Time of my life. August 31, 2026
By Joshua M (Brandeis University) - abroad from 09/12/2025 to 12/17/2025 with
American College of Greece: Athens - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
It was absolutely worthwhile. I learned how to communicate effectively with people from all different backgrounds.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Classes every day, but work load quite low, pretty good professors overall. Not much homework. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Everyone was so nice, very welcoming and healthy environment. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Almost perfect. I had a beautiful view of the city from my balcony. My shower was a little weird but other than that it was perfect. Really great RA's as well Ioannis and Adria who took care of any issue I had. |
| * Food: |
Who doesn't like Gyros? I love greek food, not much variety though. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Very much so given the campus was in the middle of downtown Thessaloniki. Very immersive. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Never experienced any feelings of unsafety. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The program made making friends so easy, and encouraged an immersive and social learning environment. |
Finances
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* 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) |
Food and groceries were quite cheap, I planned trips early and travelled cheaply when I did. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 50 Euros per week |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Use Skyscanner to find cheap flights. Grocery shop rather than eating out all the time. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| 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? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | None |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 0 |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Take a greek class with other english speakers. Learn alongside other people. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Plan Trips as soon as possible. Flight prices go up every day. |
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 UrbaniteA 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. |
