very easy to take long weekends and travel. Also, the International Office hosted trips for the exchange students so we got to travel as a huge group also which was a really fun way to get to know all of the other exchange students. See above foster, easy classes and times... YEAH. classes are only a few days a week. travel early (if you miss classes early it's not really a big deal. it is pretty east to catch up) Yes, because classes do not meet every week. FOSTER. I only had class 2-3 days per week, which were optional anyways. Foster. Some classes lasted the first 2 months and others, the last 2 months. Taking 4 classes, this dictates that you only have 2 classes at a time. Or, you could take all of your classes at the beginning or end, entailing a 2 or so month free period. It definitely fostered travel. I scheduled my classes such that I really only had one day of class a week, that way I could bring my books with me and read those on the train rides around Europe. Good way to do it! Foster; all the classes are on different schedules so there are some weeks where you might only have 1 class for the whole week. Allowed it. Some classes were already over by Spring break and missing some classes is all but expected. Yes, because most professors expect most of the studying to be done outside of class and place less emphasis on lectures. There was more of an opportunity to skip a class here or there if I felt like it. It fostered travel opportunities. However, I spent a lot of time with advisor's trying to coordinate my schedule so I could have Friday off. Definitely fostered it. since classes only met once per week, I only had classes on Tuesday, Wednesdays, and Thursdays so I travelled every weekend almost, usually spending 3 nights in each place. Also since there's a complete lack of assignments, I really didn't have to worry about keeping up with coursework. If I had been at USC, It would have been quite impossible for me to travel so much and even just pass my classes. Fostered travels; they did not take into account of attendance, Yes; attendance was optional and some classes posted lectures online. Yes. I scheduled my class so that I had three or four day weekends, which allowed me to travel when I wanted to or just have a lot of down time in Copenhagen. I loved our long easter break, which was two weeks. This allowed me to spend several days in each city instead of short weekend trips throughout the semester. Yes, it fostered travel opportunities because you do not have to go to class and do not need to study very much throughout the semester. Both. It gave the opportunity because classes were optional but it also prevented it because your class schedule was different every week and you dont know exact dates of exam. If you knew how to plan your courses. I took 3 courses in the first quarter and only 1 in the second quarter (which turned out to be semi optional). Due to this, I could pretty much go anywhere. Foster it; the semester at CBS is broken up into quarters so you are able to choose how heavy you want your course load to be in each qaurter. I chose to take all my courses during the first qaurter, and did most of my traveling the second qaurter. You can also choose to take classes that are on specific days, and therefore have specific days off during the week for traveling. Also, attendance is not taken in these classes so you may choose to not attend some class dates for traveling; that is, if you can stay on top of your course work! ;] It for sure fostered it. Since there was no homework, attendence, or other work due until the 100% final at the end of the semester you could pretty much leave whenever you wanted. Fostered Very much fosters travel - I only missed about 2 classes all semester and traveled often, at least in the beginning of the semester. Definitely. You don't have to go to class and you can do all your work around the final date. yes, traveling was encouraged. Foster it. It doesn't have much work to do. Yes, when your grade is based 100% on the final, travel opportunities abound. Yes. Classes are 3 hours long and only once a week. Though this is a long time to sit in a classroom, it makes your class demands very low and helps you travel. Attendance is not mandatory like I have heard it is in other programs.
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Total Responses 30 47. 52. Do you have any tips or information about traveling while abroad that you would like to share with upcoming exchange students preparing for their trip?
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book trips early. Plan ahead. Traveling is more expensive than you think it will be! Save more money than you think it will be but definitely travel around....some of my favorite memories are from traveling and meeting up with friends. Also, make sure to take time to explore your host country instead of traveling everywhere else in Europe. See above don't pay for the metro IT WILL BE COLD. if you know you don't like the cold, maybe don't come here I would recommend waiting until seeing your class schedule to plan trips. In addition, traveling with people you meet at CBS is a great experience. CBS also provides group trips to Russia, Berlin, and Oslo and I recommend taking advantages of those trips. Do not expect under $100 airplane tickets to many places, but flights are cheaper than trains. The airport is so accessible and easy to get to and from. Book at least 3 weeks in advance if flying. Flying out of CPH is so easy and convenient, but somewhat more expensive. Renting a car is also very easy and I highly recommend it so you can see the rest of Denmark on your own time. Cruises to Oslo, Amsterdam, Helsinki and other northern European countries are cheap and really fun! Momondo.com is the best site for comparing flights. Consider indirect airports (like Girona for Barcelona) and then take a bus/train to the city. Consider taking a bus or train to your destination rather than a flight...considering airport travel time, this could end up being the same amount of time as flying. Eurail passes are great if you have the time to commit to it. Train rides sound excessively long but most are night trains so you sleep through the majority of it. Much more comfortable than plane rides too! Travel during the winter because it's freezing, then enjoy Copenhagen in the Spring when it's (somewhat) nicer! Do a lot of hostel research. They make or break a trip. And find locals. Use couchsurfing.com Spend less time moving between places (as in on trains, planes, buses, etc.) and more time at fewer destinations. You will save more money and have a lot more fun. I had a couple friends who planned whirlwind European tours and were bummed that they kept having to leave places for the next stop right as they were starting to enjoy them. Also, travel to a few of your dream vacation spots in other countries, but try to spend most of your time in your host city so you get a more complete study abroad experience. For this program in particular, Copenhagen is an awesome city with endless possibilities for what to do. I came home with dozens of activities still unchecked on my CPH "bucket list". Lastly, if you are booking a reservation say for a hostel online, make sure to print out the confirmation page, because I knew of a few people who had to make some last-minute changes when the hostels lost their reservations. Take advantage of the student trips. In the case of Copenhagen, look at its neighboring countries because they have a lot to offer and easy travel through train and bus. I flew pretty much everywhere I traveled. I recommend BOOKING FLIGHTS EARLY!!! You can get some great deals if you book early enough. And staying in hostels is a great way to save money on accommodation. And just a warning, Copenhagen is SERIOUSLY EXPENSIVE. Just basic groceries and transportation can put a serious dent in your bank account. Buy tickets early, don't feel scared to travel alone, and be open-minded. Don't plan all your trips beforehand because you might want to travel with people you meet abroad/on the way. the budget airlines will still be cheap last minute. Stay with friends who are studying in other cities. Use momondo.dk for cheap flights. It's expensive to fly out of Copenhagen because it's not a huge hub, RyanAir doesn't fly out of Copenhagen Travel with people from your residences or visit people that are abroad but make sure to be in the country you are living in too! Don't book your trips too far in advance. Learn how to cook. Copenhagen can be expensive to fly out of because its not a major hub. Use MOMONDO.com to find relative airline rates, then book directly through the airline to save on service fees. You can use EuroLines.com for Bus routes (works well to Berlin). /// HOSTELBOOKERS and HOSTELWORLD are essential and will save you money /// Try to stay with friends in the cities you visit - you'll save on accommodation and get a more local experience Take advantage of all the traveling opportunities the university provides for exchange students! They are so much fun, offer great prices, and are usually better arranged than trips you would arrange for yourself. Make sure you pack light as you will most likely need to walk around a lot and its easier to carry your stuff then roll it. I'd recomend using trains and looking into a EuroRail pass as that was pretty cool and I got ot go to a lot of places for cheap. Also be sure to use hostelworld.com to find hostels as they are way cheaper, more fun, and you meet tons of people compared to real hotels. Its also an experience for sure.
use momondo for flights. Use momondo.com for booking flights, it was consistently the cheapest option. Wait until you get there to book trips, you will want to travel with people you meet there. I know everyone says this but make sure you spend enough time in CPH. I would recommend traveling in the beginning of the semester and staying in CPH near the end when the weather improves. Use skyscanner.dk and momondo.dk when you're in Denmark. Wiki-travel is a great resources for transportation info in-country. Ride a bike in Copenhagen when the weather is nice enough, you'll experience so much more of the city and learn your way around. Get a metro pass if it's snowing- if you don't, you will get caught and charged $100+ Remember to enjoy living in Copenhagen. There is so much to do/see there, and a lot of kids on my program were gone every weekend and didn't really get the experience of living in Denmark. Prepare early and make decisions early. Value quality over quantity. the natural thinking is to go in the beginning, but I found this difficult because I was not sure who to travel with yet. The good news is that everyone is in the same boat, so it wont be hard to find your travel mates eventually. I also encourage you to look up events or festivals that you are interested in to accommodate your travels. For me, that was attending the Rome International Film Festival in Novemeber 2012. For Belgium, my friends and I attended an all night EDM fest called I Love Techno in Ghent, Belgium. In general though, these trips thought will create memories for a lifetime. Its no secret that travelling is a huge part of going to another school. Studying abroad was such a good experience for me that it often felt like 'being on vacation.' So travelling while abroad felt like going on a vacation from a vacation. ALWAYS practice safe habits, as much as you can control, when travelling and be wary of couchsurfing, even though it can be really fun!
Book through Skyscanner.com! They show you the best rates available on flights. The cheapest airlines are EasyJet and RyanAir, but I prefer EasyJet (plus RyanAir doesn't fly out of Copenhagen, but Malmo, Sweden, which you have to take the train to). Trains are much more expensive than they used to be, so flying is the best option. Book in advance!!! Hostelworld.com is also helpful, and TripAdvisor has great tips. If you like to learn about everything you see in different locations, Rick Steves writes great books on all cities in Europe with self-guided walking tours, recommendations on accommodations, restaurants, night life, etc.
St at ist ic Value Total Responses 30 48. 53. EXPENSES: How much spending money FOR THE ENTIRE SEMESTER would you recommend that the next participants budget for this program?
# Answer Min Value Max Value Average Value St andard Deviat io n
1 General (including food, entertainment, local transportation) 0.00 15,000.00 2,533.33 2,838.81 2 Housing/rent 0.00 5,500.00 3,226.67 1,681.12 3 General travel during semester 0.00 6,500.00 2,483.33 1,854.55 4 Books & miscellaneous supplies 0.00 1,000.00 301.67 274.33 5 Other expenditures (please explain) 0.00 5,000.00 306.67 959.86
Ot her expendit ures (please explain)
Depending on how much you drink, alcohol can be a big expense. Total: bike, room necessities n/a Really depends on how much you travel or go out partying. tours, souvenirs 49. 54. Did you experience any form of crime, or were you in danger at any time (such as the victim or witness of assault, robbery, etc.)? If yes, please explain:
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No No no No no No. really safe out here No, Copenhagen is very safe. But, still be street smart. No, VERY SAFE! Nothing. Copenhagen is the safest city I have ever visited. You can ride your bike home or walk after clubbing at 3am on a Friday/Saturday/Sunday regardless of gender and be fine. In fact, I did this on several occasions and did not encounter a single person on the 30 minute ride home. No, though many of my friends witnessed robbery in Prague. No None. Copenhagen is incredibly safe. No, and Copenhagen is probably one of the last places you would expect to see crime. Although, public drunkeness is rather common, probably due to that open container policy. NO I got my bike stolen, but that's it. There is almost no crime here, everyone is very respectful. Coming from LA there is absolutely no comparison! None; Copenhagen is a very peaceful city. None No crime experienced. Copenhagen is super safe and I always felt safe in the city even when taking public transportation home by myself. Most frequent crime is bike theft. No! Copenhagen is very safe! not at all, felt very safe all the time. locals are extremely helpful. My wallet was stolen halfway through the semester which was a pain in the ass to take care of No! Copenhagen has one of the lowest crime rates in the world; it is unbelievable how safe the city is. None. Very safe. Not in copenhagen. I did not personally encounter any danger and CPH is EXTREMELY safe. There was a break in at my dorm but from everyone I encountered this is very very rare. Danes leave their babies outside the market in strollers when they go in to the store, that is how safe it is. No, quite the opposite. Copenhagen is the safest city I've ever been to in over 20 countries. Taxi drivers returned wallets left in their car the next day several times, and most people turn them in to the police who mail them to you with the contents/money. Never any problems. never No Copenhagen happens to be very safe, one of the safest in the world many would say, but that doesnt stop crime from happening. Or, for a thief from exploiting a foreign student. However, the people here are extremely courteous and very well mannered. I never felt uncomfortable walking the streets at night, even at odd hours. Whether this was advisable is questionable. But in other cities, I know I wouldn't have felt as secure doing the same thing. None. Copenhagen is extremely safe, and I have never felt uncomfortable or in any danger.
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Total Responses 30 50. 55. Before departure from USC, or upon immediate arrival to your host country, do you think you were adequately warned and/or prepared to deal with most incidents mentioned in the Health and Safety section of this evaluation?
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Yes Yes yes Yes but my buddy did not know where my dorm was so we ended up dragging luggage around for miles yes yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes. Over-prepared even. Yes Yes Yes. Yes Yes Yes yes! somewhat sure yes! Yes Yes No issues. Yes yes Yes yes Yes.
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Total Responses 30 51. 56. If you did not feel adequately prepared (response to question #55), what do you think you needed to know or hear in advance? How could you have been better informed and/or prepared?
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NA N/A did feel prepared - No N/A N/A - N/A N/A N/A no N/A. I never used it, but health care and doctors visits are free here and easy to access. Except dentist visits. You'll have to pay for that out of pocket and it's very expensive (I had a friend here who had to pay nearly $1000 out of pocket). N/A N/A Felt prepared n/a Better understanding of health system of particular country. sure n/a n/a Make sure you apply for your res permit (in the US) and get your CPR # (once in CPH) right away. You will need your CPR card in order to visit the doctor. N/A I got really sick halfway through and the socialized health care system in Denmark is horrible. I was hospitalized for 4 days. I would HIGHLY recommend calling the insurance company that USC gives you when you FIRST experience any symptoms. They will tell you what hospital to go to, and really help you out. N/A
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Total Responses 25 52. 57. Were you knowledgeable about your USC overseas insurance coverage policy?
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Somewhat, we were informed but not well enough for it to stick to memory Yes yes Yes - yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Sort of Yes Yes yes Yes. I was well informed before coming here. Yes; Sean sent numerous emails regarding this topic. Yes Yes..i think.. yes Somewhat. it exists yes Somewhat, but didnt need it. Somewhat. Yes. Yes, but didn't need it because of the free Danish Healthcare System yes No yes Yes
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Total Responses 30 53. 58. Did you experience any negative treatment that you feel was related to your ethnicity, race, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or religion? If yes, please explain:
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no No yes No no no No No. No No No None No no No. Denmark is a very accepting and open country and they care a lot about equality. They are also one of the least religious countries in the world. None; I was a little bit embarassed to say I came from the United States because of the certain stigma Americans have in Europe. None No, none. While traveling people would make stupid comments about me being an Asian girl, but it wasn't anything big and bothersome. Mostly irritating and stupid. no yes, had a confrontation with another exchange student from norway. i couldn't get into berghain in berlin. other than that, nope. no! None. Nope. No. I did notice though that the culture in CPH is not always the most racially tolerant. No no No no No
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Total Responses 30 54. 59. What was the best part of the program?
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being able to travel Traveling with friends. Getting the chance to live in Europe for a semester Meeting new and diverse people. Living in a society totally opposite from the US (janteloven-idea that all people are equal and one should not flaunt their status or try to be better) CEOs drove normal cars and lived in normal apartments no matter how rich they were. People were happy at their jobs whether they were waiters, custodians, or high-ranking business people. Everybody recycles! People were drinking beers during finals. Actually, sometimes you could purchase beer at your final. the people those times where you look around and think "man, i'm living in europe." you will miss home sometimes, however, you really grow as a person The people. CBS has an amazing host buddy system, and my Danish buddy was so helpful and has become a great friend. In addition, the orientation program the first two weeks really encourages everyone to meet a lot of international students so you know so many people right off the bat! The people and the experiences I shared with them. Meeting people from a variety of backgrounds / Travel / Getting acquainted with Copenhagen by visiting neighborhoods and such, as opposed to just seeing the mainstream aspects The best part of the program was being able to experience other cultures. Everything! I absolutely loved the city, everyone I met, traveling, and living in Europe! Exploring a new vibrant city like CPH Enjoying the last couple of weeks with all my new exchange friends during the World Cup and other summer festivities, although there are many other equally notable experiences throughout the semester. The people I met and the city of Copenhagen was amazing Getting to travel Europe. I had never left America before this trip and now I have been to 11 countries. This semester has been the most exciting, fun, eye-opening, and insightful 4.5 months of my life. I wish it could go on for forever! Meeting people and building life-long friendships. The life-long friends that I have met in the program. Creating a life for yourself in a foreign country with completely new people. I had the freedom to do whatever I wanted with the new friends that I made. I looooved the friends I made through CBS and especially in my residence. Great people from all over the world; became so close with them and expanded my friend network exponentially. I set up a new life for myself here and loved creating new routines and ways of getting around, cooking, traveling, and just living. Everything is totally fresh and open to you! Meeting new people from around the world Embracing yourself in another culture, meeting people from all over the world and experiencing the everyday lifestyle. the people i got to meet from all over the world Immersing myself into the culture of my host country and meeting not only Danish students, but exchange students from all over the world! I would say I enjoyed everything about it. It was cool going to an international school and living in a foreign country with a completely different culture was awesome. The couse work stuff was really a second priority for me so I spent more time getting to know my location and meeting people from all over. Traveling was also a huge highlight along with making new friends. Experiencing danish culture Everything?! For sure participate in both orientation programs. That is where you will meet a majority of the other exchange student and learn about the culture and how to get around. Making connections with locals and people around the globe, being free of most responsibilities I have at USC, and always having something new to do (and the time to do it). meeting other exchange students from all over the world. You learn so much about yourself and other people. It is also really cool that this program is longer than others. You really get a feel for living in Europe. Being able to understand different cultures and figure out what I really want in life. Meeting people from all across the world, and now having friends from all across the world The program itself was well organized, and helped you get to know other exchange students immediately upon arrival. I highly recommend the intro week social packages, because that is where most people meet their first friends. Exchange students were from all over the world and extremely interesting. There is also a buddy program, where each exchange student is paired with a Danish CBS student to help you and introduce you to life in Denmark. The International Office is super helpful as well. CBS really values its international students and makes sure that things run smoothly.
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Total Responses 30 55. 60. What was the most difficult part?
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figuring out what the school expected, finding class related information online, and getting the information that was constantly ask for to the international office, while dealing with their Horrible IT system The lack of efficiency and organization at CBS. how expensive Copenhagen is and being away from home Meeting Danes money sometimes missing home/usc. don't think about it and join as many social activities as you can The weather. It is very cold, and many days you go without seeing the sun. But, you get used to it! The weather. It was one of the coldest winters/springs in over 30 years, which was a big shock for someone who has lived in Southern California his whole life. Having a roommate The most difficult part of the program was studying for the finals, since you have no idea what style the final is going to be or how you've progressed through the course. The weather- it was freezing! Keeping costs down. Surprisingly figuring out how to set up my local phone plan and getting my ATM card authorized were both more difficult than surviving the coldest winter in 23 years, even though I had never lived outside of Southern California. Really, no part of the program was overly difficult. Getting used to the train systems and dealing with the cold :) Being so far away from friends and family. I also maintained a long-distance relationship with my boyfriend, which was not easy. Also I was frustrated by how expensive everything was in Denmark. I spent far more money on this semester than I ever could have anticipated. Finding the group of friends that you click with & meeting and bonding with the locals. Trying to find the right balance of traveling, making friends, studying, and adjusting to the Danish way of teaching. The prices in Copenhagen. You really don't realize how much you spend by living in this city. I really had to watch my spending by not eating out (only a handful of times) and watching how much I partied. It was also freeeeezing for me for the first several months. The cold prevented me from exploring the city since it was so cold to go outside. Studying when I needed to Harsh winter conditions and learning how to get around even though almost nothing was written in English. Denmark is a very expensive place, and until you get used to that and learn ways to work around it, it will sting. Keeping track of my expenses and budgeting. Copenhagen is a very expensive city, and it's easy to just spend, spend, spend especially when traveling. None of it was bad, but getting adjusted to a completely new environment and figuring out where everything is may be hard for some people. Also if you get homesick that could be a problem. There's no Chipotle in Denmark. The weather is extremely cold in the beginning of the Spring semester. Wondering how my first grade would come back. Honestly, nothing was tough. Learning to cook... Danes don't eat out because it is SO expensive and a part of their culture. It's was Denmark. Everything was so inconvenient there. Denmark tends to be expensive, but I think you would find that that higher price point comes with higher quality products. In the end, you will learn to budget better. The initial tasks of getting a residency permit, CPR number (social security number), and bank account. But his is true for any location you choose to study in. And once you are past this within the first month or so, it is all over.
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Total Responses 30 56. 61. Describe a situation that you experienced as a result of culture shock or cultural misunderstanding. How did you resolve it?
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Clothing choices when coming here. I bought a lot of stuff because the styles are completly different Figuring out my class schedule was a whole complicated process. They don't have online registration like at USC, so anytime you want to change a class you have to do it in person. This means you have to wait in the two hour long line, and the office is only open like 5 or 6 hours a day, and when you get to the head of the line, you can sign up for the classes, but they won't tell you if it fits in with the schedule that you already have. So chances are that you have to go back again. To say the least, it was a very long and frustrating process because I knew that it could be so much more efficient. Even if they just had more than one person handling the class registration, it would have gone much faster. I guess this was a type of culture shock, I had been so used to the American efficiency that this was just an unbearable process for me. But there was nothing I could do, so I just tried to have patience and got it done. none Not too much, just language differences, as in the way people use certain words. Some English words mean something slightly different to Danes. Therefore you sometimes need to explain yourself. - none really. they dance differently out here? When you walk down the street people will sometimes just run into you, but they don't mean to do it on purpose or to be rude. I had to get used to that! Danish people are very punctual and it is important to respect that. No HUGE culture shocks though...just be open and mindful to others and you will be treated with respect. - I experienced culture shock in Russia, when Russian guards started yelling at us because our documents weren't in the right order. I resolved it by obeying them as quickly as possible and avoiding them like the plague from there on out. N/A There were few or no misunderstandings. Discussion was the best way to resolve such situations. Nothing really comes to mind with Denmark other than the initial shock of how much higher all the prices are than in the US. For that, I saved money by taking advantage of many free activities, buying month passes and clip cards as extentions for the public transportation instead of individual tickets, and shopping for food at Middle Eastern groceries in Nørrebro. However, I did experience some culture shock in the Baltics, especially Latvia. The secret to overcoming language difficulties was patience with a smile. I was not really prepared for Danes sarcasm. I was at a buddy dinner and my feelings were a bit hurt because of their sarcasm towards Americans. But soon after I just realized that it is part of their culture. It Nothing major in Denmark, just little things. Like, you can't buy ANY medicine in the store. You need a prescription for Advil. I recommend bringing lots of medicine with you!!! You can drink on the streets here, I found that strange. People will be strolling down the street in the middle of the day drinking beers. The Danes love beer. The Danes are also all beautiful and blonde and soo fashionable. You won't find any fat people or people wearing sloppy outfits. To tell the truth, the Danish dating scene was most different from American standards and lead to misunderstandings. Communication helped resolve it. Other than that, Danish culture is very similar to American culture. I've been to Norway many times because of family so I had a good grip on Scandinavian culture before hand. However, I did have to get used to the more reserved Danish people. I'm used to very friendly Americans... None comes to mind. Although it was really strange for me to see babies left outside stores and cafes in their carriages while their parent went grocery shopping or grabbed a coffee with a friend. It's totally normal for Danes to do this, so don't be alarmed. Babies just chill outside on their own and no one looks twice in their direction. When I first arrived I questioned why I decided to come and leave USC which I love so much. However, I soon got over it when I made friends with all the amazing people I lived with. Make sure to be outgoing and participate in all the events the first few weeks you are here! Had many pub conversations with locals about capitalist society vs socialist. a girl told me i didn't look danish because i didn't wear hair gel, so i got some hair gel at the store. n/a Can't think of anything serious. People in Denmark as very nice and I never had any issues even when traveling. Just be respectful and aware of their differences I guess. You're not in the US anymore and that will become very clear very quickly-but in good way. n/a I personally did not really have any experiences but a lot of my friends felt homesick at various times. The best solution is not to sit in your dorm room, go out and do something. Didn't really have much culture shock. They wait for the light to change before crossing the street though, and you can drink ANYWHERE (including while riding a bike). Danish currency is interesting. I do not miss it at all. The smallest bill is 50 kroner. I had to divide everything by 5.5 to convert to USD. N/A In Denmark, efficient organization and finding the natural way seem to be held paramount especially in its biking culture. My style of bicycle riding in Los Angeles was not exactly compatible with those of the Danes. I was used to hopping curbs, running reds and doing whatever I pleased to get me past cars. In Denmark riding a bike means using lights at dark, hand signaling and general bike etiquette. Although my more aggressive style of riding did not warrant loud critiques from locals, I could just sense that I wasn't being courteous. I think these smaller instances of cultural misunderstanding that are not noticed readily can be more dangerous. I say that because you may not notice your behaviors that are annoying to locals. So i would recommend being mindful of your presence especially in the first few weeks. Eventually I got over the biking issues by accepting the disparate bike cultures, but dont get me wrong, these misalignments in culture will provide enormous learning opportunities. There are people in the world who don't like America, and they don't mind sharing these opinions. I say this not about people in Copenhagen, but just about some people in various cities and countries. When hearing these opinions, I resolved the cultural misunderstanding by allowing these people to get to know me and judge me for who I am, not where I am from.
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Total Responses 30 57. 62. Describe something that you are proud of having accomplished during your stay.
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Getting around the whole city by back and mostly not needing a map Learned a little bit of Danish. I took a 36 hour train ride by myself from Copenhagen to Sicily I understand Danish culture and way of life. Though I would not say I became part of it, I do understand the way they think and how they relate to things. it is very different from America and I believe it is an experience all Americans should have. Sometimes Americans do not understand what it's like to live in a society which isn't totally capitalistic, or live without huge flat screen TVs, big cars, and other luxuries. Though I admit that I do like those luxuries, I now understand how those luxuries can change society in terms of the bigger picture--a society's mindset, level of happiness, values, etc. Building a dock in Christiania getting to know several international students very well I am proud of all the friendships I have made -- especially not just American students! Gaining many Danish friends, as well as friends from all over the world. Not interacting with the USC kids. It's nice to leave your comfort zone and seek out people from different countries. I snowboarded in the Alps, a lifelong dream of mine! Being away from home for so long. I became a lot more independent. I also became a lot more flexible, due to the many 'road blocks' we hit (mainly while traveling). Making life long friends all around the world. I completed my first marathon and was the only one of the four Americans in my residence to follow through on our promise to complete it. Granted, they did come out to cheer me on and run alongside me for a while, which was a huge motivator. Also, aside from a few stations, I traveled all lines of the Metro and S-train systems at least once, so I felt I made my best effort to see all of what I could do around my host city. I am proud of being able to navigate my way through englands tubes. I feel much more wordly and experienced. I feel much more independent and confident. Before this trip I had never been out of America before and I had never lived alone (which I did this semester). I came here not knowing a single person or much of anything about the Danish culture. But now I will leave with some of the greatest friends I have ever had, and I've met so many amazing people on my travels, and I feel like I know so much more about so many different cultures. I feel like I've grown as a person and got to know myself better by going though this program. I am also proud that I traveled alone various times and had a great time. I sill keep in touch with many of my flat mates - one will be visiting me from New Zealand at the end of the month. I will be going to Hong Kong to visit friends for Spring Break. Not losing my passport or missing a flight and living out of a small tote bag for 16 days straight during easter break travel. Also proud of myself for meeting as many people as I did. My open mindset and willingness to go out of my comfort zone during the first two weeks here really helped me make so many friends. Going out of my comfort zone and experiencing new things. Although it may seem small, I am proud of trying all the different local and traditional fish because I absolutely hate fist and usually will refuse to try it. Making long lasting friendships with people outside of the US. Maybe not any one thing in particular but the greater cultural understanding I got for so many different backgrounds and how I will always keep learning as I keep in touch with these people. n/a Planned and traveled to tons of different countries and lived in a foreign country on my own all while not dying or going to jail in the process. backpacking for 2 weeks. Ventured out into CPH and made Danish friends. At CBS there are tons of other exchange students from all over the world. You naturally tend to spend your most time with them but make sure to meet and make friends with Danish people. They are lots of fun and have great parties :) Joined the rugby team and learned how to play Making lifelong friends. Being able to cook on my own. For thanksgiving, I orchestrated a family style dinner in my residence for a group of about 20 people. It was a chance for those in my building to cement our relationships toward the end of the semester, and it wasn't even just for the homesick Americans. My cooking isnt even that spectacular, but everyone still ate it all up.The ultimate validation came when one of my friends told me that it was a good example of my organizational skills. That was probably the first time someone ever said that to me and I hope its not the last. Look out for opportunities like this that can get a good group of friends together beyond the weekend trips or the typical weekend rager at the local pub. And dont depend on school related functions to come together. Looking back it was important because although I can tell that there are certain people who I will remain more than Facebook friends with, the bond will never be as strong as when you studied abroad together. I had trouble with the mail, because for some reason it wasn't arriving at my residence, even though it was working fine for my dorm mates. This created problems with the bank and my residency permit as well, because I couldn't receive my documents. This is a very unusual situation, and I had to constantly deal with the postal service as well as the bank, which was a huge pain. But I finally got everything to work! It took a lot of energy, but I felt really accomplished when I was able to find my way through a tough situation in a foreign country. (Note that this was an unusual situation, and will very likely not happen to anyone else).
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Total Responses 30 58. 63. What do you wish you had known about before leaving?
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how expensive living is. N/A I wish I knew how expensive everything is and how cold it gets in the winter That it's freezing cold at first and then warm enough to wear shorts later. I brought all winter clothes. I also wish I knew the showers had no tubs or side barriers so the bathroom gets all wet. This took a while to get used to though it does not seem like a big problem. You end up having to squeegee your own bathroom after each shower. I also wish I knew there isn't peanut butter in Denmark since I ended up making my mom ship some. Eating a sit down meal out is SO expensive (>$50). I think I only ate out twice the whole 6 months, though I did buy small things from food vendors/carts. - nothing. How to take an oral exam! How cold it was here! - I wish someone had told me that they don't have peanut butter in Denmark. Trust me, you'll miss it, so bring some over with you! How painfully expensive everything is! Everyone said it but I just assumed everywhere in Europe would be just as expensive- not true! Copenhagen is probably THE most expensive city in Europe (but also the best city! :)) I felt prepared. I wish I knew not to spend money on a bike when I could just ride the public transportation or hop on a free city bike. I spent almost $80 and a couple days trying to fix up my rusted piece of junk that got three flat tires in about ten rides. Although biking is known for being very popular in Copenhagen, it's not necessarily the best way to commute when the transit system has been rated the best in the world. Plus, if you come in the spring, chances are the biking conditions are not favorable until midway through the semester. Month pass, $60, that's all you need. A better knowledge of my budget. Not that much, I felt pretty prepared. I wish I had known how expensive everything was and had budgeted better from the beginning. I wish I had known it would get so cold! And I wish I had brought medicine with me. I wish I bought rain boots and warm coats from the US. I wish I changed my currency during the summer when the exchange rate was better. I Bring rain boots. Remember to pack clothes for the summer months. I hardly have any clothes for this warmer summer season, so don't pack too many scarves, sweater, etc. Also I wish I had known how expensive travel and living in Copenhagen would be..I would have worked so much more to save up more money to spend while I was here. Copenhagen is EXTREMELY expensive so be prepared for that. Also, do not try to compare Copenhagen prices to prices at home: in Copenhagen, a cheap meal is $20. The real extent of expensive Copenhagen is. nothing. i enjoyed not knowing the things i did. thats part of the experience. n/a How amazing looking every single girl there is so I could brag to my friends more before I left. Just how fast the semester goes. CPH is so so so nice in the summer. I wish I had planned to stay longer to experience it. Also, Tivoli opens in April, makes sure to go before you leave - at least once. There are in ground trampolines near the Tordens dorm, along the canal. They became the go to place for all the exchange students. Difficult to find since they look like sewer grates. Wiki-travel and skyscanner.com How fast 6 months was going to fly by. How different Denmark is from other parts of the world. Not to stress about the visa so much That Copenhagen is a very expensive city.
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Total Responses 30 59. 64. Do you have any travel tips to share?
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pack light. Book trips as far in advance as possible. Travel light! You do not need to bring 10 outfits for one weekend, you usually end up wearing pretty much the same thing every day. And make sure that you are always with someone or someone knows where you are if you are by yourself. Be very careful with your belongings and make sure you always have an eye on them. Travel light. I lugged my things around Europe for a while until I got sick of it and just brought one of each item needed. Just do it not really. you will figure it out. maybe, if you are not that interested in architecture/museums, traveling might be a little overrated. Bring a small suitcase for carry on luggage. Travel in groups. If you want to travel to many places look into a Eurail pass. N/A Momondo.com / Visit a friend in a different country, as knowing a local makes the experience less stressful Hostels and Eurail passes are a great way to see Europe on the cheap. Hostelworld.com is excellent, and DO NOT waste your money buying that $30 Hostelling International membership card. I did most of my traveling during Spring Break and only traveled a few other weekends in addition to that. I would highly recommend traveling because its a blast! However, I would also recommend staying in your host country and getting to know it well. Find a good balance! Also, traveling is a lot more expensive than you think it will be. Get as much authentic food as you can. If you are in Denmark during the spring semester, remember to pack some summer clothes along with all of the cold-weather gear. I accidentally only brought one pair of shorts because I knew I was arriving in January, and come May, I was roasting in my jeans. Travel light to your destination. Leave room for things that you will purchase. Book flights early. Don't bring your whole wardrobe with you. Stay for at least 3 nights if you visit someplace, 2 just isn't enough. Don't forget to fully explore Denmark too! Try to get recommendations from trusted sources (friends, good guide books) before you go on the trip, learn the transportation of the city before you leave, and go to hostels (this is where you can meet people easily, from all over the world!). Pack light. I would spread out your travel and don't travel tons and tons. You really want to enjoy Copenhagen. If you are constantly away, you miss out on fun events and just hanging out with people in your residence and that you met through school. You'll regret how much you were away by the end of the semester. Travel with a small group of people for easiest coordination. Stay in Copenhagen for the last month and a half because the weather will be so much better than the beginning half of the semester. Make sure to try the local food because you learn so much about the culture that way. If you can, try to find a cheap hotel vs staying in a hostel. Make sure you have some cash because not all places take American credit/debit cards. use lonelyplanet for college style travel advice travel wiki is always cool to check out copenhagen is the shit. n/a Only bring what you really need for your room and what your are actually planning on wearing. Everyone always brings tons of stuff thats not really that essential...which I did. Remember you have to carry pretty much all your stuff by yourself once you get to your country and will have to be using public transit. Not that awesome to have tons of bags. Live in a residence that feels like family. Go on trips w/ the other exchange students. Momondo.com - travel with others you meet in the program - wait a bit to plan trips, you will learn about cool places you want to go from others who travel Take a backpack or small bag that is carry-on size. When you leave your host country and are packing, as soon as you fill that up you have as much as you need. Fly easy jet, ryan air, whizz air. It is cheaper to fly from Malmo, Sweden than Copenhagen airport for some trips. Value quality over quantity. look for your favorite bands or artists who are on tour Previously mentioned tips. Look at flights through Skyscanner.com, read Rick Steves books for info and suggested itineraries for all cities in Europe, TripAdvisor for advice from other travelers, and book in advance for cheaper rates.
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Total Responses 30 60. 65. What would you like to say to the students going after you?
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Go out everywhere and do everything early, because toward the end of the semester there is never any sunlight. This was the best four months of my life. Definitely worth it. Make the most of this opportunity. Definitely travel everywhere and go out in the city and experience the social scene but go to class every now and then too...it was pretty interesting to go to classes that are completely different from USC and they truly give you an international/global perspective which I really valued. Go to Copenhagen and Eastern Europe (Prague, Budapest, Hungary)! I feel like you have your whole life to go to France, Spain, Hong Kong etc. Copenhagen has a great young night life and lots for young people to do. There is not as much for older people aka when parents visited there was not too much to see/do. Therefore now is the time to go to Copenhagen and save places like Paris for later on in life. Also, Eastern Europe is heaven for students. Everything is fairly cheap and the night life is good. I don't think I will return when I'm older but you HAVE to go when you're young. I wouldn't say it's particularly upscale or luxurious though some parts are. That's why I feel it's better for a younger crowd and save the luxury vacations for other places when you can actually afford it. Rock on have fun with the weather. CBS has one of the best exchange programs, and you really learn a lot culturally and academically!! Have a blast, its the PERFECT location to spend a semester abroad. Remember that your words and actions not only represent you, but they stand for your hometown, your home university, and most importantly, your home country! DO NOT HAVE A ROOMMATE. LIVE ALONE. Get out there, meet lots of people, and explore! GO TO COPENHAGEN!! It's honestly the BEST place to live and be abroad! I loved that it wasn't touristy, like many other cities are, because I felt like I got to experience a great city that most people unfortunately overlook. It's SO much fun, there's an amazing nightlife, and there's always a ton to do! Have fun! Have a blast! Copenhagen is the coolest place to go on exchange. You wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Do everything you can and don't let an opportunity pass you by. YOU ARE SO LUCKY!!! Get ready for the semester of a lifetime. I must say I didn't learn much of anything in the classroom and I basically never studied, but that was very conducive to traveling a lot and having a blast all the time!! This semester definitely didn't feel like school, but rather one huge glorious vacation. :D Please email me if you have ANY questions! You are going to have such an amazing time! Try to get housing by the city center. Enjoy every second of it - it's going to zip by! Write down memories or take pictures- you're going to forget about it otherwise. Take a trip to Berlin (only 30 euros on bus), you won't regret it! GO TO COPENHAGEN!! It's completely different from any other part of Europe. Scandinavia has so much to offer, such a different trusting lifestyle here based on trust and following the rules. Be as social as you can during the first two weeks at the introduction and crash course week activities. Hate to say it, but go out every night to all the student events to meet people because everyone will have made friends by the second week. Be outgoing as possible to optimize the time before classes. Go abroad with an open mindset. You'll have fun wherever you go, but you just need to be open about what you will be doing and where you go. Enjoy every moment, even the boring ones, because before you know it, the semester will be over and you'll be heading back to LA (I'm sad about leaving Copenhagen behind already!) Have fun! I wish I could do it again! Have the time of your life and don't hold back! danish women are beautiful. n/a This is seriously going to be the best time of your life and make sure you make the most of it. The experience and the memories you make will be epic and there is no other way to get this experience unless you go abroad. At first you might miss being back at USC but it gets better after a few weeks and then by the end you will not want to leave at all and will love wherever you studied. I already have plans to go back in the summer. Can't say enough about the time I had best decison I made while at SC. Have fun Always try to make the most out of every trip you go on and every experience you have, you will almost always look back on your experience and wish you could do it again or experience something more. Explore the city of CPH, it is a really cool city with tons of secret hide outs and local gems. A few of my favorites - Francis Pony, Kulor Bar, Tivoli, the beach, Nexus, Stroget, Nyhavn, Bellevue Strand. In terms of getting around I would recommend getting a metro pass in cold months and make sure to have a bike once it is warmer, EVERYONE bikes and it makes everything an adventure. Try things you wouldn't normally do at home, and take advantage of the experience. Don't study too much, or work too hard. Get a bike and use it. While you're there...Kulør Bar has free beer and entrance on Tuesdays/Fridays with an international ID, the bar at CBS called Nexus is fun, Zefside has the best cocktails (happy hour all night Thursday), Paludan Bogcafe is a great place to study and hang out, and only shop at Netto for groceries...it's super cheap. This was the best 6 months of my life. Copenhagen is an amazing, clean, modern, green city with beautiful people. CBS is a great school that encourages travel and also makes it easy for you to meet other exchange students. Denmark may not be the best option for study abroad. Think twice before make your decisions. have some money stashed for a rainy day. whether its in cash in a drawer or having a separate bank account that you NEVER touch, keep some benjamins saved. Get ready for the best semester of your life in the greatest city in the world.
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Total Responses 30 61. 66. Any final thoughts...
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get a bike I encourage all students to study abroad for a semester. It's the greatest learning experience. Definitely take part in this program. Even if you do not end up in your top choice, you will still have a blast! Copenhagen was not my top choice but I had the time of my life here and can't imagine spending the semester anywhere else! Study abroad twice if you can, it's worth it. I wish i could have. Also, once you get there, take advantage of the place you're in rather than facebook/skyping your family and friends all the time. It's a waste of money and you'll see them when you get back (That doesn't mean don't stay in touch, just don't mope about being homesick. Get over it and go do something fun in your country) I love Copenhagen! Yes stay in the moment. if you really enjoy sc, facebook makes it easy to drift to the past -- this is not good Copenhagen is such a great city to call "home" for 6 months and especially for college students! I wish I could do it again! Get a bike right away. The Oslo cruise is nothing special, but the Russia trip is incredible. Travel with people you like. Be incredibly social in the first 2 weeks, as this is when everyone is open to meeting people. Get out of your social comfort zone. Bike around the city with no destination in mind. Visit Christiana - it's very unique. Go to Tivoli. Peder Oxes is the place to be on Monday nights and Kulor Bar is the place for Thursday nights. Keep your door open in your residence. Take a ton of pictures - they serve as your best memories...videos are also highly recommended. Denmark is very cold, so bring lots of winter clothes! N/A Copenhagen is the single best location offered by USC If you want to study abroad, but are unsure if you have time to go while in college, just do it. I knew I did not want to look back on my USC days twenty years from now and regret having not gone on exchange. If you have a desire to live, study, and/or travel abroad, it's best to go when you are still young and healthy! My time abroad has absolutely been defining. I have had the most amazing experiences with getting lost in major cities to meeting friends for life. I would like to thank Sean O'Connell for all of his advice and guidance. In times where I did not feel confident, I knew that I always had his support if anything did go wrong. So thank you. Visit Christiania ;D "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do" - Mark Twain Studying abroad has been one of the best decisions I've made at USC! Thank you very much for the opportunity! GO ABROAD! Best decision and you probably won't have another chance to live and study in a foreign country ever again. Take advantage of the city you study in and the connections that you can make while living abroad. Go outside of your comfort zone with travel, lifestyle, and attitude to fully enjoy your semester abroad. Try and get to know the Danish people. They are amazing people but tend to be a bit stand-offish at first but once you get to know them they are amazing people! I would recommend getting to know them while they are on exchange at USC or hanging out with your CBS buddy. Make sure you make an effort to meet the locals and international students, you didn't go study abroad to only hang out with Americans! take me back to copenhagen in your suitcase if you are lucky enough to be accepted. I had the time of my life! I would not only recommend studying abroad, but studying abroad in Copenhagen! Of all the places I have been to in the world, Copenhagen is by far one of my favorites and I would not have chosen another place to study! I wish I could go back!!! Copenhagen is FOR SURE the best place to go. After traveling to a ton of different sick places it was still my favorite. Awesome city, people, nightlife, and atmosphere. DO IT! Nope My semester abroad was one of the top, best opportunities in my life thus far. I have changed and grown a lot as an individual and wish the experience never had to end. Be open to new things and new people. I loved it so much I have already planned a return trip to CPH to visit my boyfriend, who is Danish and who I met while studying there, and who comes to the US next month to visit! So yes, my study abroad experience was everything and more than I could have ever hoped for. I hope the same for you and feel free to email me with any concerns, excitements or questions you may have! Cheers, Jenn If you're reading this you've probably already decided to go abroad. Tell your friends to go too, and don't go to the same place. If you have the opportunity to go to Copenhagen, GO! I had the best time, and met some friends I will have forever. If you have any questions, feel free to email me. Overall, it's the process of maturity. It was tough and rewarding at the same time. I don't regret my decision of going abroad. perhaps a full year program would be nice? it could cover the spectrum nicely from IEP (1 semester program) to the WBB program. ENJOY!! This is a once in a lifetime experience that you will never forget, so live it to the fullest--it goes by fast!
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