A Wholesome Experience You'll Want to Keep Repeating Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I think a lot of students go into abroad study programs and expect an easy A and this certainly wasn't that, which is absolutely a good thing. Within my course at CYA, I was academically challenged in terms of the ideas I presented to the classroom and the course load as well. We were given plenty of readings to strengthen the production of our written works but the professors were always accommodating. A lot of the in-class work was collaboratively done in peers and had a good mix between a lecture format and seminar-based learning, which suited my style of learning.

On-site administration of your program

It's rare for me to say that an administration of any academic institution or program presents itself as one of the strong suits of the program. The admin and staff were incredibly hospitable and made it known to us that they cared about we were adjusting and whether or not we thought they were doing their job or not. The CYA staff in my experience have been consistently reliable and capable in dealing with any issues that presented itself. Not only that but they were warm and inviting which makes all the difference when you are stuck in a place far away from your own home.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Because of the course that I was in, I had the opportunity to stay in three different locations throughout my stay in Greece. I spent nearly two weeks in Athens, about three days in Nafplio and the last 2 weeks in the island of Poros. The housing in each of the locations were more than what we expected. At the CYA housing facilities in Athens, we were situated in apartments that accomodated 5-6 people, were stocked with kitchens and two bathrooms. Several bedrooms and living rooms had outdoor balconies so there was plenty of room for all of us, leading it to not feel as cluttered. In Nafplio and Poros, we stayed in relaxed hotel rooms that gave us great views of the seaside towns and everywhere we stayed, was equipped with wifi and internet. Laundry services were also made available to us.

Food in Greece, and perhaps just all of Europe, is unparalleled to anything you have in the states. Just the quality is amazing and it shows in everything you eat. CYA covers your mid-day meals or your lunches, and if there are class dinners, those are payed for as well and there were several of those. Food in town is definitely affordable and well worth any money you spend. The lunches also provided are well-made and delicious too, so there isn't much to complain about.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Greeks are very hospitable and curious people so they were usually more than willing to engage in conversations with us and help us out if we needed it. Because Greece is such a tourist destination, a lot of what you experience is already catered to you, so if you travel on your own, it would be harder to break through the commercial appeal than if you weren't with a program like CYA where you are encouraged to engage with locals.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I personally didn't have any real health care issues except for a minor scrape but there was always a health-trained person who traveled with us and sat in during classes so access to medicine or assistance was ready at hand.

Greece has a really low crime rate and the most you might experience is pick-pocketing but locals tend to look out for tourists and on several occasions, local Athenian residents have advised me to carry my backpack on the front to avoid any theft.

I can’t help but gush about it because my time in Greece, which was my first time traveling outside the U.S. on my own, was an absolute miracle after miracle. In all honesty, I have to say that I was really fortunate that the administration and staff at CYA genuinely cared about our well-being and safety. As for the professors, they were an absolute delight. They were really accommodating to the fact that for many of us, it was our first times away from home and we were all eager to explore. They actually encouraged us to get out into our local community, immerse ourselves with our neighborhood of Pangrati in Athens, talk to residents and small business owners.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

I survived 4 weeks in Greece on just 500 euros which is not a whole lot but with that, I was able to eat 2-3 meals a day, purchase souvenirs, attend rooftop cinema viewings, an island getaway trips with my friends to Hydra and Aegina island, go horseback riding, pay for transportation, entry into museums/ opera, and still have enough for daily trips to get gelato. It’s all about budgeting.

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• Apartment
• Hotel

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• Americans

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• Americans

• Being able to write creatively about non-fiction
• Getting pushed to view my surroundings from a totally new lens
• The people part of CYA who took care of us and gave us emotional support

• Length of stay in each location could be more equally distributed

The Academic or Linguist