A Once in a Lifetime Experience, Only on The GREEN Program Past Review
By Meredith R (Geoscience, Drexel University) - abroad from 08/13/2014 to 08/22/2014 with
The GREEN Program: Iceland - Sustainability and Renewable Energy Abroad
I gained 40 other new friends that I plan on staying in touch with in the years to come. These new friends had similar ideas and a similar thinking process to myself. It was exciting to talk and bond with everyone on the trip because each person brought something different to the group. Not only was I able to meet new people, I was able to have the trip of a lifetime doing it. There is no only trip and experience like The GREEN Program. Not only was I able to gain knowledge about Iceland, the renewable energy that is in place there, I was able to also experience it all first hand. That is key for myself while learning. Personally, I can learn all about something, but if I do not actually see it working or in place it does not get drilled into my head. Before actually seeing any of the renewable energy plants like the hydropower plant or the geothermal plant Reykjavik University provided us students with wonderful professors that know so much about the topic. They presented us with clear and easy to understand information. Once we knew about geothermal and hydropower for example, we were able to see the actual plants. The power plants were not anything like I would picture and it is awesome to see how advanced such a small country like Iceland is. The information we learned from class and touring the power plants we were able to take back with us to develop our own capstone projects. The capstone projects allowed small groups take their ideas and start developing a way to implement GREEN ideas elsewhere. However, the great thing about The GREEN Program is that it was also about having an adventure all while learning. The food and meals allowed us to experience what it is like to live in Iceland. There were multiple times we went hiking, but each time were in different environments within Iceland. The amount of adventure that was put in place along with the learning was incredible. I never felt bored or never had nothing to do because we were constantly on the move and doing some amazing things. If I were to name everything we did adventure wise during the trip it would take me too long and I do not want to give any details away. Just know that if you like the outdoors and like to experience another country fully this is a great program to do so all while learning along the way. The GREEN Program is an amazing program that I can see only becoming better and better in the future.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Our exposure to education was more than I thought, but it was the perfect amount for only being abroad for 10 days. I was able to research and understand geothermal renewable energy more than before by having the capstone project. The four to five in class lectures were extremely informative and engaging. Also, there was educational experiences outside the classroom even when we were adventuring through the country. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The GREEN team did a fantastic job of responding to emails quickly and helping to answer all my questions regarding the program. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Living and sleeping was comfortable. There was enough space for multiple bags and multiple people. The showers were well pressured and nice and warm! |
| * Food: |
The food helped to integrate with the local culture. The meals were fantastic and everything was tasty! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The tour guides help to integrate us with the local culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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) |
All meals were included and the only thing that I needed to purchase for myself were any snacks I wanted for myself or things I wanted to buy to bring home. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $75 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you don't want to spend money on anything than it is completely not necessary. Meals and water are included. All money being spent was for personal expenses. |
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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| 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? | How amazing this program is for exposing college students to other like minded college students while having fun at the same time. I did not know what exactly we were doing everyday, and that was one of the best things. Knowing before hand that we weren't going to know the itinerary it would have given myself a heads up. However, there was nothing that I wish I knew before going on this program because it was well organized and provided me with enough information before traveling. |
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 AdventurerThe 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. |
