Best semester ever Past Review
By Chardae Walker (Gettysburg College) - abroad from 08/28/2017 to 12/15/2017 with
CYA (College Year in Athens) - Semester/Academic Year Program
The people of Athens are pretty special and resilient in my eyes. I learned a lot about the history of Athens and all the struggles the people there have faced throughout the years and continue to face with the current state of their economy. They continue to be brave and continue to smile and enjoy life even with such harsh conditions right now. That’s the biggest thing I took away from my time there. Athens taught me how to enjoy every moment of life. Being American, we get so consumed with not doing enough or we tend to focus so much on future goals that we don’t enjoy or celebrate the things we have already accomplished. Seeing the people of Athens smile and still enjoy life even though many of them are going broke and losing jobs made me take a step back and really enjoy what I have. The people also taught me to be fearless. Before going, I was so worried about what could go wrong abroad and I was so scared of being in a new place with completely new faces. I knew no one going there but I gained a new confidence and fearlessness from them. I even stayed in a country by myself for two days, which is a big accomplishment for me since I hate going anywhere alone. Athens was overall an amazing experience and made me a better person in the end. All I can say is Thankyou!
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. |
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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? |
The aparments are great and not run down and not far from the school buildings either |
| * Food: |
food could be better but they try |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
College Year in Athens (CYA) was the best program I could’ve asked for. We had classes only four days a week, leaving us the whole weekend to do what we want. We went on three mandatory trips this semester: Crete, Delphi, and the Peloponnese. These trips were filled with great bonding activities to get to know most of the people there, great food, and a lot of archeological sites. Each trip was educational yet fun. It was nice to explore different parts of Greece outside of Athens. The people at CYA are also some of the best. The professors really pushed us to explore all that Athens had to offer by giving us place young and old people go and giving us some local spots that most tourists and visitors know nothing about. They were always so helpful and welcoming but not at all overbearing. We were very free to go out, experience new things, and actually talk about what we experienced in Athens during class lectures and such. I can definitely say that my time in Athens would not have been as memorable or enjoyable without CYA and the staff with in it. |
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) |
it's very easy to budget, things are very cheap there and they have plenty of markets and groceries |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | about 100 euros because I like to eat out alot to |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | buy groceries and limit eating out to twice a week |
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 |
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| 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? | proficient in spanish |
| 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 it whenever you can, greeks love to see people try to use the language |
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? |
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? | there is alot of hiking and walking so be prepared |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
