During the fall semester of 2025 I had the opportunity to study abroad in Reykjavík, Iceland. As a water and environmental engineering master’s student at Aalto University I was encouraged to look into studying abroad to complete my elective credits. In the spring of 2025, I began investigating Erasmus+ programs and I applied to the University of Iceland as my top choice because they had an interesting variety of courses and I was drawn to the nature and landscapes Iceland had to offer. When I was selected to go to University of Iceland I was thrilled about the adventure ahead.
During my studies I completed 30 credits divided into four courses: Introduction to Cartography and Geovisualisation, The Arctic Circle, Management of Protected Areas, and Being Icelandic. The cartography course was the most closely related to my major studies. It focused on mapping skills and using GIS. The arctic circle course consisted of attending a three-day Arctic Circle Assembly held annually in Reykjavík. During the assembly I attended sessions where I learned about arctic research, communities, and challenges. Management of Protected Areas was by far my favorite course. I learned about national park and other protected areas management techniques and then went on a weeklong field trip to see this management in action in southern Iceland. The trip was during the third week of school which helped me bond with my classmates, make new friends, and explore Iceland outside of Reykjavík very early on. In Being Icelandic, I learned all about Icelandic culture and history. Through the course I visited museums and took part in many cultural activities which I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. Overall, I found the teaching style to be quite similar to my studies in Finland with the main difference being more emphasis on individual work than group work.
In Iceland I was lucky enough to receive student housing. I lived in a single room and shared a kitchen, bathroom, and communal living space with the other students on my floor. While I was a bit unsure about the arrangement at first, I really grew to love it. The set up made it extremely easy to meet other students and socialize outside of classes. My floor had a mix of exchange and degree students from a variety of places, and we enjoyed cooking and playing games together in the evenings and on weekends. I also met people through Erasmus Student Network (ESN) activities, at the student pub, and through a dodgeball club that I joined. I met some truly amazing people while in Iceland and I know that they are relationships that will last a lifetime.
I really took the opportunity to explore not only Reykjavík, but Iceland as a whole, from when I arrived in August to when I left in December. In town, I enjoyed going to the local swimming pools, trying different cafes, shopping, listening to live music, and the nightlife. During the weekends my friends and I would explore a different region of Iceland from the Westfjords to the Westman Islands. The nature in Iceland was unlike anything I had ever seen. Each place I went provided a new landscape from lava fields and volcanoes to waterfalls and glaciers, rocky cliffs, grassy hills and so much more. I really enjoyed hiking and spending time in such a beautiful place.
I would highly recommend studying abroad. It is one of very few opportunities in life to be able to live in and explore another country so freely. The memories I made while in Iceland I will cherish forever. I am truly thankful for MVTTs sponsorship of my study abroad journey. I would not have been able to partake in so many amazing experiences without their financial support.
Eleanor Curtright