One Semester Abroad in the “Land of Fire and Ice“

Tina B., Tourism Development Studies, 4th Semester, Iceland, Háskóli Íslands, summer semester 2024

Application and Accommodation

In my first semester at Hochschule Stralsund, the TDS field trip happened to be in Iceland. That’s when I immediately fell in love with the country and the idea to spend one semester studying abroad at Háskóli Íslands. The application process was relatively easy due to the support from the International Office. After being accepted for the Erasmus+ program internally, I just had to forward my documents to the Icelandic partner university.

Once I had received the Letter of Acceptance, I immediately started looking for accommodation in Iceland. There were multiple options to choose from including staying in student housing on campus or using platforms such as Housing Anywhere or Facebook to find private accommodation. I ended up getting a room on campus which was really beneficial due to the prime location close to the university, the ocean and the town center.

Studying at Háskóli Íslands

I chose three courses with 10 credits each. One of the biggest differences at university was the continuous assignments we had to hand in during the semester. It’s common to have group works, individual assignments and presentations spread over the entire semester which are all graded. It depends on the course whether there is going to be an exam at the end of the semester or if only assignments throughout the semester make up the final grade. I especially enjoyed the course Natural Hazards and Society since the theoretical concepts were complemented through guest lectures (e.g. by the Red Cross) and some smaller excursions (e.g. to the Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management).

The university is very international, many of the lectures are offered in English and Icelanders generally good English skills, too. Even in Iceland, the Erasmus bubble is bigger than I initially expected. In the first couple of days there was an orientation program for all new international students which was organized by the university. This program along with some additional events spread throughout the first two weeks of the semester helped to get to know people easily and to build new connections.

Life in Iceland

During the week my days were rather focused on the lectures and various assignments I had to work on. Whenever I didn’t have anything to do for university, I tried to explore Reykjavík, its surroundings and Iceland as much as possible. It was surprising to me how many beautiful nature spots one can find in the city and within close proximity. It’s easy to get around by bus since the bus infrastructure cover many places and the buses run on a regular basis. You just have to brace yourself that the bus drivers have a rather harsh style of driving. And in terms of leisure activities, the university campus also offers some places to spend your free time at, for instance, the university gym and the student bar called Stúdentakjallarinn.  

One activity which I really enjoyed was going to the public swimming pools and natural hot springs. Iceland is known for its geothermal activity and the Icelanders know how to make good use of that. Once you are familiar with the local bathing etiquette, it’s a great way to spend some time individually and together with friends.

Conclusion

I’m very grateful I have had the opportunity to spend one semester studying in Iceland. It was not only interesting to go to another university in a completely new academic environment, but also an exciting adventure to be able to spend a longer period of time in this country. Throughout the past months, I’ve gained new insights on an academic as well as personal level through the lectures, through the cultural exchange and change of perspectives and through my travel experiences. I’ll always cherish the time I’ve spent in Iceland, and I already can’t wait to come back for another visit eventually.

Tips

• I would recommend starting looking for accommodation as soon as possible, e.g. applying for the student housing to be on the waiting list or keeping an eye open for the limited offers on Housing Anywhere.
• If you are looking for anything, try searching on Facebook first. Facebook is surprisingly popular in Iceland. To give some examples, there are groups where you can look for accommodation (in case the options mentioned above fail to work out), travel tips around the country, leisure activities, sell/buy clothing etc.
• The single bus tickets are quite expensive, but the ticket for one month is relatively cheap in comparison due to the eligible student discount. You just have to send an email to the bus company with your student information to unlock the discount option in the bus app.  
• The Nova app offers further discounts including 2 for 1 deal at restaurants, hot springs and sometimes even touristic activities.   
• There is a discount card available for a number of public swimming pools in Reykjavík. You can buy it at the participating pools and get a discount for ten entries.
• There are some cool food spots in the city including the social media hyped Brauð & Co. (famous for its cinnamon buns) and Deig (fancy bagels and donuts) as well as other places such as Ísbúð Vesturbæjar (ice cream with various toppings to choose from), and the Kaffibrennslan (cozy atmosphere and great Chai Latte).