Inspiration for the rest of my career and formation of life-long friendships. Past Review
By Noah Doukas (University of Central Florida) - abroad from 12/12/2018 to 01/19/2019 with
The GREEN Program: Iceland - Sustainability and Renewable Energy Abroad
My biggest takeaway from this experience was how different other countries and their cultures are from what I am accustom to. This was my first time out of the country, traveling to Iceland was a completely different culture, climate, and overall atmosphere than I was used to. Being out of my comfort zone really allowed me to completely take in every experience and spark my passion for making a difference within my field of engineering towards more sustainable tendencies. This trip was definitely worthwhile, I think of my Iceland trip was an investment in myself. By providing an amazing opportunity to go somewhere I’ve never been, learn about cool topics and network with like minded individuals this trip has inspired me to be all I can be as a person and professionally.
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 courses were very interesting and consisted of some elements I had seen in previous classes. I really enjoyed how the history of Iceland and the direct impact of the past and present were portrayed in relation to the contry’s sustainable efforts. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Our hosts were amazing! They knew so much about all the locations we visited, and were great assets to have during our courses and project. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Really got to know every person on the program well based on the style of hostle-like living arrangements. T |
| * Food: |
Lots of fresh fish and interesting combinations of food. Definitely ate 3 solid meals each day to help fuel our adventures. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The people of Iceland were so friendly and welcoming to us students. Since we were there during Christmas time, we were able to experience some of the Icelandic traditions associated with this holiday. Every day we learned at least one cool thing about their culture or were able to do daily social activities the locals would do. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Before, during, and after TGP there was never any feeling of being in danger when staying in Reykjavik. All of the people were very friendly and spoke English. Main thing to be aware of is how to properly navigate around the city using offline maps on your phone. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Being in Iceland was unlike anywhere else I’ve ever experienced and had the most breathtaking scenery. Besides the natural beauty, meeting people who hold the same values on sustainability and environmental conservation was extremely fulfilling. Not every day do you meet other people who want to change the world in their given professional field, The GREEN Program helped our group form lifelong friendships and connections from people from all different backgrounds. |
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? | $100 |
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? | I would have liked to had a more precise packing list sent to me before according to what the weather expectation are to be. I definitely overpacked. |
