A Spring Break to be proud of Past Review
By Peter H (Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering., University of Southern California) - abroad from 03/16/2013 to 03/24/2013 with
The GREEN Program: Iceland - Sustainability and Renewable Energy Abroad
Choosing to go on this trip over spring break was the single greatest decision I have made in college. I confirmed my passion to pursue a career in the field of green energy, I got to surf at the beach, zip line through the canopy, safari down the river, perform community service, and make friendships that will last way after college ends. I truly can't imagine my life without having gone on this trip.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The morning classes were extremely engaging and directly applied to the energy facility we were visiting that same day. There's nothing better than actually using what you learn! Also the training course you take before going on the trip is easily my favorite assignment out of everything I've done in college. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The GREEN Team is a well-oiled machine! From our tour guides to our morning lecturers to our excursion leaders and everyone in between, the leaders on the GREEN Program are some of the nicest, most helpful and most FUN people I've ever met. Their level of organization and ability to keep everything running on schedule was incredible. One of the founders of the program even stopped by for the second half of our trip! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The places we stayed at were absolutely beautiful. All my friends from school were so jealous when they saw the pictures of the views from my room on Facebook. We didn't spend too much time in our rooms because the weather was always too perfect to be inside, but they were the nicest rooms I've ever stayed in on a trip abroad. |
| * Food: |
Always authentic and freshly prepared. There were also options available for those with allergies or personal preferences at every meal. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Going out into the city was almost a daily occurrence. My conversational Spanish improved more over the course of the nine days of the trip than it did my previous four years of taking it as a class. Whether it was playing soccer with some local boys or drinking fresh coconut milk from a street vendor, everyone always found something fun to do in the city. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Nobody had any emergencies, but bring lots of sunscreen from home! It's way too expensive in the local stores and the bottles aren't nearly big enough for how much you'll need. |
| * Safety: |
I never once felt threatened while on the trip. The locals were all really nice and the places we stayed were very secure. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
I spent $80 over the course of the 9 days I was on the trip. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $80 |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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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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? | Because of this trip I now know what field of study I want to specialize in. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
