It was so amazing - can't wait to go back! Past Review

By A student (Texas A&M University - College Station) - abroad from 06/16/2016 to 07/18/2016 with

AIFS: Athens - American College of Greece

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

It was completely worthwhile! I gained some new friendships, wonderful memories, new favorite foods, plus the ability to be more accepting of others and their differences. I also learned that other people may do things differently than I do, but that doesn't make what they do wrong.

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 class I took while abroad required a lot of thinking and analyzing literature, but did not require a lot of classwork. The thinking aspect was more difficult than in my previous classes, but the workload was much less.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	They were extremely close to campus which was super convenient.
* Food:	The food is AMAZING!! If you go, eat all the food you can! Especially gelato & baklava!!!
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	There was a lot about their culture I didn't understand, but our RA's and classmates helped us get accustomed. Almost everyone in Greece spoke English too, so we could still communicate with people.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	The neighborhood I stayed in felt very safe. Once you got into downtown Athens, it could get a little more dangerous, as in any big city. But as long as you stayed aware of your surroundings and used common sense it was fine.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes The culture, the food, and the adventure all made the experience so great. I'm sure I could have just as good a trip on another study abroad trip, but I really did love this trip!

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)	It depends how frugal you are. Most everything in Greece is very cheap, so you can get by fairly cheaply. However, if you go out to eat every meal and spend money on drinks or other things, your spending can add up. You just have to decide what you want to spend money on and monitor yourself.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	Probably about 50 dollars a week.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	When looking for souvenirs, spend a few days looking at what is available and deciding what you actually want to buy. This keeps you from buying the first thing you see when there could have been something better or cheaper down the road.

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	We weren't really encouraged to try to learn their language. Since almost everyone spoke English, we didn't need to learn their 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
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	a 100-level language course
How many hours per day did you use the language?	0
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants?	Maybe get an audio book so you can hear how to pronounce certain words. But if you're going somewhere that most people speak English, than you'll probably be fine learning just the really basic words like please, thank you, bathroom, etc.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Dorm
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Local Students Americans International Students
* 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?	Food Culture Islands
* What could be improved?	More details ahead of time, such as: housing details details about trips/excursions
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	How much most people cuss on a daily basis - that was a surprise.

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:	Issues in Context
Course Department:	Communication
Instructor:	Arouh
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	It was challenging, but in different ways than previous classes I have taken. Our professor made us put a lot of thought into what we were learning. It helped me to learn the material instead of just memorize it. We didn't take any field trips for the class, but those weren't really relevant to the material we were learning. Our professor was always well prepared and would offer help when we needed it. I spoke up in this class more than previous ones, mostly because the class was so much smaller than my other ones. We were graded on a paper that we wrote, and an essay exam at the end of the course.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I did ask the school to send my transcripts to my home school, but they haven't sent them yet. For other students I would say to go by the transcript office and ask before you leave what information they'll need to send your transcripts back home.