Great program! Past Review
By A student (Smith College) - abroad from 02/16/2019 to 05/28/2019 with
SIT Study Abroad: Iceland - Climate Change and the Arctic
I learned a lot about climate change -- which was intense, but I'm really glad I know the things I know now. I feel like a really changed person as a result of the things I learned and the people I met.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I learned a lot during this program. I came in with almost no prior knowledge about environmental science and left feeling like I really understood climate change. There wasn't much busy work so I didn't feel swamped or stressed throughout the semester. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We moved around a lot in Iceland, and each time the accommodations were really well-organized. We stayed mostly in hostels (6-8 people per room, but we only shared rooms with other students in the program). We also had a 3-week homestay in Isafjordur, which was a great experience. I really loved my homestay family. One student in my group had a problem with their homestay family and was switched immediately. |
| * Food: |
Breakfast was provided. We got a generous meal stipend for lunch and dinner. Cooking in hostels was sometimes tough, but a fun experience. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I wish we'd had more time learning the Icelandic language (we had a total of about 10 hr). But the homestay was great to get to learn about Icelandic culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't have any experiences with healthcare, but everyone in the program who did said they had good experiences. |
| * Safety: |
Iceland is super safe! In Isafjordur, it's even safe to hitch-hike. I never felt unsafe the entire time I was there, even if I went out at night alone. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I really loved the classes -- Dan, the professor for all the classes, is great. Iceland is beautiful, and they take you all around the country. I would definitely recommend this program. |
Finances
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* 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) |
The food stipend was so generous that I had a lot of money left over to spend on outings and gifts. (I almost never went out to eat, though, as going out to eat is very expensive.) |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Cook for yourself! It's so much cheaper than eating out. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
We didn't have much encouragement to use the language; almost everyone in Iceland speaks English. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | None |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 0 |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Try to get your homestay families to help teach you Icelandic. When you go to the grocery store, try to check out speaking Icelandic. (This caused some funny confusion for me at times -- one time the cashier told me what my total was, but I thought he was asking me if I wanted a bag, so I said, "No thank you" in Icelandic -- but it does help.) |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Iceland is beautiful, take advantage of it! |
