Greek life: Slow pace of life but very loud and passionate Past Review
By Cassandra E (Environmental Studies., Austin College) for
Arcadia: Athens - Arcadia in Greece
Loved it! When else do you get a chance to live somewhere this long? I am obsessed with Greece.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Amount of work was fair- it gave us enough time to explore Athens and not worry too much. A lot of the readings and assignments for me were done in the local coffee shops. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Weakness: slightly unorganized, could be friendlier |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved my apartment! I wish we could have had a homestay option though to improve language skills. I felt very safe in my apartment as well. |
| * Food: |
The laiki (open air market) is great for fruit and vegtables. Also great restaurants in Pangrati, check out both '10 euro' places. Greek food is amazing. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Loved the field trips! People here were generally nice. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I actually felt very safe in Athens. I traveled all over the city by myself. I wouldnt recommend that at night though, or on small uncrowded streets. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | About 50 euros a week, but more if we were traveling |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Make a budget! Eat at home most of the time but make sure to have a dinner or too out every week |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | none |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Locals in the neighborhood, I used it daily. Where we live (a little outiside of central Athens) many people spoke little English or none at all, but as you get more into the city more do, especially younger people. |
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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Go somewhere where you've always wanted to go and don't worry about much else. But do some research- some people were dissapointed with Greece b/c they expected to be living on an island in luxury. |
