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author
Světlana Šmídová Müllerová
Světlana
faculty
Faculty of Arts
academic year of the stay
2023/2024
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author
Světlana
faculty
Faculty of Arts
academic year of the stay
2023/2024
University of Iceland
traineeship
study stay
short-term mobility
other
University of Iceland
How does Světlana rate their stay?
university
city
accommodation
financial demands
about university | organisation
What made your university special? What were the facilities where you studied and the university equipment like?
Everyone was very kind, welcoming and helpful. My supervisor for the stay helped me to acquire a dedicated working space for the duration of my whole stay. It was right in the Edda library, where I could therefore regularly come and work on the intended research, having access to all of the materials needed. I regularly met there with other visiting researchers and, as my supervisor also kindly introduced me to other local academics in the field, I felt truly connected. University buildings, Árni Magnússon Institute as well as the National Library are also all conveniently close to each other, allowing one to move easily between work spaces, visit lectures, conferences and meet with others while taking a break.
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about your "adoptive" university? What made it special? What were the premises where you studied and the university facilities like?
I would describe the approach as welcoming and kind. My supervisor let me know about the local events, meetings and lectures, and helped me to connect with other researchers in the field. I felt very included. The librarians also kindly added me to the library mailing list, so that I was notified of any organisational changes or other events. I regularly attended my dedicated work space (the minimal number of work hours during the week was fixed), but having an access card for the library during my stay, I otherwise had a lot of freedom in organising my work and time.
What is student life like at university?
I did not come for a study stay.
Did you study in English or in the language of the host country? What language requirements does the university have?
Even though the knowledge of Icelandic is certainly an advantage for anyone visiting, it is not needed. Anyone visiting is safe with English.
about the city
What was your impression of the city? How would you describe it? What is interesting to see here?
Even though I do not like cities very much, Reykjavík holds a very special place in my heart. It is a very beautiful and walkable city. It has its periods of buzz and calm, as any other place - with people more active during certain times of the day, but even at its busiest hours, it is still very friendly for anyone disliking crowds.
Shopping for groceries is easily done after one's work hours (I would suggest Krónan or Bónus as they are a bit more financially accessible), and the stores are located very conveniently at different corners of the city. Some bookshops and museums close somewhat early (around five pm), some are even closed during the weekend. These places also open somewhat late (after 8 and later).
As mentioned, Reykjavík is very walkable - every direction also takes one someplace beautiful and interesting, and, following the ocean or the main road, it is almost impossible to get lost (I would suggest visiting the National and historical museums, walking to the Grótta lighthouse, Harpa, Sólfar, Hallgrímskirkja - and so on, and on - one can see it all just while walking around). I would also recommend taking one's swimwear - soaking in a hot pool after work is a great experience.
about finances
In your experience, how far does the scholarship go? What percentage of your expenses did it cover? What is your opinion on prices in the country in general?
The scholarship received completely covered the travel and accomodation expenses (I travelled by plane and stayed in a rented room I found through HousingAnywhere). It also helped me to partially cover my food expenses.
Reykjavík is very walkable, so one does not have to commute using public transport or to rent/ buy a bike. The prices are, however, indeed high for anyone coming from the Czech Republic - expect the food to be generally three times pricier than here. One indeed needs to have some extra savings before coming, even with modest spending and eating habits (even without eating out, and being used to preparing meals on a budget at home, the amount spent on food during my month-long stay was three times my monthly spending while at home).
Please advise your classmates on how to save money—Where to shop? What services can be used to save money?
The most prominent way to affect one's budget while staying in Iceland is to prepare meals on one's own. Bónus and Krónan are more budget-friendly stores, while having an amazing selection of goods (friendly for any dietary requirements). Making meals at home and bringing home-made snacks to work - one should bring a thermos, bottle or a cup to be able to take one's own teas and coffees to their workplace. There are water stations in the buildings so one can stay hydrated without spending needlessly for beverages at cafés or snack bars.
Also getting by on foot. With regard to travelling to/from the airport - the central bus station is in a walkable distance almost from anywhere in the city - there is no need to pay extra for a special drop off.
Depending on the season, a student-friendly accomodation may be also somewhat difficult to find - in that case I would recommend to go through the suggestions at the university website, and in case of difficulties to reach out to one's supervisor who might help in the search.
about accommodation
What type of accommodation did you choose? Would you recommend it to others? If not, what type of accommodation do you think is best based on your experience (dormitory, private apartment, private dormitory, shared room, etc.)?
During my month in Iceland I stayed in a rented room (I had a private room while the appliances were shared with other tenants). My stay was very comfortable, as I had an access to a fully equipped kitchen, a washing machine, a dryer, and so on - my landlord was very kind, kept in touch to check if everything was in order, and at the same time very respectful of the tenants' privacy and space (the landlord lived upstairs while the lower level was a dedicated tennant space).
I would definitely recommend this type of accomodation to anyone - based on my experience it is more accessible for a short-term stay than the available student apartments, as these lack furnishing and need to be equipped by the visiting student, making them more sensible for stays covering whole study programmes.
about experiences
Did you use your stay to travel around the country/Europe? What are your best travel experiences? What would you not recommend?
I planned one full-day trip for my stay: I went on a tour to one of the national parks. As renting a car was beyond my capacities (time-wise and it was financially also less viable in comparison), I picked one of the bus tours. It was well-paced, comfortable and one indeed gets to see a lot per one trip. I would definitely recommend one of these, if renting a car and going on one's own is not a viable option (also if one lacks in confidence, as one needs to pay heed to sudden weather changes and related warnings).
Travelling to and from the airport is also stress-free as there are regular buses.
Language and culture: what cultural differences did you notice? How did you cope with the national language? Was it also the language of your studies? Do you feel that your language skills improved during your stay?
The individual details feel beyond the scope of this survey, so I will limit myself to the particularities that may affect anyone visiting directly during their stay:
To anyone deeply accustomed to long-term planning (with a need to schedule every moment of their day and meetings at least three weeks in advance), the somewhat higher degree of spontaneity one may sometimes encounter in Iceland may feel a little surprising.
One is also safe using only English and this makes practicing one's Icelandic, if they are only learning, a little tricky, as Icelanders are used to dealing with foreigners primarily in English. One's exposure in such a case to Icelandic during the stay is thus mostly limited to passive reception, reading, and with regard to conversation: exchanging only occasional plesantries and greetings.
about experiences
Did you use Erasmus stay to travel around your country/Europe? What are your best travel experiences? What would you not recommend?
Language and culture: what cultural differences did you notice? How did you cope with the national language? Was it also the language of your studies? Do you feel that your language skills improved during your stay?
Did you use Erasmus stay to travel around your country/Europe? What are your best travel experiences? What would you not recommend?
final rating
Why here? What makes this location special? Why would you send your friends to your country/city?
Everything. If one studies or researches Scandinavian history, Iceland is a must: reading about locations in sagas and history books and being actually able to visit them has an undeniable appeal. Not to mention the access to scholarly and other publications unavailable here and the possibility of meeting with other scholars in the field.
If Iceland is not one's subject of study, then it is the unique Icelandic nature that makes one understand why (ancient) Scandinavians believe(d) in elves and giants - one can visit a modern, well-equipped university that forms inevitably part of this landscape and have the privilige of learning in a beautiful environment.
If the nature is not the appeal, then it is the culture and the people - a possibility to study/ work in an unprejudiced, open, and welcoming environment.
live-saving tips
If I went again, I would definitely remember to pack...
Iceland is extremely windy and rainy - pack a raincoat. Some hand/face cream and lip balm will also provide relief. If one is visiting in the summer, some sunscreen is not a bad idea (even if it may not seem like it, one may get sun-burnt).
Before leaving, I would like to know that...
For those intending to stock on books and so on - spend some time to find out about the possibility of tax refunds (having the receipts and the forms one can have the taxes refunded before leaving at the airport).
What surprised me most was that...
The hardest thing for me was...
just a tip - look for accomodation sufficiently beforehand and when planning your trip, be aware of the possible spike in prices due to tourist seasons (preferrably aim to avoid these), or look for your accomodation outside of the usual tourist channels (such as the platforms referenced at the university website) to find more student-friendly options.
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