Alyssa (Sem 2, 2023)

My Exchange at The University of Iceland

Undertaking the 360 International Exchange programme at the University of Iceland was a life-changing experience that I will never forget. While there were many challenges in applying to the host university and getting all the documentation required to get into Iceland, it was fully worth it as I had the time of my life. Once I arrived in Iceland, everything was easy from there.

Arriving in Iceland was the most magical feeling; it is such a beautiful country. It was very easy to navigate, everyone was lovely and the location of the university and my student housing was absolutely stunning. Reykjavik is a small enough city to feel comfortable, but large enough to have everything you need. It instantly felt like home and is even safer and cleaner than New Zealand. 

I stayed in Gamli Garður, which is located less than 5 minutes walk from the university campus and a place in which mostly exchange students stay for one or two semesters. The social aspect of this made the stay really amazing, as many people were in your classes and they organise events throughout the semester. A large common room can be booked for parties, and there is a beautiful piano room in which we often studied in while someone played. Right next to the student housing is a beautiful pond surrounded by the most beautiful architecture, with mountains in the view and the Hallgrimskirkja church always standing proud above the city – a 15 minute walk away along with the cheapest supermarket Bonus. 

The cost of living in Iceland was rather expensive, but similar to Auckland for many things. Meat and cheese for example can sometimes be double the price, but with meal planning I spent the same as I would in New Zealand. Eating out is extremely expensive and not recommended, but the Student Cellar in the University provide cheaper delicious meals, with a great atmosphere while a movie is always showing in the bar. 

During the semester, I took four courses under the Faculty of Earth Science: JAR107M Introduction to the Geology of Iceland, JAR516M Quaternary Environments, JAR514M Volcanology and JAR312G Igneous Petrology. JAR107M is a course in which you spend one week before the semester travelling the South of Iceland – including the Westmann Islands – learning about the geology there. I would 100% recommend this course even if you are not in Earth Science as this is where friendships were formed the easiest before any others and it was an incredible way to see and understand/appreciate Iceland’s landscapes. The course only lasts 4 weeks, including the field trip before the semester. I enjoyed JAR516M, but would say that JAR514M is far more enjoyable – since the lecturer is a famous volcanologist and this course really opened my eyes to different career directions. JAR516M was a 6 week course at the beginning of the fall semester while JAR514M lasted all 14 weeks. JAR312G was the most difficult course out of all of them, with very few people in the class. It was in this class, however, that I learnt and retained the most over the 14 weeks – and even though I struggled at times, it was in many ways my most enjoyed course. I would highly recommend taking courses that only last 6 weeks if possible, so that you have more free time to travel and get involved in clubs!

I got involved in Haskoladansinn, which is the dance club. They offered K-Pop, Contemporary, and Country Swing – which was my absolute highlight! Country Swing is a really fun partner dance that I had never heard of, but decided to try it during the trial week. It was the best decision joining dance as this is where I made connections that lead to some of the coolest experiences on my trip! The University of Iceland has a lot of cool clubs that I would recommend getting involved in if you chose to go on exchange to Iceland. I also joined the University Gym, which is extremely cheap (around $5.50 per week) and was a great way to relax and feel settled – especially in the sauna downstairs.

There are simply too many highlights of Iceland to include them all in one essay, but seeing the northern lights, walking on a glacier and in ice caves, witnessing a volcanic eruption at the end of my exchange and seeing landscapes from another planet wherever I went are all up there to say the least. Leaving was the hardest thing I have ever done, and when I flew straight back after hearing that the volcano had erupted 12 hours after my flight to Amsterdam – it felt like I was right where I needed to be. Iceland is never done with you, it always has something more to show. 

For anyone wanting to go on exchange, I would highly recommend Iceland as the place to go. You will see landscapes unlike anything you can imagine, including rainbow coloured mountains, and the country has a way of making you fall in love with it even if New Zealand felt like home before leaving. The way that the country changes over the seasons so drastically means that you never get tired of seeing the same landscapes, and there is always something new to discover. I thought that since Iceland was so small it would be easy to see absolutely everything, but even travelling every second weekend (25% of my stay), there is still more I would have liked to have seen and done. However, since it is so small and the relaxed course timetables allow for lots of free days – it is so easy to do weekend or 3-4 day trips to see most of Iceland’s beauty. 

Some advice that I would give to students wanting to go to Iceland on exchange; the process of getting there is quite difficult and tedious, so check everything early and see if you can get into contact with a previous University of Iceland exchange student via 360 International. Don’t let the tedious process discourage you though, it will always work out in the end. Iceland is the most magical country I have ever been to in my life and not a day went by where I wasn’t in awe of something new – so I would very highly recommend it as an option for exchange.

Q&A

What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?

Studying Earth Science at the University of Iceland brought experiences and allowed me to develop skills that I would have never otherwise had in New Zealand. It is a country even more geologically active than New Zealand, so a lot of our labwork involved analysing information and making calculations for volcanoes predicted soon to erupt – and we got to do a lot of fieldwork. Only in Iceland does fieldwork involve visiting glaciers, islands, recent lava flows etc. Every lecture is fascinating and I learnt many new things that I had never even heard of previously. The University of Iceland always encourages students to get involved with research work when they can, so when we reached out asking if they needed assistance with fieldwork or labwork during the December 2023 eruption, they happily gave us the opportunity in the lab to prepare the fresh lava samples. During the semester, they also gave students the opportunity to assist with projects such as building an earthquake machine, and viewing the live process of extracting data from an argo float. Despite being a small university; they are well-funded, well-equipped, and have very renowned scientists as lecturers. 

Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?

I would highly recommend the dance club Haskoladansinn. I did this with a few of my friends, which took them out of their comfort zone at times – but all of us loved every second. It is a great way to really feel at home at the university and in Iceland. We would only ever have to walk 5 or 15 minutes to the studios at which we danced. They usually have about 4 dance courses during the semester that can change with each year, and you go to as many as you would like. My friends and I participated in the partner dance Country Swing and Contemporary; though they also offered K-Pop and Belly Dancing. Country Swing was a new and unique experience, but some of the best memories in Iceland. You get to meet a lot of Icelanders this way, and a lot of exchange students were involved. 

I would also recommend Haskolarinn, which is the university choir. I did not join this myself, but I went to all of their concerts due to some friends having joined – and it looked like a wonderful experience. Iceland is very advanced in music – especially in regards to choirs and orchestras. A lot of exchange students also were involved in this club, and it is another great way to make friends with Icelanders – as they are more reserved.

What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?

1. Research what you need for applying for visas in advance! Complete all the Iceland specific steps in the exchange application process as soon as possible. Especially book a photo appointment with the Iceland Directorate of Immigration for when you arrive in Iceland around 4-5 weeks before you arrive so that you can get housing and other benefits straight away with your Student Residence Permit and Icelandic ID. The appointments book out up to 6 weeks out.

2. Apply for student housing well in advance; you can usually apply as soon as you have been accepted. Apply for multiple on-campus housing options via Stúdentagarðar, but make sure to especially apply for Gamli Garður, as this is the best housing and the cheapest. The process is very confusing and complicated – you will be offered housing at random times and you are only allowed to decline two options before you are taken off the waiting list and have to apply again. I declined one offer that was too early, and the second worked out perfectly at Gamli Garður. Often you have to email them, or add a note that you want housing only just before the beginning of the semester for this to work out. Get in touch with a past University of Iceland exchange student if possible, as the process is very confusing. 

3. Don’t delay your trips too late but also spend plenty of time exploring Reykjavik! The biggest mistake you can make is thinking you have plenty of time. I travelled in total one month of the five that I was there, and this felt sufficient despite there being so much more to see. On average, most exchange students travelled every 2nd or 3rd weekend for a few days – though it is also good to do longer trips or short ones during the week as weekends in Reykjavik are amazing to experience! On average, most of our trips were 3 days, but I did anywhere between 1-5 days. In saying that, also enjoy the settled life, it is nice to not go on trips for a few weeks and really get into the rhythm of life in Iceland. 

How much did you budget for your exchange? Was this enough? Were there any lessons learned that would help future students budget for their own exchange?

I budgeted around $30,000 for the whole exchange trip, but this was accounting for two weeks in Norway before my exchange, and two months around Europe after my exchange. This was plenty of money, as there is lots of funding available and I overbudgeted. You can get around $440/month for free with the Iceland Housing Benefit; Studylink Living Costs provides around $302 a week; Course-Related Costs is another $1000 to help; and there are many scholarships available to apply or be nominated for. I estimate that I will have spent ~$23000 total for 7 months; with half of that funded.

Rent was around $6000 total, while groceries were around $1300 total over my 21 weeks there. I got away with groceries being around $60 a week (excluding trip groceries), despite having luxurious foods such as bacon, meat in most dinners, and lots of snacks. Meal planning – especially making bulk meals for 2-3 nights – in Iceland is essential to cut down on costs. 

Trips were surprisingly cheaper than expected, as the trick was to split car rental, accommodation and grocery costs between 4-5 people. Additionally, there aren’t too many expensive activities as most is to do with the landscapes and hiking – so only tour activities such as glacier-walking/ice-caving were expensive. All and all I probably spent around $2000 on one month worth of trips in Iceland. 

Random activities such as concerts, festivals, gym and luxury + other living expenses in Iceland were then likely around another $2000. Ensure you buy alcohol duty free at the airport! All in all, that’s ~$11500 for 5 months in Iceland ($550 per week) including lots of incredible trips!

Remaining costs prior to leaving include flights, rent deposit (you get this back at the end), visa costs and random hidden costs – which all up were likely around $7000. I learnt my lesson to prepare for hidden costs and plan in advance to avoid a lot of extra costs! Then it depends on how much travel you do before/after – the most expensive part!

What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?

An experience abroad changes your entire life’s perspective of the world we live in. Some of my largest takeaways were learning about the incredible diversity of culture across different countries, especially those who learn English as a second language. You even start to pick out issues along with positives of your home country, as speaking with people from all areas of the world expands your perspective and knowledge. 

Studying abroad even led to me to completely evaluate my life, my future dreams and aspirations, my specific career interest, and so much more; despite thinking that I had figured all of that out before I left. I don’t believe I could pick out any one takeaway, as your perspective simply changes in so many aspects of life and it is hard to even assess how much you have matured in knowledge and experience.

I expected to feel disadvantaged going overseas and missing out on taking specific courses at the University of Auckland, however, I found that it is more rather the opposite. Taking similar courses overseas expands your knowledge in your field, which I found a significant takeaway.

Do you want to share anything about travels you did outside your host city/country?

I travelled solo to Norway for 12 days before going to Iceland, with a backpack and a tent. I did my entire trip with public transport and stayed at campgrounds. This was incredible in summer, as I did many hikes and got to see the heart of nature in the country. I would highly recommend doing a short trip before your exchange, and a longer one afterwards.

After my exchange, I travelled around Europe with a friend from New Zealand for 2 months – including to Netherlands, Germany, Czechia, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Italy, Switzerland and France! This was another beautiful experience, as there is so much to see. I would personally recommend doing this trip solo and visiting exchange friends, or with exchange friends, as you will make many friends from around Europe on exchange who can show you around their hometowns! This is the best way to truly see Europe in my opinion. Winter is a great time to travel, as it is low season and the weather is surprisingly good! This is extremely expensive, however, and unless it is your first time travelling Europe – I would recommend not travelling for as long as I did. This is due to the reverse shock you get leaving your exchange country and the sudden homesickness for both New Zealand and your home country; it is a hard adjustment if you travel for an extended period of time. 

Final Comments

Do it and enjoy it! Don’t worry too much about the cost or effort to get there, it is life changing in the end and worth every single penny and minute of your time. Go to the country that really stands out to you, and go with your gut if it is something you want to do; I randomly saw the opportunity via an Instagram sponsored ad and I instantly decided that I wanted to make it happen! I have no regrets doing an exchange to Iceland, and it has quite literally changed my life. You will have the time of your life on exchange and become much more knowledgable and skilled/experienced. Sometimes it will feel like a parallel universe or a fever dream, especially when you come back – but that is all what makes exchange worth doing!