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<\/a><\/p>\nH\u00fasav\u00edk is known as the whale capital of Europe. Over the summer, I was lucky to see five whale species, including the mysterious blue whale, the largest species on earth. Seeing a blue whale dive with the perfect mountain background and pink skies from the Midnight Sun is a memory I will never forget. This is what the placement year is about: getting to experience things you could never get to do at university. From learning to take the DNA from the water\u202fand\u202fsailing on a wooden schooner to experiencing breaching humpbacks, my placement year is full of unforgettable experiences.<\/p>\n
Despite only having a population of 2000, H\u00fasav\u00edk has the most incredible international community, from the photo ID interns to the whale-watching guides. You are instantly best friends with anyone you meet, whether you bump into someone\u202fin\u202fthe shop or the geothermal pool! H\u00fasav\u00edk is small, so we had to make our own fun by hosting potluck dinners, endless Jaja Ding Dong karaoke, playing card games while sipping coffee in local cafes, and spending the evenings staring at the mountains while soaking in the\u202fgeothermal infinity pool. We made the most of the more relaxed Icelandic pace of life. This is something I loved during my placement year: seeing different lifestyles and values worldwide. As interns, we got to experience so much together and supported each other through everyday\u202fdecisions and life events. Some of the friends I made in H\u00fasav\u00edk will hopefully be my friends for life.<\/p>\n A placement year is also perfect for putting the knowledge you learn on your course into practice and experiencing theory first-hand. In Iceland, I experienced the difficulties of getting local communities on board with conservation, the issues of mass tourism, whaling, and puffin hunting. Iceland may have a green image, but live there for a few months, and you learn this is a fa\u00e7ade with many issues bubbling beneath the surface. Your degree comes to life when you experience the issues first-hand, see the issues, and work on potential real-world solutions.<\/p>\n “My placement year ignited my passion for conservation, allowed me to put the knowledge I had gained in my course into practice, and made amazing friends that will last a lifetime.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n A placement year at Kent will give you first-hand experience, making you more employable and building up life skills that will serve you no matter what you do in the future.”<\/p>\n *Katie is studying BSc Wildlife Conservation with a Year in Professional Practice (now named BSc Ecology & Conservation<\/a>).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n