Great historical and educational experience July 17, 2025
By Miriam G (History, Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/07/2025 to 04/10/2025 with
American College of Thessaloniki (ACT): Thessaloniki - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I learned a lot about Greece and Greek history which was very worthwhile to me and my studies - the age of the cities there and specifically Thessaloniki's story was very engaging because it's so visible everywhere you go there.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
this was my issue, the program was great at trying to get us out and doing stuff |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
n/a |
| * Safety: |
only concern was pickpocketing but just keep a solid hand on your stuff it's common sense |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
The program was great! I personally would pick a smaller one if i could go back because there were over a hundred study abroad students in with three times as many international students and I probably wasn't extroverted enough to navigate all that well |
Finances
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* 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) |
really dependent on the individual - I tried to keep it low barring going out to restaurants but it can get up there if you're a big shopper |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | things you eat/drink everyday : just try to get them from the grocery store instead of a cafe. For example I spent 2.50 on coffee every day for like a month before I just bought myself a jar of instant coffee for like 6 euro and it lasted to the end of the program (don't worry greek instant coffee is good). Greek groceries are really cheap compared to the US so if its not for social purposes it's cheaper to just keep stuff like that in your apartment |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
Just my Greek classes wanted us out using it |
| 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? | none |
| 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? | try to memorize the alphabet quickly and practice reading on your own - I spent a lot of my bus time trying to read street signs and it really helped with my reading skills/speed in class. This also helps with pronunciation as Greek is an accented language (meaning the written word itself has the correct pronunciation built in) |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | how little the Greeks actually eat falafel and how much they love to eat meat. Greek menus can be pretty limited when it comes to vegetarianism - not that that means there's nothing or that that should mean one shouldn't go; it just would've been nice to be more prepared for the dietary restrictions. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
