Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

CYA is the perfect abroad experience. February 17, 2026

By (History and Classics, Providence College) - abroad from 09/01/2025 to 12/19/2025 with

CYA (College Year in Athens) - Semester/Academic Year Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Learning about ancient history amongst ancient history is something that is completely invaluable.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

My classes were thorough and I gained a perfect understanding of a lot of the material that we went over. The schedule being 4 days a week instead of 5 gave a lot of time to see the country as well.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

I never had a single issue with administration at all.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

This may be the best part of doing CYA. Living in an apartment with other Greek people, not solely students, allows one to be far more immersed. I did not feel like a student living in a dorm, I just felt like a person living in Greece.

* Food:

It was perfect for me, I enjoyed almost every meal prepared by CYA at the dining hall. Food around in Pangrati was also amazing, and sufficiently cheap.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt incredibly integrated, as I mentioned earlier with the housing. Greek people around town were generally very welcoming and kind to me.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I only can go by the experience of my friends, but there is no room for complaint here.

* Safety:

I never had a single bad experience concerning my safety during my three months in Athens.

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

I would absolutely do this program again, it was truly some of the best 4 months of my life.

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)

Budgeting is really person to person, but Athens is much easier than most European cities.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Probably ranging form 150 to 200 a week, with 200 being the general max. Food in Athens is quite cheap, and easily fit into a budget.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Learn which restaurants are both cheap and good early on, and cook your own things.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

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
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • On-site classes
  • Apartment living
  • Down-to-earth professors
* What could be improved?
  • Making students aware of nearby events maybe.
  • N/A
  • N/A
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I had learned how to use the metro far before I did. I also wish I knew more about the good food and activities to do nearby.

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!