Student story: Meeri Jalonen's north2north exchange semester on northern Iceland

I spent five months studying in the University of Akureyri in North Iceland in the spring of 2025. I had never visited Iceland before, but the cultural and lifestyle similarities it shares with other Nordic countries made it easy for me to quickly feel at home there. I chose not to apply to Reykjavik and applied to Akureyri instead, because I preferred the mountains and nature over the city. At first, I did question my decision to choose a smaller town, but when I got to Akureyri, saw the places, and met all the people there, I was no longer worried. It ended up being the best decision for me, as I felt I got to experience a more traditional and natural side of Iceland in the North compared to what I might have experienced in Reykjavik.

During my stay, I completed five courses all very different from each other. They ranged across diverse fields such as law, economics, languages, and natural sciences. Since I applied through the north2north program, I wasn’t limited in my course selection, and I was able to explore courses on a broad range. Among the courses offered, two were specifically designed for exchange students: Icelandic Language and Icelandic Nature. Given Iceland’s unique characteristics in both of these, the courses provided valuable insights. In the nature course, we studied Iceland’s geological history, including how the country was formed through various natural phenomena, and examined its present-day landscape. In the language course, we learned some useful basics of the language and, for example, the relation of the language to other Nordic languages. Together these two courses deepened our understanding of what makes Iceland so exceptional.

Even though Akureyri is a smaller town, there was rarely a weekend where we had no plans at all. We spent our free time hiking mountains, hanging out at the local pool, traveling to see different waterfalls, glaciers and geothermal areas, enjoying the city’s piano bar, and skiing at the local ski resort. Other exchange students were always looking for something fun to do. It was also very easy to rent a car and just take a day trip to see the amazing places in and around Akureyri and Iceland. What made our stay there even more meaningful, were the incredibly helpful and welcoming Icelandic people.

I left Iceland with a lot of great memories, new friendships, and an appreciation for the beauty of the island. I would definitely recommend Iceland and Akureyri as an exchange destination to anyone looking for something a little different from their exchange experience!