Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

An amazing opportunity! January 19, 2025

By (Women's Studies, Purdue University Fort Wayne (PFW)) - abroad from 01/29/2024 to 05/17/2024 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 not only Greek culture, but also myself. Being able to live in a whole different country for four months teaches you a lot about who you are and what you are able to do.

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.

I feel like I learned as much as I could while abroad. The classes were wonderful and the professors as well!

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Amazing administration! Everyone was extremely helpful.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The apartment that I was in was great! There was plenty of space for all of us. The water situation took a while to figure out, but definitely did not make anything too difficult.

* Food:

THE FOOD WAS GREAT!! I ate at the cafeteria almost everyday for lunch and always had a great experience.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

There were many opportunities to immerse yourself in the local culture.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I personally didn't have any experiences with healthcare, but from what I heard from others they did not seem to have any issues.

* Safety:

I felt overall safe throughout the program. Just make sure you are aware of your belongings if you are going into highly touristic areas.

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

CYA was overall amazing. Everyone was extremely helpful, the classes and professors were great, and getting to immerse myself in a culture different from my own was so rewarding.

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)

You can easily find what you need and live on a minimal budget. However, it can be difficult to not go over on spending with all the new things there is to try.

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

I did not take the language course while abroad, but I still ended up learning common phrases and used them almost everyday.

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
  • International Students
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?
  • Professors and staff
  • Food
  • Culture
* What could be improved?
  • I cannot think of anything!
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I would have researched the weather a bit better to make more accordingly.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

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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.