Hei! My name is Milo, I am 22 years old, and despite being emotionally and socially fulfilled by life at NMBU, I chose to spend my fifth semester abroad at the University of Iceland. The niche academic and environmental aspect of life in Reykjavik seemed to complement my interest in human-nature relationships, and besides, going to Iceland meant I could nurture the slight obsession I’ve had with the country since being a child. I approached the semester with the goals of learning as many new things related to my studies in International Environment and Development as possible, enjoying course material specific to the Icelandic setting not available at NMBU, and feeling fully present and integrated into life in Reykjavik.
I had been
to Iceland once before to volunteer with a nature-based NGO , but was
as blown away by the other-worldly landscape visible from the landing strip as when
I first visited the country. The airport (KEF) is surrounded by huge fields of lava
from past volcanic eruptions, and mountains cover the horizon in all
directions. Iceland has no train system, which means that travellers are
entirely reliant on busses and rental cars to get around. The bus (Stræto
Bus no. 55) from the airport to Reykjavik leaves from an almost-invisible
bus stop in the middle of a parking lot near the terminal, and arrives in the
city centre after a bit over an hour of driving through black landscapes where
the moss looks freakishly green and any traveller feels like they’ve just
arrived on a different planet.
I tried to not have too many expectations for my semester abroad, but ended up making some very special memories during my stay from August to December 2024. A volcano erupted twice, once in August and once more in November, I hiked to a geothermal river and swam in 40 degree water while it was below freezing outside, I got so used to seeing the northern lights every night that I stopped taking photos of them, I learned that wind in Iceland is very different from wind in any other country, and that it is perfectly normal to wear gloves and woollen underpants in August. I learned how to navigate friendships which were destined to change after 5 months, that money has a different (less serious) value during an exchange, that it is possible to eat semi-well out of only one pot for a whole semester, that everyone religiously goes to the local swimming pools to hang out, that no-one actually swims at the pools and that you should just stay put in the hot tubs, and that it is indeed possible to grow in Iceland despite the freezing temperatures.
Courses:
My
programme at NMBU is interdisciplinary, meaning that I could enrol in both
social- and natural science courses during my exchange. I ended up taking
exactly 30 ETCS, which I found required a bit more effort than obtaining the
same number of credits at NMBU… My favourite courses included FMÞ301G
Future Cultures: Extreme Environments (5 ECTS), MAN509M
Environmental Anthropology (5 ECTS), and UAU018M
The Arctic Circle (4 ECTS). The last mentioned was especially interesting
because it included (and required) attendance at the Arctic
Circle Assembly over the course of 3 days- this was extremely
thought-provoking for my political development and insightful to improve my
knowledge about resource governance and power structures.
In general, I had to spend (a lot) more time on course work than at NMBU. In most courses, weekly assignments and discussions that required preparation were standard, and most examinations included term papers, (group) presentations and written/oral exams. This was challenging, but I quite enjoyed the change and felt like I actually developed my skills in the relevant academic fields. I heard from other exchange students that the workload was challenging mostly due to being in combination with Erasmus-related activities (travelling, being social, going out…), but I think that anyone can be both fulfilled as an Erasmus-participant and on track as a student if boundaries and time management are clear and efficient.
Personal development:
I think
everyone should try and put themselves in an entirely new environment with new
people, a foreign language, and unknown challenges at least once. It was very interesting
to see how I reacted to certain social settings, how I adapted to a new
academic standard, how I chose to balance social opportunities and university
with alone time, and how my feelings about “home” changed throughout the
semester. My semester abroad made me more grateful about the people and
resources I have at home, but it also taught me that a home can be created and
found anywhere if you find the right people to do it with.
It was also
extremely fulfilling to make friends who live in other countries. It
strengthened my identity as a citizen of the world and made me excited to
travel and visit the people I met in the future. Plus, it was very nice to get
out of my own bubble a bit and hang out with people I wouldn’t have spent time
with at home. In hindsight, I can see that being abroad in a new social setting
made me more open to people in general.
About the university:
The
University of Iceland is not to be confused with the Reykjavik University,
although both are situated in the capital. The university has around 14,000
students and offers courses in several faculties including engineering,
languages and social sciences. The buildings on campus look somewhat cold and not
aesthetically pleasing at all, but I found there to be many cozy study rooms
and places to grab a coffee after having explored a bit. Lunch and other snacks
are available at Háma,
the student cellar (Stúdentakjallarinn)
invites to frequent activities and cheap-ish food and drinks, and the Nordic
House is home to the best secret study spots.
People on campus generally understand and speak English very well, despite most students being Icelandic. Classes consisted of both locals and internationals, and it was easy to connect with other students due to the relatively small size of the groups. All information is shared on Canvas, and professors are generally very friendly.
Housing:
Due to the extremely high rent standard in Reykjavik, I had more than just the scarcity of accommodations to think of. The university offers student housing in shared or single apartments very close to campus, but they are often without furniture and still quite pricey. Therefore, I put myself on the waiting list for one of the shared apartments quite early before my exchange (April 2024) but started looking for private accommodation while I waited, since I was hoping to find something cheaper than student housing. There are many Facebook groups (https://www.facebook.com/groups/177269186264538/, https://www.facebook.com/groups/810385915715839/ , https://www.facebook.com/groups/leiga/ ) where students and others can look for private housing. I found it most effective to post a picture and description of myself instead of commenting on other people’s posts, as these tend to receive a lot of comments very quickly. Eventually, a nice Icelandic lady reached out to me, and I ended up staying in a room in her basement during my semester. I ended up paying 90,000 ISK per month, which is around 7300 NOK. Keep in mind that this was by far the cheapest option, everyone I met paid almost double! The condition of the room explained the price, let’s just say student housing is a safer option if you want to be sure the room is clean and liveable…
Language development:
I was a bit
naïve in my assumption that I, as a speaker of Norwegian and Swedish, would
understand Icelandic. This was not the case at all, at least not in the
beginning. The University does not offer any language courses specifically for
exchange students, but it is possible to enrol in Basic
Icelandic which is an actual 10-credit course at the
University. Exchange students are invited to a short crash-course in Icelandic
in the beginning of the introduction week, but I learned most of my vocabulary
by trying to listen to everyday conversations between locals. All the grammar
rules and strange linguistic components of the language require some effort to
learn, so I decided to only learn the basics. Icelanders are very proud of
their language, but it is also very difficult to find conversation partners outside
of the country, which is why I decided against learning more of the language.
Most Icelanders speak English very well, so it was not a problem that I didn’t speak the local language! You might experience that locals are rather timid when you approach them in English, but this is mostly because of their reserved nature and not because they don’t understand you:)
Paperwork
and preparations:
As a
student from the EU, I did not need to apply for a visa to spend my exchange
semester in Iceland. If you are planning to work or stay for longer than 6
months, you need to register with the police and obtain a national identity
number (kennitala), but I managed to get everything I needed (including
a student card, pass to the local swimming pool…) without it.
There is limited paperwork and administrative things expected from students once you are at the university. You should expect to pay for the field trips included in some of the courses, but I found this to be more than worth it! Other than that, it may be important to note that a student card with extended (24/7) access to the university buildings costs a little extra but that you get some money back once you return it at the end of your studies, and that the university has a somewhat tricky printing system that requires you to buy credits on the webpage.
-
Are you content with your exchange, and would you
recommend the experience to other students?
It is
important to consider the challenges that an exchange semester might entail in
addition to all the hype that generally is associated with Erasmus programmes,
but I would definitely encourage anyone who wants to explore their own limits,
comfort zones and adaptation skills to go on exchange. If you love wild, raw
nature and people who do the same, Iceland is the place to go! Reykjavik is
also a very nice place to live if you dislike big cities but enjoy some culture
occasionally; nature is always close, the streets are cozy and lined with interesting
stores and cafes, and it is easy to get anywhere you want in no time.
-
Was it difficult to get into the courses you wanted to
take?
No, it was
quite easy to navigate the course catalogue and get enrolled in the courses I
wanted to take. It was also easy to shift things around when some of my courses
clashed the professors and exchange advisors were very helpful.
-
Did you pass all courses and get them recognized once
you got home?
Yes, I did!
But most of them were elective courses anyway:)
- Are you content with the academic standard at your university?
I was
positively challenged, and very much enjoyed the setup of the courses I took.
It was easy to receive feedback, and many professors made an effort to
accommodate their students on a personal level.
-
To what extent did the Erasmus fund help you
financially?
Iceland is
known for being expensive, and I quite quickly noticed that the rumour was
true. The money from Erasmus helped a bit, but didn’t even cover rent in the
end. I would advise anyone who goes to save up a bit before arriving, and to not
fall for any of the even more expensive tourist traps. Bònus has the
cheapest food, Hàma has coffee for only 16NOK, and SORPA
Sævarhöfða sells used bikes for 4000-6000 ISK.
-
Did you achieve what you wanted to achieve on your
exchange?
I tried to
have no expectations but feel like I experienced a little bit of everything
after all. I am grateful I went, but also happy to be home (back in Norway).
Sometimes you have to leave a place to know what it really means to you, and
I’m glad I have found my place after having made this experience!
«Stikkord: Island,
University of Iceland (HI), miljøvitenskap, antropologi, utviklingsstudier, bachelor,
B-IEDS»
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