Probably a Once in a Life-Time Experience Past Review
By Ellie S (Physics, University of Denver) - abroad from 06/08/2015 to 06/17/2015 with
The GREEN Program: Iceland - Sustainability and Renewable Energy Abroad
-I'm interested in environmental science, like as a possible career someday -There are a lot of other people, all with different strengths, that have similar passions as you do and are super excited to work and learn with you too. -Challenge and risk taking is always welcome and this trip, although challenging at times, was incredibly healing and that my spirit needed it more than I thought it did. -It takes a lot of courage to do something like this... which is all the more reason to try getting to Iceland is soon as possible
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Attending Reykjavik University to take sustainability classes was an amazing opportunity. However, sometimes it was difficult to understand the professors or the lectures ran quite long and it was hard to stay awake/focused. Most of the material was interesting and actually inspired me to become a double major in physics and environmental science so it was effective in that sense. The tours were also sometimes long-winded and thus were my least favorite part of the trip. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The leaders of the program were truly the bomb diggity: likable, funny, knowledgable, effective leaders... a great model for what we all wanted to become someday. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The hostels we stayed in were super comfortable, quaint and had beautiful scenery. |
| * Food: |
I was never disappointed... that's really hard to say about traveling to a foreign country most times but in Iceland, I never didn't like what I was eating! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We toured the southern portion of the country quite a bit; always on the road, off to explore something else. The trip didn't really integrate us in local culture but that wasn't its intention. We did learn a couple phrases and learn a lot about Icelandic history/folk/traditions which was fun. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The team was super responsive to my health needs. I sprained my ankle on Day 7 and the guide from South Iceland Adventure responded immediately with a wrap and a plan on how to care for it. |
| * Safety: |
When we're not studying or working on the Capstone project, we're hiking and/or exploring the beautiful country of Iceland! For me, this trip was incredibly healing because of the beautiful scenery and the sometimes riskier or more physically strenuous activities we did to explore. However, there was never a time I felt unsafe either physically or mentally. |
| 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | for the days I was on my own, about ~$20-30/day |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | -if you're going on a short trip (1-3 weeks), pack your own snacks! Or even for a longer trip, pack snacks for the beginning when you don't really know where the grocery store is, or you're super jet lagged and don't want to get food at a restaurant... a well-placed protein bar or granola or whatever is what helps the trip run smoothly. -run through the packing list two times before you leave. Buying supplies abroad is usually more expensive or in the airport in a jiffy is usually more expensive. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
| 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? | None |
| 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 |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | 10+ |
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? | That having anxiety about the trip isn't necessary. People that are accepted on this program are all smart cookies. Even those that didn't prepare all the way or forgot to pack something (I forgot my wind jacket which was almost a small catastrophe) is okay! Everyone on the program is ready to lend a hand to a fellow explorer and although the leaders will be mysterious, you'll be in good hands. Enjoy your time there because you'll like it and miss it more than you know. |
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. |
