A Life Changing Experience! July 28, 2025
By Kylenn D (Public Health, George Washington University) - abroad from 01/20/2025 to 05/16/2025 with
CYA (College Year in Athens) - Semester/Academic Year Program
I learned so much from my experience abroad! I learned not only so much about Greece from both my classes and locals, but how capable I am on my own. It was definitely a worthwhile experience that I will cherish forever!
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. |
CYA was an amazing mix of academic rigor as well as experiential learning! In so many of my classes, we went on field studies around Greece for most sessions! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Everyone in the CYA administration was so supportive and informative throughout the entire semester! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Being able to live in program provided apartments in the middle of Pangrati allowed me to experience daily living in Greece while not having to be stressed about acquiring my own housing! |
| * Food: |
The food around the Pangrati area is delicious and so cheap! CYA also provides lunches for students Monday through Friday! |
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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? |
The CYA administration was great with connecting students to local healthcare providers in the area when situations arose! |
| * Safety: |
Athens was such a safe city with so many nice people living in it! |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
CYA was an amazing mix of in-class work and instruction as well as out-of-class experiences! Administration and professors encouraged students to travel over the weekends and experience new parts of Greece! The people who went to the program were also so incredible! |
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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $20 - $50 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Save more money than you think you will need before coming! Living in Greece is pretty cheap, but if you would like to travel outside of Greece the costs add up! |
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? | Beginner |
| 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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| 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? | Make a solidified budget for the semester! |
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. |
