Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Program is Weak but Iceland is Great Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/20/2016 to 11/29/2016 with

SIT Study Abroad: Iceland - Climate Change and the Arctic

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I don't feel I gained much. What I learned I could have taught myself at home. I enjoyed the travelling and site seeing. I have been struggling to figure out if it was worth it.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Not even remotely rigorous. Class hours fell far short of credit hours. Syllabus was not followed. Lecturers were not professors but rather local professionals. Lectures had little to do with subject area. Everything I learned I taught myself. The weakest academic experience I have ever had.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Assistant director was excellent but crippled by academic director's incompetence and apathy. Organization was poor. No real effort was put into finding good lecturers. Program base city is impractical.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Isafjordur isn't large enough to host 20 students. 6 students had to live out of town, which was isolating and socially limiting. Families were gracious and kind, however this size program requires a larger base of host families.

* Food:

Cooked for ourselves besides homestays. Icelanders don't eat many vegetables. Mostly meat, potatoes, and candy.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We never got to meet university students our age, though it was promised. Homestays were helpful but not many young people live in Isafjordur. I spend most of my time with American kids from the program.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had no health issues so I can't speak to this

* Safety:

Iceland is very safe. I never fely uncomfortable alone or as a woman. Some natural hazards but can be avoided using common sense.

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

Yes and No. I would return to Iceland and there are only a few ways to do that. Other options have their own drawbacks. This program has the potential to be incredible and was largely ruined by the academic director. That being said, SIT did not do a good job planning or organizing and has not put enough effort into this program. If you really, really want to go to Iceland, consider exploring every other option thouroughly before deciding on this.

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)

They gave us a stipend that was far too generous. I never spent any of my own money and returned with extra stipend.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Only my stipend money, none of my own.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

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

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

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

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Students
  • Host Family
* What could be improved?
  • Virtually everything
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Knowing wouldn't have helped. I wish SIT had known who they had hired and I wish they had known a little more about Iceland and doing science in Iceland before they allowed students to come.

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:

Climate Modeling and Carbon Management
Course Department:
Instructor: Ragnar Honeth
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Horrible class due entirely to the teaching of the academic director. In another's hands it could have been informative and useful. Instructor was unhelpful and grading was both unfair and opaque.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Research Methods and Ethics in the Arctic
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This class met twice for approximately three hours each. It was entirely a lecture on antrhopology ethics. I can't really rate it as it barely occured.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

The Arctic: Changing Ecosystems and Resilience

Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Scattered and disorganized. Some good lectures. Readings were never discussed. Assingments were unclear and standards of grading were made clear after the fact. If I learned anything, I taught it to myself
Credit Transfer Issues: