Abroad in Athens July 28, 2025
By Kenia B (Architecture, Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/20/2025 to 05/20/2025 with
CYA (College Year in Athens) - Semester/Academic Year Program
I learned and gained so much from being abroad from independence to becoming confident. It was my first time abroad and in Europe so I had so much to learn from gaining new outlooks culturally to being in a country I didn't know the primary language. It was an experience I had adapted to and learned so much from!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
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 |
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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: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I wouldn't change my experience with CYA if I were to have started over. I truly valued all I learned from my time in Athens, Greece and through CYA. I found the programming great, my class experiences were very unique and provided a new global perspective on Architecture and I fell in love with Athens and the amazing Greek culture. |
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? | 200 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Some saving tips that helped me abroad was prioritizing spending money more freely when going on trips and budgeting more strictly throughout the week by eating at home, and occasionally treating myself. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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? | 10+ |
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 knew and had planned for trips before hand as when being in Greece and starting the semester |
