Best time of my life August 06, 2024
By R'riyon D (Government, Cornell University) - abroad from 01/22/2024 to 05/17/2024 with
CYA (College Year in Athens) - Semester/Academic Year Program
I gained an even deeper love for exploring the world, learning from people's experiences, and how I want to live my life moving forward. It was the most rewarding experience of my life thus far.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
A wide variety of courses were offered, and each was of exceptional quality. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration was responsive, incredibly helpful, and always did everything they could to make sure that students had a positive, fulfilling, and safe experience abroad. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The apartments were nicely furnished. The administration was open to providing anything that students needed. The maintenance staff was exceptional. And, the roommate matching system worked well in my experience. |
| * Food: |
The food was filling and felt like a home-cooked meal. I really appreciated the leftover system that was instilled. It was really helpful for students who may be on more of a budget and need to save money on meals. My only deduction here would be that many students mentioned that it would be helpful if the school could offer more than one meal a day. Either two meals (breakfast and lunch, or something of that variety) or a meal and snack so that students could have easily accessible food more frequently in the day. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I was able to participate in numerous cultural and local gatherings. Since I participated in the spring semester, I was able to take advantage of the many national holidays and traditions that are native to the country. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not need any vaccinations for this country. I did have an interaction with the healthcare system and the school did a nice job of helping me access the healthcare system. |
| * Safety: |
My fears of moving abroad were eased after acclimating to the country. Being there was the safest I've ever felt in my life. I was able to navigate and maneuver around the city alone at all times of the day. I felt comfortable taking trips with people in the program. It cannot exaggerate enough how safe I felt being in Greece. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I would not trade my experience in Greece for anything in the world. I learned a lot about myself, and another culture, and have grown so much. I fostered a deep love for the country and its people. I would do it all again if I could. |
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) |
2.5 - My costs often went toward food for dinner and recreational activities which came out to around $100 per week. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | about 100 - 150 dollars |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Many students have summer internships or work-study opportunities prior to their semester abroad. Use that time to save as much money as you possibly can because you will spend your time abroad and you do not want to rob yourself of the things you want during that time. |
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 |
My program encouraged us to use the language and actively engaged with students who tried to use the language as well. |
| 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? | N/A |
| 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? | Whenever you order food or go to a cafe, try to order everything in Greek. Practice your Greek in stores. Many locals will be willing to assist you in learning 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? | The time goes by quickly, so make use of it wisely. Do as much of the things that you want to do within reason. Your old habits may not work for you here. Be open to change. |
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. |
