Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

A life-changing experience! September 20, 2023

By (Sociology, Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/20/2023 to 05/17/2023 with

CYA (College Year in Athens) - Semester/Academic Year Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a lot about how other people live their lives. Specifically, I learned how simple and slow paced people live their lives. I also learned how to be more independent and engage with new people. It was for sure worthwhile!

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The academic rigor was good. It was just challenging enough! The teachers were also very receptive and helpful!

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The administration was very caring! There were some issues in terms of contacting them in the beginning and during the program in terms of my scholarship and certain questions I had on it which was a bit frustrating and stressful because for a while we recieved no responses. I also heard of one other person in the program that was having a similar issue. Nonetheless the situation was figured out!

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was happy with our living situation for sure! One thing that I did notice though was that some people had much nicer, newer, and more spacious apartments. I did wonder if we where paying the same price although my apartment was older and smaller.

* Food:

The cafeteria was amazing!! The local food was also amazing:)

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The CYA staff was very helpful with any health issues that were going on. They where very quick to respond and help.

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

I met people who became very special within my life! I also loved how close Athens was to where we lived. It was a unique study abroad location too.

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)

The cost of living for an American student in Greece was very very reasonable. It made it much easier to live on a student budget.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 100-130 dollars

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

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? I don't remember but I took Spanish till the level that I had to take it to to be done with the language requirement.
How many hours per day did you use the language?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • I liked the group trips
* What could be improved?
  • More communication about what living in Pangrati looks like
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew more about what Pangrati looked like and what my daily life would look like a little.

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 Urbanite
A 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.