Lacking Information Past Review
By Jamie Kotthoff (Webster University) - abroad from 08/25/2018 to 12/22/2018 with
Webster University: Athens - Odyssey in Athens
I learned how to live by myself and how to budget. I also learned how to travel confidently.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The are a joke here. I took the Myth and Religion class, one of the special Greece classes, and we did absolutely nothing. I wasted 4 hours a week sitting in class for no reason. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Dina was so incredible the entire time we were here. She did everything possible to make our stay good, she went out of her way to make sure we were comfortable, and she tried to make this experience the best it could be. Dina is not given enough credit or respect for all of the work that she does in this program. If it weren't for her, I probably would have gone home early. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Living was mediocre. Before leaving, none of us were informed of who any of our roommates would be. It would have been nice to know, because we ended up with a disrespectful one. The apartment was built to house 10, but even 5 was pushing the levels of comfort in it. The kitchen and bathrooms could never accommodate 10. The apartment hadn't been thoroughly cleaned before we arrived, and we have found many things throughout our stay here that seem to have never been cleaned. There were a handful of electric issues at the beginning of our stay that could have easily been avoided if someone had checked them before placing us in here. Overall, the housing wasn't bad, but it could easily be improved for the next guests. |
| * Food: |
|
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We were treated by most locals like annoying tourists the entire time we were here. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Mental healthcare is an absolute joke here. I did not deal with it directly, but I witnessed multiple instances where people expressing their worries were either ignored or shot down. There were suicide jokes made my professors and students alike in my psychology class. No one cares. |
| * Safety: |
|
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I would never do another semester-long program because it was too long for me, personally. I would also never go in the fall again because its too close to Christmas. I was inadequately prepared for living here and how different the country and the people are. I feel like Webster could do much better at preparing it's students and other students coming to the program. |
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
| * 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? | Beginner |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 0 |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| 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? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | That Greek locals are mean, have no idea how to walk, and are happy to be all up in your space 110% of the time. |
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 AdventurerThe 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: |
MEDC 1050 |
| Course Department: | Media and Communications |
| Instructor: | Kalomiri |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This class was the biggest waste of my time and money. I am a scriptwriting major and this class is required for me, so I decided to take it in Greece, since I had nothing else better to do. Intro to Media Writing is supposed to be an intro to many different media writing types. Up until this week - the second-to-last week of classes- we have been doing strictly journalism. When I spoke to the professor about it, she did not seem to understand what I was upset about. As a scriptwriting major, I have absolutely no intention of pursuing journalism, so spending 6 weeks perfecting how to interview people and how to write a press release was so incredibly irreverent and wasteful for me. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
