Suzanne studied in Denmark from January through May in 1998 as a participant in Denmark's International Study (DIS) program. She decided to study abroad to add a global perspective to her engineering studies.

The majority of her classes were held with other international students from countries such as the United States, Poland, Czech Republic, Russia, Uzbekistan and Canada. Suzanne took a fluid mechanics course at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), a regular university with Danish students. Her other classes, Russian Politics and Society and European Nationalism and Minorities counted towards her minor in European Studies. She also continued Russian language classes that she had started at UNL.

Courses at the DIS institute were similar to those at UNL, with regular homework assignments and mid-term and final exams. The classes required more writing than similar courses at UNL. The engineering courses required that students be able to work independently; professors did not have an attendance policy or give homework assignments. There was only one exam at the end of the semester, and maybe one lab project. Therefore, it was important for students to keep up with the coursework, even when not monitored by the professor.

Denmark is a very environmentally conscious country and Suzanne was interested to see the importance of environmental engineering at DTU. She found the country to be clean and safe, with excellent mass transportation systems that made it easy to get around without a car.

The DIS program arranged two options for housing - either living with a host family or in a student dorm (kollegium). She chose to live with a family in Birkerød, a northern suburb of Copenhagen. It was a great way for her to be immersed in the culture, and learn about Danish customs and society. The family she stayed with has been hosting students for over ten years.

One of the attractions of the DIS program was the number of classes offered in English. There was no foreign language requirement in order to participate, and all students received a short intensive class on the Danish language. Suzanne had no trouble with communication while there since so many people speak English and were eager to practice. The DIS program also offered study tours and provided administrative help and support with the details and problems of studying abroad.

She received a scholarship from the DIS program (they reserve scholarships for UNL students) and one from UNL International Affairs. The difference in tuition was made up in federal student grants and loans. The UNL Financial Aid and Scholarships office helps develop financial aid packages for students.