Enriching cultural experience January 17, 2022
By A student (Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/30/2021 to 12/17/2021 with
CYA (College Year in Athens) - Semester/Academic Year Program
Learned how to be independent and adapt to a changing environment. Studying abroad is a way to explore who you are and test and improve your capabilities to be flexible in an environment different from the one you are used to.
Personal Information
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
CYA did have an issue with invoking the proper punishments for people who went against the rules. Other than that, the staff were very dedicated and were willing to help. |
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Only issue was the neighbors, also part of CYA, who were excessively loud. CYA administration did not invoke the necessary punishments and were too light. |
* Food: |
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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? |
Accessing insurance for a medical emergency was not easy and took many hours for the insurance to be sent to the hospital. |
* Safety: |
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If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
Difficult to maintain a budget, however, that was more of a personal issue especially on expenses for souvenirs. Yet, the money was almost adequate to pay for food and other necessities. |
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 |
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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 |
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? | Practice basic phrases in your spare time and use them with the locals |
Other Program Information
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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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? | Learn how to budget my financial expenses and ask for help when I need it. |
Individual Course Reviews
Course Name/Rating: |
Service Learning Approach |
Course Department: | Anthropology |
Instructor: | Aimee Placas |
Instruction Language: | English |
Comments: | Being dedicated to the Wellesley College freshman in CYA, the course served as a good resource to educate us on life in Greece and learn college skills with hands-on activities. One thing I would add is more hands-on opportunities, guest lectures, and more learning of college skills. |
Credit Transfer Issues: |