The best way to experience Greece! Past Review
By Ryan Gomillion (The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 05/29/2017 to 07/21/2017 with
CYA (College Year in Athens) - Summer Program
A new understanding of the world and a new love for Classics. The people I met, food I ate, and memories I made opened my eyes and humbled me in a way that staying in Austin could not have. It is hard to put into words, but I feel I have grown as a person from my experience abroad.
Review Photos
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. |
Both courses I took required a lot of study time and involvement in everything that was going on. My background in Ancient History helped, but I still needed to stay on top of daily readings and be present for classes. Thanks to the rigor, I learned quite a bit from these two courses and it reinvigorated my love for the Classics. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
CYA provided everything a traveling student could need and more. Their apartments, services, and resources offered to us students were beyond satisfactory. While away from Athens, we were still provided with knowledgeable guides by CYA who helped us get comfortable in all of the beautiful places we visited. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
There were minor glitches with malfunctioning air conditioning units but besides that very happy! |
| * Food: |
The food that was provided was fantastic. My only complaint is that they could be clearer on what meals were and were not provided so that we had a solid expectation of that before arriving. I have been turned into a Greek food lover. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Our professors spoke fluent English, but eased us into the Greek culture and few sayings we would need to know to get around. It took a couple of days to pick up, but I was very comfortable with the culture and way of life by the end of my stay. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had no health issues abroad. |
| * Safety: |
I did not feel unsafe at any time-even walking at night in Athens. We stuck in groups mostly and knew where to avoid, but even then I never felt threatened. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The professors, students, Greek people, food, and whole experience was unforgettable and I look forward to telling stories from my time there for years to come. I will absolutely suggest this to all those interested. |
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) |
Being abroad is expensive, but Greece offered a lot of inexpensive ways to survive comfortably. Food prices were great and the few Airbnbs and other living arrangements we set up for weekend trips were mostly affordable. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | First Session: roughly $75/week on average; Second Session: roughly $35/week on average |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't be afraid to grocery shop and provide food for yourself-you don't have to eat out every day. Absolutely go out and take trips outside of the program if time allows, but plan for the cheaper options throughout. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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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 |
It was encouraged to greet and thank in Greek, but nothing else was expected of us outside of that. We rarely had issues of people not speaking or just understanding English. |
| 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 |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Intermediate Latin |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 0 |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Just immerse yourself in the culture and try to learn as much as you can. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | Nothing-I feel going in like I did heightened the experience for me and I would not change one bit if I could do it over again. |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Aegean Bronze Age Interconnections with Egypt |
| Course Department: | Classics |
| Instructor: | Angelos Papadopoulos |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | The professor, Angelos, was incredibly knowledgeable on the subject matter. Every question we asked him he had an answer for and encouraged us to do our own research into topics we were particularly interested in. The course was centered around traveling throughout Greece and experiencing the history we studied first hand; which was my favorite part about the course. The four weeks we spent on the gorgeous islands of Santorini and Crete as well as the history-rich Athens, Argolid, and Boeotia were an absolute dream. It was my dream to see the ruins, artifacts, and statues that we were able to that I had only seen in textbooks up to that point. I felt this course attracted people who weren't Classics majors more so than the first course on excavating I took and that is the only reason I don't give it 5 complete stars. I had the impression that Angelos felt like pulling teeth to get everyone to participate outside of the few of us who were Classics majors. Despite that, I learned even more on a subject I already loved and I look forward to bringing it back with me to UT Austin. We were graded based on participation, assignments, a research paper, and a final exam. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | I have not received word yet on how it is transferring to my home institution. |
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Excavating in the Aegean |
| Course Department: | Classics |
| Instructor: | Alexandra Alexandridou |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | The professor, Alex, was amazing and incredibly knowledgeable. She created a fun learning environment throughout every step of the way. Excavating in the Greek sun for 7 hours a day was not easy, but the location, people, and content which we were working on made it very enjoyable. I learned an immense amount about archaeology and working with it hands on allowed it to be internalized even more. Thanks to equally interested classmates, we all encouraged each other to participate and the learning environment was very supportive. Our assessment was based off participation and a final exam. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | I have not received word yet as to how it is transferring to my home institution. |
