CYA has some issues Past Review

By (History and Classical Civilization, Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/23/2012 to 05/19/2012 with

CYA (College Year in Athens) - Semester/Academic Year Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a lot in my classes that will be useful for my major. I gained a lot of good friends and experiences. I do think it was worthwhile because I did experience so much, good and bad. I would pick a different program in the end for better support, but I wouldn't pick different peers or country.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I gave this score because I took one upper level course that was on par with the work I do at Wellesley. The other courses were below Wellesley academic rigor.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The higher administration was relatively terrible. However, the librarians, front desk people, trip planner, and head of students (Nadia) were fantastic.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The apartments we lived in were perfectly functionable and were cleaned regularly for us. The down side was that my building's lock was occasionally broken so the safety of the apartment was questionable. Also, some strangers climbed onto our first floor balcony and attempted to get into the apartment in the middle of the night one night so that also made me and my roommates feel unsafe.

* Food:

There were some meals that were ill-prepared but overall the food was pretty delicious. The cooking classes were also amazing.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The events that I went out of my way to attend were great. CYA did an okay job of integrating us, but there weren't a lot of planned opportunities.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

They weren't really ever addressed, but after I was mugged, I was taken care of well with available medical supplies and was allowed to take a day off of school to recover.

* Safety:

As mentioned under housing, my apartment wasn't always safe. As well, I was mugged walking through a CYA designated "safe" area. Athens was not incredibly safe and CYA was not good about truly informing us of the dangers. The dangers were mostly glossed over in order to keep students positive.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

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)

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? Yes
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? under $100
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Travel cheaply on cheap airlines or buses. Buy food at local farmer's markets whenever you can.

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

My greek teacher did a lot but no one else really did.

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Beginner
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? Advanced Ancient 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? Go out and practice as much as possible in markets, restaurants, etc.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • The people I met, including some professors
  • The places I traveled to on my own time
  • The food
* What could be improved?
  • The administration
  • Cultural Integration
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That it would be really hard to integrate and actually experience Greece and a country and not a destination vacation.