SIT Study Abroad: Iceland: Climate Change and the Arctic

Iceland is amazing! I recommend this program to anyone who is looking for a unique study abroad experience full of adventure and lots of moving around (pack light!). We got to hike to waterfalls, visit volcanoes, and tour Europe's largest glacier! We also get a range of living experiences, from living with host families to hostel hopping. There is also a great opportunity to conduct independent research on the topic of your choice, which provided me not only with meaningful research experience, but a greater understanding of and appreciation for Iceland's fight against climate change.

I learned so much about myself, about the landscape, and about how to be by myself in a new space. I loved every second of my semester, not exaggerating. Even in the seconds that I was homesick, I was also eternally grateful for the chance to be homesick at all. I miss the pastries in the city, walking through the forest in the pouring rain, the colors of the houses, the fog, the snow, the twinkle lights. I felt so supported and seen by my professors, who really want you to grow as an individual and explore new things. I miss my peers most of all. The program attracts a very independent, curious, and impressive group of kids. I felt really comfortable with all of them, and I wish nothing but the best for them now. I'm still in touch with the close friends I made there. I loved the Icelandic people, the open and honest conversations, and traveling around the country at breakneck speed, hostel-hopping, and getting to know the landscape. It feels like you're not really a tourist and not really a local, but somewhere in between. I can't wait to go back.

I really enjoyed my time in Iceland with SIT! It's a great way to explore the country since you go everywhere, as well as integrate into the local community as you do a homestay, and the program has very good connections with Icelanders all over the country. I found the academics to be very easy, but you get to do an independent study project for the final 1/3 of the program, where you can really push yourself and do a lot of cool research anywhere in the country you'd like. Outside of class, a lot of people on the program, including myself, really enjoyed hiking and exploring wherever we were in the country, and I think the program would be best suited for people with similar interests. You are given a lot of freedom, and if you put it to good use by exploring, asking questions, and interacting with the local people, you can have a ton of fun and a transformative experience. The program also has a really good stipend that saved me a lot of money and was a big draw for me when choosing a program to study abroad with.