Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

By far the best semester of my college career Past Review

By (University of Tampa) - abroad from 09/11/2015 to 12/17/2015 with

American College of Thessaloniki (ACT): Thessaloniki - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was definitely worthwhile! I learned so much about myself and my culture and also about different cultures while traveling throughout Europe. I've been back now almost two months and I constantly think about Thessaloniki and how much I miss it and I am already planning a trip to go back to Greece again!

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.

Classes were good and the professors were very understanding. Most of them understood that we were here for the experience and not just for studies, so they were very flexible with dates/deadlines.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

Thessaloniki has very good food!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I quickly adapted to life in Thessaloniki and never felt homesick. Being of Greek heritage, speaking the language and having been there a few times before definitely helped. However, the program did a good job to familiarize everyone with the Greek culture and introduce everyone to the food, nightlife, culture, etc.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Thessaloniki is an extremely safe city. I never felt scared walking around the city alone at 5am. I feel 10 times safer in Thessaloniki than I do in the United States.

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

To be honest I did not really want to study in Greece since it wasn't a new culture for me and I wanted something different, but now I realize that I made the best decision and I would definitely do it all over again. If I could go back in time, I would've spent a year in Thessaloniki because one semester just wasn't enough.

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? Honestly it is hard to say because sometimes I wasn't always looking for the cheapest option. But maybe about 100-200 euro?
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? If you really want to save money, make a budget, use a lot of public transportation, eat at gyro/souvlaki take-out places for cheap, good food (many people don't know but they usually also have other foods such as sausages, burgers, salads etc.)

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

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

Greek class was optional

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Advanced
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Fluent
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? I took 10 years of Greek growing up
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? I think to maybe familiarize themselves with some basic phrases prior to coming to Thessaloniki. However, most people under 50 in Greece speak English anyways so it is not required to speak Greek although the locals appreciate the effort.

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

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • Other
* 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? 10+

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Traveling around Greece and Europe
  • Food and Drink
  • Meeting new friends
* What could be improved?
  • Transportation
  • One of my professors had suggested a buddy system where local Greek students could be paired up with study abroad students and they can show them around Thessaloniki and further introduce them to the culture/customs and I think that would be a great idea even though I'm not sure how it would work.
  • Not sure if this is really possible but I think maybe if we learned more about Greek politics/issues at orientation just to be aware. I know some Greek students were a little annoyed with the study abroad students' lack of knowledge about certain issues such as the financial crisis, refugee situation, Macedonia issue etc.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? About the residence permit and what would be required for it.

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.