8. What did you study during your exchange? Sociology and Iceland language

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1 Enskilda enkäter för Utbytesrapport/Exchange report Person 176 Basic Information 1. Name Christoph Altvater 2. address: christoph 3. Exchange university University of Iceland 4. City Reykjavik 5. Country Iceland 6. First semester of your exchange Swedish spring semester (VT) 7. Academic year 2012/ What did you study during your exchange? Sociology and Iceland language 9. Level of studies at the exchange university Undergraduate 10. What are you studying at Uppsala University? MSc in Economics 11. How many years of study had you completed before going on exchange? 4.5 Studies 12. Write one or more paragraphs describing the following: The differences between Uppsala University and the exchange. What were the teachers like? What courses would you recommend (or not) for future exchange students? The relationship between teachers and students. The academic level and quality of your courses. Access to computers. Examinations. At the university of Iceland I would say that there are less students per class making the style of teaching more interactive which I really liked. I was in general satisfied with the quality of teaching. I really enjoyed my course about disability studies since it is realted to economics but I had to go out of my comfort zone. The course was very well structured and I have learned a lot during the course. The relationship between teachers and students is very similar to the realtionship between teachers and students in Sweden. You normally call your teacher by his/her first name and you are welcome to ask questions during and after each lecture. It is quite difficult for me to compare the academic level with the level at Uppsala Unvieristy sicne I took courses outside my regular field of studies. The quality of courses was all in all good. The other exchagne students I have talked with had very similar opinions about their studies at the Unvieristy of Iceland. There are many computers availabe on campus so it is almost never a problem to find a free computer (except for maybe the last week before the exams). The style of examination varies between different courses. I had to write a big assignment, small home exams, and 3-hour long written finals. In one of my language courses I also had an oral exam. Orientation and reception 13. Write one or more paragraphs describing the following: How you were welcomed as an exchange student. Orientation, information, activities. In the first week there was a general introduction meeting for all exchagne students as well as department specific introduction meetings. In case of any questions there was a very helpful member of the student union Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 499 av 957

2 Enskilda enkäter för Utbytesrapport/exchange report Person 14 Basic Information 1. Name Mathilda Göransson 2. address: 3. Exchange university Háskóli Íslands (University of Iceland) 4. City Reykjavik 5. Country Island 6. First semester of your exchange Swedish autumn semester (HT) 7. Academic year 2012/ What did you study during your exchange? Juridik (European procedural law and Access to justice), Human resource management, english and folklore (en kurs som hette Being Icelandic) 9. Level of studies at the exchange university Mixed undergrad/postgrad 10. What are you studying at Uppsala University? juridik 11. How many years of study had you completed before going on exchange? 3 Studies 12. Write one or more paragraphs describing the following: The dierences between Uppsala University and the exchange. What were the teachers like? What courses would you recommend (or not) for future exchange students? The relationship between teachers and students. The academic level and quality of your courses. Access to computers. Examinations. Det var stor skillnad på undervisningen i juridik mellan Uppsala och Háskóli Íslands. Det var inte alls på samma sätt problembaserat och eleverna förväntades inte delta på samma sätt, det var mest läraren som föreläste. Det var ungefär samma i HR-kursen och Being Icelandic, däremot var engelska kursen mycket muntliga diskussioner. Jag rekommenderar andra utbytesstudenter att läsa Being Icelandic, HR och engelska. Juridik kursen var lite knepig, det var första året de gav den kursen så administrationen och uppgifterna var lite (eller ibland mycket) oklara. Det var muntlig tenta i juridik och being icelandic, något som jag aldrig haft förut men som kändes ganska bra. HR kursen hade skriftlig tenta som nal exam. Det var också skriftliga och/eller muntliga uppgifter i alla kurserna under terminen som sedan räknades in i slutbetyget. Tillgången till datorer var oftast bättre än i Uppsala, överallt var det nya mac-datorer. Däremot kunde det vara knepigt att skriva ut ibland, hela organisationen på Universitetet är ganska ummig och laid back, och om nån skrivare är trasig händer det att de bara rycker på axlarna och så får man försöka lösa det bäst man kan. Orientation and reception 13. Write one or more paragraphs describing the following: How you were welcomed as an exchange student. Orientation, information, activities. Jag ck en buddy via universitetet. Han var väldigt trevlig och mötte upp mig redan första dagen. Han tog med mig på en tur runt Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 37 av 547

3 Enskilda enkäter för Utbytesrapport/exchange report Reykjavik och hjälpte mig att köpa ett kontantkort till mobilen. Universitetet ordnade en facebookgrupp för alla utbytesstudenter vilket var väldigt bra. Via den bestämde jag trä med några andra utbytesstudenter till min andra dag på ön, och utifrån några av de jag mötte den dagen bildades mitt gäng som jag hängde med resten av terminen. Det var också ett orientation meeting med information för alla utbytesstudenter, och ESN ordnade en välkomstfest. Accommodation 14. Write one or more paragraphs describing your accommodation. What type of accommodation did you have, where you satised? Do you have any tips for future students? Jag bodde i ett guesthouse på Hversgata (väldigt centralt, precis bredvid Laugavegur) som heter Center Guesthouse. Det var väldigt bra. Jag hade eget rum och delade badrum och kök med de andra 8 utbytesstudenterna som bodde i samma hus. Det var väldigt rent och fräscht, ägarna var där och städade hela tiden. Your finances 15. Write one or more paragraphs describing the cost of living. Did you nd CSN adequate? How was the rent in comparison to your rent in Uppsala? Did you undertake part-time work in addition to your studies? Hyran var billigare än i Uppsala. CSN räckte nästan, men inte riktigt. Jag försökte leva ganska snålt, jag shoppade till exempel typ ingenting förutom en islandströja och liknande saker. Men det gick ju kanske lite mer pengar än vanligt eftersom man ville göra en del isländska saker på fritiden. Men utykterna jag åkte på blev ganska billiga eftersom jag åkte med kompisar från Island som hade bil/kunde låna bilar så vi betalade bara bensin och billigt boende på hostel. Jag jobbade inget under tiden på Island. Free time 16. What did you do in your free time? Did the university arrange any special activities? Where there any activities specically for exchange students? Were you happy with what was on oer? Jag hängde med mina kompisar, både andra utbytesstudenter och isländska kompisar. Vi åkte på utykter till olika ställen, vandrade, red islandshäst, badade i varma källor, festade, gick på Iceland airwaves och mycket mycket mer. Universitetet och ESN ordnande utykter och aktiviteter men jag var inte på något annat än ESN's välkomstfest. Vi åkte på egna utykter istället, det kändes roligare att kunna åka när/hur/var man vill. Men jag hörde om en del som var på utykter med universitetet och det verkade som att de utykterna var bra också: Det nns även ett gym på universitetet där jag tränade, det har bra öppettider och är väldigt billigt. Jag var också med i Orator, den juridiska studentföreningen. Den ordnar fester och cocktails (alla går till en byrå och får gratis middag och drinkar, sen går man ut efteråt). Det var väldigt roligt och ett bra sätt att lära känna folk från Island. Your exchange on a whole 17. Please sum up your exchange experience. If you have any other tips for future exchange students, or any other comments feel free to include them here. Det bästa jag gjort!!! Jag älskar Reykjavik och Island, en underbar stad och ett underbart land! Det är så härlig stämning och atmosfär, människorna är trevliga och det är alltid mycket som händer i staden med konserter och liknande. Om jag ångrar nånting så är det att jag inte bestämde mig för att stanna ett år istället! Innan tyckte jag ett halvår kändes länge nog, men tiden bara försvann och Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 38 av 547

4 Enskilda enkäter för Utbytesrapport/exchange report nu längtar jag tillbaka... Jag har lärt mig otroligt mycket, både om mig själv och dessutom så har jag utvecklat min engelska mycket. Jag har träat massor av intressanta och trevliga personer från olika delar av världen som jag förhoppningsvis kommer ha kontakt med resten av livet! Approval 18. Your report will be available for future exchange students in printed form at the International Oce and will be sent by to individual students requesting it. Do you also approve the publishing of your exchange report on Uppsala University's website? Yes Thank you for replying to this survey - your input is greatly appreciated. Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 39 av 547

5 Enskilda enkäter för Utbytesrapport/Exchange report board responsible for us exchange students. Also the international office was very helpful in case of any questions. The student union organized special science trips for us exchange students. science trips are trips to different companies which after presenting themselves provide free food and drinks for students. Those science trips are very tradtional in Iceland. All in all I felt very well welcomed in Reykjavik and the other exchagne students made it very easy for me to feel at home there very fast. Accommodation 14. Write one or more paragraphs describing your accommodation. What type of accommodation did you have, where you satisfied? Do you have any tips for future students? Since there are almost no tourists in Iceland during the winter months, most guesthouses rent out there rooms to exchange students. I lived in a guesthouse a bit outside the city center but around a 15min walk from the university campus. Except for me 3 other exchange students lived in this guesthouse. The landlords lived in the same house and were very helpful (especially during the frist days). I liked my place since I had a very nice furnished rooms close to the ocean. I spent a lot of time in one of the bigger guesthouses in the city center which are in general more social. Most of the downtown guesthouses are located very close to each other making it easy for the excahnge students to organize social events. The univeristy provides a list with guesthouses open for exchange students. However, one has to be very fast since the reasonable priced guesthouses are full quite fast. Which guesthouses suit one best, depends a lot on the preferences of the individual student. Your finances 15. Write one or more paragraphs describing the cost of living. Did you find CSN adequate? How was the rent in comparison to your rent in Uppsala? Did you undertake part-time work in addition to your studies? The cost of living are very similar to the cost of living in Uppsala. Since I am not a Swedish citizen I did not receive CSN. Nevertheless I would say that CSN is adequate (except for the expenses for trips undertaken during the exchagne semester). My rent was mcuh cheaper than in Uppsala. In general I would say that the average rent is close to the average rent in Uppsala. Free time 16. What did you do in your free time? Did the university arrange any special activities? Where there any activities specifically for exchange students? Were you happy with what was on offer? During my free time I spent a lot of time in one of the guesthouses in the city center. We had a lot of international dinners together. We even organized a sitsit ( the Finnish version of a gasque) together. Many evening I spent in the new student bar on campus which offered concerts, live football on a big screen, pub quizes, a karaoke competiton and much more. The nightlife in Reykjavik is very unique. I especially enjoyed the various concerts offered almost daily and which are so famous in Iceland. During weekends I went on trips around Iceland. When one rents a big car with other exchagne students travelling is quite cheap in Iceland. And the landscape is just breathtaking. The student union offered so called science trips especailly for exchagne students. Science trips are company visit followed by free provided food and drinks. They sometimes even end with a party. On many Thursdays the Erasmus Student Network organized special Ersamus parties. All in all I thought that the univeristy offered a lot of nice activities. However, I think it would have been nice if the Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 500 av 957

6 Enskilda enkäter för Utbytesrapport/Exchange report activites would not be so specific for exchagne students so that the exchagne students get to know more Icelandic students. Your exchange on a whole 17. Please sum up your exchange experience. If you have any other tips for future exchange students, or any other comments feel free to include them here. The exchange in Iceland was my third exchange and I with no doubt can say that it has been the best one. Iceland and Reykjavik are just perfect for exchange. The country offers many amazing things to do and see. Reykjaivk as a city is perfect for exchange since it is small enough so you can easily meet other exchange students while it at the same time offers a lot of cultural activities and a unique nightlife. I have met new amazing friends from all around the world and learnt not only about the Icelandic culture (whihc is really interesting) but also about many others. I can truly recommend Iceland and Reykjaivk as a study abroad destination. Approval 18. Your report will be available for future exchange students in printed form at the International Office and will be sent by to individual students requesting it. Do you also approve the publishing of your exchange report on Uppsala University s website? Yes Thank you for replying to this survey - your input is greatly appreciated. Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 501 av 957