Fall in Greece Past Review
By A student (Classics, Trinity University) - abroad from 08/31/2015 to 12/19/2015 with
CYA (College Year in Athens) - Semester/Academic Year Program
I gained a huge amount of confidence in myself from this experience. It was totally worth it, even despite some pitfalls, like somewhat iffy communication or not so great roommate experiences. This experience was only partly formed by what the program had to offer. Honestly, it was formed mostly by what I chose to make out of the experience. CYA was the platform that allowed me to be abroad, to learn and study in Greece in a safe environment, and provided me resources to gain independence and confidence as a traveller and as a young adult.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I took a few classes that required more work that I had originally expected. I felt challenged, which was great, and hardly ever too overwhelmed with work. But, I did have to work, and not just slack off the whole semester. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
While I had to adjust to the more laid back attitude, CYA's staff was helpful when it came down to it. They were very understanding, friendly, and happy to help. They also were comfortable having serious chats when conduct issues came about, though I felt they were rarely harsh in enforcing policies. They tried their best to keep us in the loop about any important news in Greece and Europe, and were great resources for any questions or issues we had. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved the neighborhood we were in, Pangrati. I had an apartment with 4 other girls. The apartment was a little bit older, but there was plenty of space and all the essentials. I had a few roommate conflicts, but that didn't reflect on CYA as a whole. The neighborhood was in a great, safe location, and it was a great place to meet locals. |
| * Food: |
The only included meal we get is lunch, which is decent most of the time despite being somewhat repetitive. They also provide snacks at some events, which was great! However, on the mandatory field-trips all food is at your own expense, which adds up quickly. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Living in Pangrati made me feel integrated, but it is an american school, so most of my exposure was to american students. I met locals, but had to go out of my way to do so (which ultimately was easy to do). Taking Modern Greek is not mandatory, so the language barrier is at times difficult to cross. But I feel like I got a very solid glimpse into Greek culture, whilst meeting amazing locals and eating delicious, authentic food regularly. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I honestly wasn't sick often when I was there, so this wasn't an issue for me. But they did provide us with resources to turn to. In Greece it is also easy to utilize pharmacies (they are on every corner) to get any medicine when you are sick. The pharmacists are qualified to diagnose and proscribe medicine over the counter for minor sicknesses. |
| * Safety: |
Despite concerns of Greece during this rough economic time, I never felt unsafe in the neighborhood or in Greece in general. The program was always updating us on any possible strikes or protests, and would reach out if there was ever a safety concern in the area. |
| 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? | I ended up spending about 130 euros a week (this is without outside travel). |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I found it helpful to keep up with my expenses in a budget document I modeled after the figures CYA sent us, which were pretty accurate overall. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | When I was in Greece I did not take Modern Greek. Though they had a crash course on survival Greek skills, and I learned enough to get by when I was there, I would have liked to have done more. As silly as it sounds, I wish I would have realized how important it would be to take Modern Greek. Many of the locals knew english, but I wish I would have been able to better communicate with the locals that didn't speak english, or simply show respect to them by learning more of their language. |
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! |
