Thanks to the AD, the program was great, but he's gone, so now what? Past Review

By (Lewis & Clark College) - abroad from 08/20/2016 to 11/29/2016 with

SIT Study Abroad: Iceland - Climate Change and the Arctic

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned how I learned best. I have gone back to my home school more confident in what I want to study and I do thank my Academic Director for that.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Overall the program had an equal number of positives and negatives. Some positives include the freedom I got for each paper to write about a topic that I was interested in and comfortable with. The Academic Director was challenging but extremely helpful. In all honesty, professors can make or break a class, and I thought my Academic Director really made the course the success that it was. Another positive was my homestay. It was originally advertised as an 8-week homestay, but it turned out to only be 3 weeks. My family was wonderful and fun, and even though the three boys (all under the age of 8) did not speak English, we were able to communicate a little through games. There were some negatives as well. I was on the first semester of the program, and there were some logistical mistakes and some tweaking that still needed to be done. But I'm sure that as the program continues it will get better. Unfortunately, I didn't think my classmates were as flexible or understanding as they should have been, considering that this was the first semester. There were a lot of cliques in my program, and it was not very diverse. Unfortunately, SIT programs have a high rate of grade inflation. Meaning that no matter how poorly you did on a paper, the academic Director (who does all of the grading) is still expected to give you a better grade. Whether that appeals to you or not, I think it is dishonest and corrupt. My AD, however, did not grade this way (and I know this because I almost never got the grade I wanted, I always got a worse one). He was honest and hard with his grading, which made me work even harder. Throughout the semester my grades improved significantly, and now I can look back on this program and say that this was where I learned how to write a scientific paper.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Ragnar the Academic Director, is very bright and you can tell he is passionate about this program, even one month into the first semester. He challenges his students in multiple ways, whether he is testing your time management skills or writing skills. I feel that I can talk to Ragnar about anything, and I know I am biased because not everyone feels the same way. He doesn't act like an average professor who you only see for an hour or two in the day, like you would any other professor at a university. For the first three weeks, Ragnar lived with us in the same hostel and was a part of our social lives outside of class. I got to know him as a person rather than just the professor. And I think if Ragnar continues to work for this trip in particular, he will make it a huge success for semesters to come. Unfortunately, he will not be workign with SIT in the future.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The Academic Director picked great hostels to stay at throughout our whole trip

* Food:

Food was an "On your own" deal. We were given a stipend, and you could choose however you wanted to spend that money (food or other)

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We were always traveling, so it made it hard not to feel like a tourist (even in a town I spent 9 weeks in). Also a part of this issue was due to the fact that I didn't speak Icelandic and I didn't want people to go out of their way to speak English.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

I met local people who are very important in my life (although they were not through SIT)

Finances

* 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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? we got the stipend for (the equivalent to) $10 a meal (and I had money to spare)
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Saving money can't be communicated in a few tips... it's a lifestyle change.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
  • Apartment
  • Hostel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • The Academic Director
  • The subject
  • Greenland
* What could be improved?
  • SIT headquarters
  • Me peers
  • practice is needed for this program
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew how rude and disrespectful SIT headquarters has been towards me, my classmates, and the Academic Director. Throughout the whole program (even before and after) I felt like SIT headquarters didn't support me.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.
The Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.