Icelandic law student describes surreal Stanford summer

Elín Snæfríður Maximiliansdóttir Conrad spent two months living and studying on the Stanford University campus in California before beginning her second year of law at the University of Iceland, mbl.is reports.

She attended lectures and studied independently as part of Stanford’s International Honors Program, alongside students from Iceland, Germany, Argentina, Portugal, China and Singapore.

“Stanford is connected to so-called partner schools around the world. We were a group of students in the International Honors Program and lived in a building with all the international students,” Elín said.

Living in the Stanford bubble

Elín said living on campus felt like living in a small town far removed from reality.

“It was amazing that you could spend days or even weeks on the campus without having much contact with the outside world, apart from FaceTime calls with my parents. We called it being in the Stanford bubble. It was a surreal experience, but a very good one,” she said.

She also described the teaching methods as very different from those commonly used in Iceland. Students were expected to contribute actively in class, while teachers encouraged discussion and conducted lessons more like conversations.

“If you are uncertain about certain points, that is reflected in your participation in class and the teacher will notice, so you always have to be well prepared,” Elín said.

“I absolutely loved this approach to learning and teaching. I felt it was based on a great deal of honesty, and you could tell that the teachers genuinely wanted everyone to improve and progress quickly.”

A close-knit dormitory community

Elín said living in the dormitory was a dream and that there was always something to do. She stayed at Branner Hall, a student residence in the middle of the Stanford campus.

She shared a room with two students from China, an experience she said was demanding because she had never lived so closely with two other people.

“You were never really alone, except perhaps in the bathroom,” she said with a laugh.

But the three students became close friends and did many things together.

“It is unique to start the day with someone and end the day with the same people. They become like your family,” Elín said.

A longer interview with Elín appears in Morgunblaðið’s Sunday edition.