I had a wonderful experience with CYA! July 19, 2024
By A student (Studio Art / Anthropology, Grinnell College) - abroad from 01/22/2024 to 05/17/2024 with
CYA (College Year in Athens) - Semester/Academic Year Program
It was definitely worth while. I learned a lot in my chosen fields of study and gained experience as an international traveler. It also helped me be a lot more independent than I was before and being a part of the program expanded my horizons and made me feel like I belonged there.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
CYA was a great program! I loved the field studies built into the program that allowed me to travel around Greece beyond Athens. All of my classes were also super hands on and interactive, often meeting outside the classroom at museums and sites. Overall I felt I learned a lot and had a wonderful time doing so. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Administration was easily accessible and quick to answer any questions. Everyone who works there is really nice and helpful. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The apartments provided are very nice and have a living area/kitchen. My apartment happened to be really close to the CYA building (less than two minutes) which was really nice. You can request to room with someone if you are going with people you know, but I was in a random group which worked out just fine. |
| * Food: |
CYA provided lunch Monday through Friday which was awesome. There is only one option for lunch everyday but there is a good variety and lots of classic Greek food which I loved! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Most people in Greece that I met were very friendly and the walkability of Athens made it really easy to get familiar with the city and really feel like I had a place there. There is always so much going on in the city and CYA often arranged cultural events which were a good opportunity to get familiar with Greek culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Health care was relatively easy to access and CYA had a counselor that was available to talk about mental health stuff. Although I never had to access a doctor or anything I knew people who did and it was much cheaper than in the U.S.. I did have to get a medical form filled out by a doctor for my Visa application but it was pretty easy and I did not have to get any vaccines or anything that I didn't already have. |
| * Safety: |
Athens is a big city and very active politically. There were often protests which sometimes affected transportation to places, but overall as long as you use common sense and don't put yourself in unsafe situations you shouldn't have any issues. I only rate it a four because it is a big city so danger does exist, you just have to be smart. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
CYA wasn't on my radar at first when I was looking for study abroad programs, but when I discovered it I saw the classes they had and they were a perfect mix of my interests in archaeology and the arts. The field studies arranged by the program also add so much cultural and educational value. It's built in travel and it means you get to experience the whole of Greece in the program not just Athens. CYA was more than just a school and doing the program was an experience I will remember for the rest of my life. |
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) |
Greece is a lot cheaper than the U.S. and especially with the lunches provided by CYA you can live pretty cheap if you cook at your apartment. You can also still do this eating out once in a while and street food like gyros and souvlaki are relatively inexpensive. Other living expenses are pretty minimal. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | If I went grocery shopping and cooked my meals then probably around 15 euros a week for food. Obviously this fluctuated and I purposely bought things on sale at the grocery store but you could eat cheaper or more expensive based on personal preference. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Eat at home when you can and budget your eating out money for the field studies when you won't have the option to cook at your apartment. Also there are sales at the grocery store all the time and produce is cheaper at the farmer's market generally so it can be very budget friendly. |
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 |
If you didn't take a modern Greek class while at CYA I'm not really sure on the encouragement, but I took modern Greek while there and generally by the professors and the program I definitely felt encouraged to use the language. CYA does have every student do some sessions of "survival Greek" during orientation as well to help with basics. I also just found it helpful to be learning the language and living in the country where it was spoken which allowed me to practice and grow my skills. |
| 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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | I had never taken modern Greek prior to CYA |
| 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? | I did start duolingo a couple months before the program knowing I would be taking a class and I at least found it helpful for starting to learn the alphabet and basics like hello and thank you. CYA does have everyone do the survival Greek sessions during orientation which is also helpful. Lastly, don't be afraid to use and practice the language like when you are ordering food. |
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? | This is more personal than having anything to do with the program, but I wish I knew how hard it would be to go on my own not knowing anyone else in the program. Most of the people I met there already knew people there from back in the states and that did make it hard at times to get close with people. |
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! |
