Memories of a Lifetime Past Review

By (University of Indianapolis) - abroad from 05/09/2012 to 05/29/2012 with

Webster University: Athens - Odyssey in Athens

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Studying abroad in Greece taught me so much and is definitely an experience that I will not forget. Through our daily experiences in Athens, Greece I learned so much about Greek culture. Our weekend excursions to Ancient Greek ruins and the island of Santorini allowed me to take in the rich history of Greece and learn more about how Greece has become the country it is today. Though our group's service work at Caritas and Archelon Sea Turtle Rescue I learned the positive and negative impacts we have on our surrounding world. My experience in Greece was definitely worthwhile and full of memories that will last me a lifetime.

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.

Although I didn't take an actual course on campus, the Odyssey in Athens program provided our group with the needed information for our stay in Greece, set up weekend excursions to historical Greek sites and invited us to an educational seminar. They definitely provided us with the resources we needed for our stay in Greece.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The Odyssey in Athens administration spent a lot of time planning and preparing for our group's travel abroad to Greece. They made sure that we were up-to-date on our plans and that we were able to make the most of our travel and service work in Greece. They were also always there to assist our group when we needed it.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

The Greek food was amazing! Something that I definitely miss!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* 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? 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)

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? No

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

Our program was definitely encouraged to use Greek as much as we could. It was not only fun learning simple vocabulary in another language, but also to be able to apply it in a real-world setting.

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? Spanish 201
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? Use the language as much as you can.

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

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Experiencing a new culture
  • Traveling throughout Greece to see historic sites
  • Service-learning at Archelon and Caritas
* What could be improved?
  • More interaction with students/people from Greece
  • Providing a list of what the service-sites need so we could bring more supplies
  • Schedule of events
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Something that I wish I would have known before I went is just how fast time goes when you are traveling abroad. My advice would be to take in every minute and immerse yourself in the surrounding culture.