A Great Experience January 04, 2025
By Anna H (Classics, College of the Holy Cross) - abroad from 09/01/2024 to 12/21/2024 with
CYA (College Year in Athens) - Semester/Academic Year Program
It definitely made me more confident in myself and my abilities. I learned a lot about myself--it was definitely worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
CYA administrators were always happy to help with any questions/concerns. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * 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? |
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| * Safety: |
Really the only concerns are pickpocketing (like many European cities) and specific neighborhoods at night; CYA is good at preparing students and letting them know. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I think CYA is an excellent program. I've had experiences with separate study abroad programs, and the difference is striking. CYA seems to genuinely care about its students and I always appreciated it. |
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) |
Athens is budget-friendly if you know where to look. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 40-100 euro |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Eating out always is tempting, but cooking saves a lot of money. |
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 |
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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 |
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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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? | I wish I had planned some things out a bit more in regards to activities, and I wish I had branched out a bit more (I still did, though). |
