Metron and Spolia! Past Review

By Jen W (Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics., Middlebury College) - abroad from 09/07/2013 to 12/20/2013 with

Arcadia: Athens - Arcadia in Greece

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

The experience was definitely worthwhile. I learned a lot about Greece, but I also learned about being independent. I feel as though I gained more confidence in myself and the ability to communicate with those from another culture who may speak another language

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	Everybody at the center was incredibly helpful.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	The apartments that we stayed in were quite large and close to the Arcadia center.
* Food:	The program itself didn't usually provide meals, but on some occasions we were treated to meals.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	Arcadia had plenty of events where one could interact learn about and participate in Greek culture, but I wish that there had been some events that would have allowed us to meet Greeks our own age.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	I didn't really get sick while I was abroad, but one of the guys in the program did, and he said that he felt very supported by the program.
* Safety:	Athens is in general a very safe place to be. I felt comfortable walking around by myself even at night. There are some times at the end of demonstrations that it would be better not to be in city center, but the program generally warns you of the demonstrations ahead of time.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes

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)	I gave myself a budget of $100/week, and most of the time when I stayed in Athens I was well under that budget. It's pretty easy when you can buy souvlaki for 2 euro.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	$110
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Eat a lot of souvlaki. And also bring sunscreen with you. It's really expensive in Greece.

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
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	None
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?	Try to use Greek when you go to stores or buy food. They appreciate it when you try, even if you aren't very good. Also go out and meet Greeks!

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	Americans
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?	field trips most of the professors/administrators Greek language requirement
* What could be improved?	Greek Key more interactions with Greek students
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	The program was smaller than I thought it would be, but the semester I went also had the lowest enrollment ever.

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 Linguist You 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!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Athens on Site
Course Department:
Instructor:	Stravros
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This course was excellent. Stavros is an incredibly interesting person who is very passionate about what he teaches. Almost every class was held outside the classroom at various sites around the city. We had a few short assignments and a midterm and final. The course wasn't very challenging, but it was interesting and very engaging.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Modern Greek
Course Department:
Instructor:	Ourania
Instruction Language:	Greek/English
Comments:	This course was excellent, but not very challenging compared to language courses at Middlebury. Ourania is a fantastic professor who is very enthusiastic about teaching her students Greek. She gave us assignments which required us to practice our Greek with native speakers, and everybody participated in class.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Greek Key
Course Department:
Instructor:	Joanna/Eirenie
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This course was required. It had two different parts, one where you would sit in the classroom and discuss topics related to acclimating to Greece, and one where you would go on walks around the city. The walks had the potential to be really cool, but Eirenie was not particularly engaging.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Latin
Course Department:
Instructor:	Myrto
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This course was challenging, but not overly so. I was the only one in the class, so I participated a lot. Myrto was an excellent professor. She is very knowledgeable and makes the reading fun by relating it to other things.There were a few short writing assignments and a final.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Greek Contemporary Society
Course Department:	Anthropology
Instructor:	Elena
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This class was definitely the most work of any of the courses that I took during my time in Greece. It was challenging, but I feel as though it was very valuable in understanding the place I lived in for almost four months. Elena was well-prepared for class, and she took us on various trips to different places in the city and on a field trip to Crete which supplemented our learning. We even attended a Cretan wedding! We had some field assignments which helped us engage with the culture and a final paper based on independent field work and research.
Credit Transfer Issues: