Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

The Arctic is unforgettable. Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 07/14/2016 to 12/06/2016 with

GEO: Svalbard - Study Abroad Programs in Svalbard

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned so much about the arctic, about post-Bachelor's education, about living in the arctic, and about how to take care of myself.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The educational system is based on a visiting-professor model, where each subject in the class is taught by an expert in the field who comes up to Svalbard for a week. The system was with its flaws - namely it was difficult to keep everyone on track, so we learned a lot of things twice or even three times - but I also enjoyed it for the networking opportunities and the incredible stories, perspectives, and lectures from all the different professors.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Norwegian bureaucracy has made it successfully to the tiny university, and so things are quite difficult to get done. This is very frustrating in such a small community!

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Housing in Nybyen was fantastic, no complaints. It's a 3.5km walk to UNIS, but I really enjoyed it. Nybyen will be no more in a few years, however, as new student housing is being built in town (in addition to Sjøskrenten).

* Food:

There is a small canteen that serves great sandwiches and hot lunches for good prices in the university - definitely something nice to treat yourself to every once in a while! The canteen lady - Veronica - is very nice as well.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

There is nothing being done to bridge the gap, and I had some involvement with the local community, but I didn't expect anything and I didn't feel like I missed anything from it either.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Information was readily available about health care issues if something happened on field trips, but I was on my own for private health insurance. Luckily, I never had to deal with any insurance things!

* Safety:

Outside of the occasional stolen bike, there is zero crime in Longyearbyen. Always carry a rifle outside of the settlement, though! Those polar bears are very unpredictable.

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

The program is exposed me to basic arctic terrestrial biology and has made me hungry for more. There is much to be desired in terms of the Student Council, but I hugely enjoyed being a part of it as it exposed me to the logistics of living in an extremely isolated place!

Finances

* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Food in Longyearbyen is not cheap. Turns out, food in Norway isn't cheap either, but it's just a little more expensive in Longyearbyen. There are ways to eat cheaply, but it isn't easy. Housing is pretty expensive as well - but, hey! No tuition :)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Housing = $450/month; Food = $450/month
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Chick peas are super cheap. So is fish. Eat a lot of canned stuff with fresh things on the side. Fresh things are super expensive, canned stuff is normal price.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • N/A
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Other
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Education
  • Location
  • Friends
* What could be improved?
  • Administration
  • Administration
  • Class coordination
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew to spend more time on the very few assignments that made up my grade.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.
The Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

AB-201
Course Department: Arctic Biology
Instructor: Pernille Bronken-Eidesen
Instruction Language: English
Comments: A marginally challenging class with a lot of reading and a great deal of expectation from the professor. Pernille is a power house of energy and an expert in everything she does - which is mostly genetics, plant taxonomy, and arctic biological history. The exam was quite difficult, but I did not prepare well enough for it, nor did I put in as much energy into the class as I would have liked.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

AB-204
Course Department: Arctic Biology
Instructor: Øystein Varpe
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This was a very dynamic class based a lot on statistics, models, mathematics, and scientific papers. Øystein is a fantastic teacher but lacks some coordination skills, especially with some of the classes taught by others while he wasn't there. Overall, I learned a LOT in this class and enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. His idea in this class is that you learn the basics of ecology through arctic examples, so you spend a good amount of time with the models and mathematics but also a lot of time learning about specific arctic phenomena that support or explain those models.
Credit Transfer Issues: