Athens: Unorthodox Decision but a Great One Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 09/03/2019 to 12/20/2019 with

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

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Learned about Greece and history and it was absolutely worthwhile.

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.

Not super tough but cool material

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Very well run and organized.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Small double but totally not the worst thing in the world

* Food:

Lunch was provided: sometimes great, sometimes eh. But Athens food was cheap and delicious

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Always up to date on strikes and such

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

Awesome experience. Cheap, good classes, opportunity to travel. The program provided three field trips and the opportunity for others.

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)

If you cook in and don't go out to eat and don't shop a ton, very easy to live very cheaply in Greece. It gets expensive when you travel.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $75
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Cook at home. Don't buy tons of drinks at the bar. Book flights in advance.

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

Encouraged because I took a class; if you didn't, not much.

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? For Greek? Nothing.
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? Stay up to date with vocab

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?
  • Travel
  • Cheap city
  • Good kids
* What could be improved?
  • Better lunch
  • Better bed
  • More local involvement
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I was pretty well prepared

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.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Crisis and Change

Course Department: Economics/ Political Science
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Great class and opportunity for outside of class learning. Well prepared, a lot of readings but worth it.
Credit Transfer Issues: None. Got em preapproved.
Course Name/Rating:

Introduction to Modern Greek

Course Department: Greek
Instructor:
Instruction Language: Greek
Comments: It was very challenging to learn another language. I wish that more vocab was focused on but overall I did learn some of the language, especially the basics to generally get around.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Sports and Spectacles

Course Department: History
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: LOVED this class. All about Ancient Greek and Roman athletics and very experiemental and hands on. Field trips to stadiums and actual lessons in how they used to box, wrestle, etc.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Business, Ethics, and Politics

Course Department: Business/ Philosophy
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Not challenging but misleading title. Very much a philosophy class, though. Not much on business.
Credit Transfer Issues: