Mobility specification

Country:Iceland

Institution:University of Akureyri

City:Akureyri

Program:Erasmus+ for study

Activity type:Study

Academic year:2021/2022

MU faculty/department:Faculty of Social Studies / Department of Media Studies and Journalism

Study level abroad:Bachelor

🎓Hit the books! How do you rate the university experience?

Can you enroll in a course where you can learn the local language?yes

Are your credits converted?no

Was there anything in the teaching methods that surprised you?About half of my courses did not end with a traditional exam, but with essays, for example.

Does the university offer international students' programs and activities outside of lectures and seminars to help them integrate more quickly?A little something. It probably would have been more if I hadn't arrived under the covid measures.

In which areas does the university offer support for students with special needs and strive to be inclusive?I haven’t noticed

💸Did you have to rob the bank?

Try to take a guess at what your monthly expenditures were:3900 CZK/month

Did you stay in dorms?no

Do you have any tips on how to find private accommodation?I stayed for free on Couchsurfing. Otherwise I recommend the Facebook group "Ti ligu Akureyri og nágrenni" However the dorms are great and probably the cheapest option. I didn't pay for accommodation and mostly didn't pay for food (I went dumpster diving and freedge), so what I spent was just on carpooling and hitchhiking, or buying extra second-hand stuff. The 3900CZK spending estimate can be quite misleading with how expensive Iceland is otherwise. If I were to estimate the expenses with living in the dorms and cooking food from the supermarket, plus those trips and shopping, it would be maybe 17-20 000CZK.

What about unexpected expenses? Did anything surprise you?Going out to eat or drink is really expensive. I was also most surprised by the price of buses which were very unavailable for frequent trips. However, renting a car after splitting with other people was not that expensive. And food in the supermarket is not that much more expensive either. Compared to salaries, perhaps even cheaper.

Do you have any tips on how to save money?The more extreme options I've done are Couchsurfing, dumpster diving and hitchhiking. Then shopping at Krónan and Bonus or going to Freedge by the library (Facebook group "Frísskápur"). Most things besides food can be found extremely cheaply at the bazaar "Hertex" and clothes at the Red Cross thrift store. For borrowing things, finding things to buy and carpooling or even , I recommend the Facebook groups. For example "ferdafélagar Akureyri - Reykjavík" or "Czechs and Slovaks in Iceland" or "Gefins á Akureyri" "Nýtt Brask á Akureyri" or "Farm- and Aupairjobs in Iceland"working

🗺 Learn the ropes in a new city

How well did you manage to communicate in English?perfectly

How does public transport work in the city?neutral

And what about transport outside the city?terrible

Where to find connections? How to buy a ticket?The bus around the city is free, but only runs once an hour and everywhere. But it works. Otherwise, for most Icelandic connections, Straeto.is probably the best.

Did you deal with any health issues during your stay?no

🤠Help create the perfect bucket list

What is a must-see in the city?Library, swimming pool, Forest Lagoon, Akureyri Backpackers. Ski area, botanical garden. And a warm waterfall on the other side of the fjord.

What are the must-visit trip destinations?Around Lake Mývatn, Godafoss and Dettifoss waterfalls, Husavík. Krafla. Grímsey Island.

Share your best experience:Hitchhiking around the island. Whale watching - the first time I saw a humpback whale and then the first time I saw a humpback whale.

💅A nugget of wisdom to make the life easier

Did you need to handle a visa?no

How did you get to the place?Plane
Other

Transport means - Other:Ferry

Is there anything to watch out for before the trip?There is no bus from Akureyri airport, only expensive taxis. But from my experience you can walk (about 4 km).

Can you pay by card?everywhere

What not to forget when packing?You can ski, you can climb, stuff like that.
Definitely a swimsuit! And of course a jacket, hat and gloves for the summer.

🥳Summary

Whew, what a ride! 😮‍💨 Thanks so much for taking the time to complete our survey and for sharing your unique experience. Just one last thing. 🙏 How would you summarize your trip in one or two sentences?Aurora borealis, whales, snow plains like I remember from my childhood, hot springs, wild horses, puffins and sunsets that last for hours. Such a cold and actually not so expensive paradise on earth.