Did Not Want It to End! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Learning is this class was much more experiential that what you typically find in a class, and I found it to be much more meaningful. The workload was very manageable. Assignments often required going out in the city on one's own, and they were fun so they didn't feel like a lot of work. The professor was extremely engaging, and I always found our discussions really interesting.

On-site administration of your program

CYA staff are extremely welcoming and helpful, and were more than willing to help me with any difficulties that arose.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I found student housing at CYA to be very ideal. Students are spread out over the neighborhood of Pangrati in apartment buildings with Greek families. However, all CYA apartments are no more than a 10 minute walk from the CYA Academic Building (mine was just 2 minutes away), and about 20 minutes from the Acropolis. The location of student housing is very central in the city, and just about anything you could want to do or see is a walking distance away. Pangrati is a fun and exciting neighborhood to live in with its many restaurants, cafes, and bars.

Athens is definitely a city for foodies. Greek food is incredible, and nothing like Greek food in the US! I completely fell in love with the food culture in Greece, with its taverna dinners that last for hours and many times end in Greek dancing. It is also incredibly easy to eat for cheap in Athens, as you can usually find gyro or souvlaki on just about any street for around 2 euros.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Aimee's class did a very good job of introducing us to both Greek and Athenian culture, and she was more than willing to answer any questions we had and explain any instances of culture shock we experienced, which I found to be extremely helpful. If you are staying for the following semester, this is the perfect class to take to get acclimated beforehand. The experiences and knowledge I gained during this class really framed the rest of the semester and enhanced my study abroad experience.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I would definitely choose this same program and class had I chance to do it over again. I got a lot out of this class - getting to learn about Athens from walking around with a local, being fully immersed in a new culture, learning about how space is used in the city by experiencing it firsthand with a cultural anthropologist. I got to see a lot of different parts of Athens that I wouldn't have experienced on my own during the semester had I not taken this class beforehand.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

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• Apartment

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• Americans

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• Americans

• Experiential Learning Component
• Professor
• Small Class Size

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The Outright Urbanite