Greece: Learning Art from the country that Invented it! Past Review

By Veronica S (English, Hellenic International Studies in the Arts) for

Hellenic International Studies in the Arts - HISA: Paros

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

YES!!! It was amazing to see so many different areas in Greece, all of my credits transferred and half of them were put toward my major and I now have invaluable references in my field.

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.	The workload at this program was moderate, grading was fair, teaching methods were personalized to the students and really encompassed our new surroundings, and it was really nice to live so close to the school we were attending.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	The support from the program heads was unbelievable; they treated us all like family. The program size was perfect at about 30 students and my expectations were far exceeded. I wish I could go back. The only flaw was that I didn't sign up for a full semester program!
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	We mainly stayed at a very nice apartment building within walking distance of the campus. During overnight travel, we always stayed in nice hotels and they recommended a fairly clean youth hostel if we were traveling on our own before or after the program ended. We had our own rooms in the apartments and never shared rooms with more than two other people in the hotels and hostels.
* Food:	LOVE GREEK FOOD!
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	We did a weekend trip to Santorini that served as a sort of short vacation and it was beautiful. They set up an amazing boat tour for us that was both informative and interactive.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	Greece has free health clinics, so the few students who had health issues were able to have them taken care of, free of charge. The main health issue was that students were stepping on sea urchins. Not a big deal.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes

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)

Language

If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Apartment Hotel Hostel
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Americans Other

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Get ALL of your instructors e-mail addresses, as many of them work in the field and will be able to help you in the future. This program is definitely geared toward the creative type of student.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Photography
Course Department:
Instructor:	Eric
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	It was wonderful that the school gave you the option to specialize in dark room photography or digital or both. The instructor would work with you personally for hours after class if you needed help. The teacher really knew what he was talking about and helped us to explore new photographic techniques while we were traveling the country. He was more than willing to point out a good shot if he thought it would work well with our final compilation. Great class!
Credit Transfer Issues:	No credit transfer issues.

Course Name/Rating:	Creative Writing
Course Department:
Instructor:	George Crane
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	AMAZING!! There was a strong focus on poetry, which was fun. All assignments encompassed something we had seen or learned about Greece, which really helped to justify our new surroundings.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No credit transfer issues.