Sensational & Life Changing Past Review
By Laurentiu A (Mathematical Physics, University of Waterloo) - abroad from 05/11/2015 to 05/20/2015 with
The GREEN Program: Iceland - Sustainability and Renewable Energy Abroad
I learned mostly about myself and what I want out of life. Going out and seeing Iceland, learning about renewable energy and most importantly working with colleagues and friends on the capstone project really nailed down what I want to do with my life. I also loved learning about Iceland and seeing the landscape. Overall the experience was thoroughly enriching!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Great guides and mentors. Excellent outdoor and on site exposure. Excellent capstone project. Weak area was academic rigor and lectures. Giving five stars because of the personal milestones I reached. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Great GREEN staff, tour guides, adventure guides. Amazing! Awesome from GREEN's end. Sometimes slow communications with host university. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Fantastic food, shelter and hospitality. Only criticism is that there could have definitely been better WiFi at our various residences for capstone project. Still, five stars for Helga's endless supply of lamb. |
| * Food: |
Five stars. Loved all of it. Would have further enjoyed more traditional dishes too! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt the most integrated listening to Tinni, Helga and our other hosts and guides. There seemed minimal exposure to unstructured cultural exploration but there is of course only so many hours in the the day. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Sometimes too safe (I'm joking)! I was so close to climbing that cliff ridge... |
| 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 things considered, you can see where the money goes, but it's still on the pricey side for me. Over 5000 USD for 10 days is hard on the wallet. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | All taken care of. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If possible, find grants/scholarships! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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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 |
Out of our own interest we learned some very basic Icelandic words. |
| 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 |
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? | That I didn't need to buy all that expensive hiking equipment... |
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! |
