Athens was amazing and inspiring, nothing else like it. Past Review

By (Goucher College) - abroad from 08/21/2017 to 12/17/2017 with

Webster University: Athens - Odyssey in Athens

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Definitely worth while, i think i gained a new appreciation for other countries and other ways of life/ cultures.

Review Photos

Webster University: Athens - Odyssey in Athens Photo Webster University: Athens - Odyssey in Athens Photo Webster University: Athens - Odyssey in Athens Photo

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.

Im not sure how this rating is scaled/ this is confusing - but the educational experience was good, not too challenging, but engaging.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

again, not sure how this is scaled (confusing scale format) but all the staff are great, however, there are not a lot of resources on the campus.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Very satisfied with living arrangements.

* Food:

Make your own food, and eat out. Greece is very affordable and has delicious food.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The program did a great job of showing us Greece and I felt familiar with the culture.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Athens is a big city, and is just as safe as any American city.

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

i really appreciated the freedom I had in the program, and how available and understanding the administration was.

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? probably about 50$ each week on activities.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Don't spend all your money in the beginning of the program, set weekly budgets. Prioritize saving if you want to travel while you're studying abroad.

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

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? Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? None in 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? It's a hard language to practice, but if you know anyone who speaks Greek ask for their help/ learn the alphabet before coming.

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

  • Local Students
  • Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • class excursions
  • encouraging/ supportive admin.
  • volunteer work
* What could be improved?
  • the campus needs more amenities
  • more class options
  • students should have access to the school building more/ more hours.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That the school is very small/ that most of my classes were just with my fellow study abroad American students - I wish I was prepared for how small it would be.