I now have a new home in Greece Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

As mentioned before the intensity of the courses offered at ACT are "laid back". With that said you get back what you put into it. By completing the case studies and spending time studying and doing homework you will learn just as much as in the US.

On-site administration of your program

On site coordination was run by Miranda Margariti and she did an outstanding job. From scheduling school trips to working with RA's Miranda was also a source from questions or assistance.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

We were offered two different locations within Thessaloniki. Both buildings were decent and encouraged you to mingle with the other SA students. My only critique would be that the two buidlings are located closer together and closer to the Student section of the city. I.e. near Kalis Elpidos.

Thessaloniki is considered the culinary capital of Greece. So you can guess that the food was better than amazing. Where to begin... from the "cheap" delicious food in Kamara (student section of the city) ($1 gyros, Pizza Chris, FRAPPE!) to the sea side restaurants with fresh sea food Ask Professor Dimitriadis about "the best souvlaki in all of Greece", its worth the trip. Hard to find a bad meal in Thessaloniki.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Thessaloniki has a large student population so you will find that many people speak at least some English. With that said speaking Greek was essential for day to day life. Add this to living in a building in the city with the Greek population and you have a full cultural immersion. It really added to the experience.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I personally never had any issues but there was a doc on site to handle injuries.

Living in a large city and traveling has its own risk. Considering those, I always felt safe in Thessaloniki. Best advice I can give is "use your head". Don't put yourself in a unsafe situation and you will be fine. Also consider world events before traveling outside Greece. While we were safe in Greece there were attacks throughout Europe. Just plan ahead an check that where you are going is safe.

Almost everything about Greece was welcoming and made you feel at home. I cannot remember having a bad day while I was there.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

This really depends on the person. Some weeks I would buy groceries and cook in the apartment, other weeks I would go out... a lot. My advice would be to save up as much as possible so that finances are not a concern. I saved for about 10 months and was able to have more than enough to live comfortably.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

Greek language course was offered and students were encouraged to use the language outside of class while on campus. All the faculty and staff were very helpful.

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• Apartment

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• Americans

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students
• Other

• Traveling around Greece (School trips and individual trips)
• Professors/Faculty/Staff/People/Culture
• FOOD.... and wine

• Transportation on/off campus
• WIFI strength
• Housing closer to KAMARA

The Avid Adventurer