Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Wonderful country, decent program, not the best group of students. Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/24/2019 to 05/16/2019 with

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

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was worthwhile in that living in another country and culture can help you think about your own worldview. And I love Greece!

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Not particularly rigorous (other than exam weeks) but I still learned a lot from the sheer amount of information presented during classes.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Ok. Everything worked fine but a lot of students complained about interactions with the administration where they felt hostility from the adults.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Very.

* Food:

CYA food isn't that good but most of the time we cook for ourselves and there are plenty of supermarkets around.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

You had to make a large effort to meet Greeks, the program would not help you.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

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

My fellow students were fairly mean and had an extremely negative energy that made it harder for me to enjoy my time.

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)

Greece is a very affordable country to live in right now. Groceries cost little so you can travel on the weekends and still spend no more than 100$ a week on a pricey week.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 70-100 (I traveled, you can go on 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

The Greek language class did not teach me much and I left only reallly knowing basic phrases.

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? None
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? I am fluent in Spanish.
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? Make Greek friends.

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 amount of traveling we did
  • The professors
  • How they make it easy to live abroad
* What could be improved?
  • Creating a kinder community
  • Addressing language barriers between staff and students
  • They did not alert us when maintenance was being done in the rooms so we would come home to strangers moving our clothing around.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Getting around is easy (metro, trains, etc). Don't stress about 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 Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Ancient Macedonia to Alexander the Great
Course Department: History
Instructor: John Karavas
Instruction Language: English
Comments: PHENOMENAL! I showed up to class every day excited to learn. The professor is engaging and articulate and a performer. One of the only classes I have taken in my life where I have been sad when it is canceled.
Credit Transfer Issues: