A necessary title for this wrap up. Past Review

By (Southern Utah University) - abroad from 09/07/2017 to 12/19/2016 with

American College of Greece: Athens - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
You learn a lot about yourself in foreign environments.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Overall the enthusiasm for the program was great, however there was very little practical support that we received comparative to other programs. In discussion with other students in other schools, their program was very hands on, where SUU felt pretty hands off. Which may be by design, I don't know.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Great school for study abroad's, the campus was beautiful, the classes were informative, however not overbearing as to restrict travel and exploration

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The apartments were incredibly nice.

* Food:

I'm still missing the gyros on a daily basis.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I never needed any assistance so its hard to critique

* Safety:

Athens is easily one of the safest cities I've ever been to.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Greece is amazing, the people are kind, and the food is to die for. I made a huge amount of international friends, and americans who I intend to keep in contact with, Athens is a beautiful safe city.

Finances

* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $100-150
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? You can get great off campus housing on airbnb for way cheaper. The $5000 was great for the apartments and the dorm culture, however you can find great accommodations for way less

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Basic Greek
How many hours per day did you use the language?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? Practice with cab drivers, they will probably find your awful greek pretty funny, but usually they are up for a conversation in broken hellenic.

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? Exchange

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Great overall experience
  • Beautiful campus
  • Rad city
* What could be improved?
  • Dorms isolate you from local culture.
  • SUU could provide more support with Visas (the greek embassy is terrible)
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? To travel Greece as soon as I got there, it gets a bit nippy and you loose the summer weather for the islands. They are still phenomenal though.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.
The Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.