Living and learning true life enrichment Past Review
By kimberly b (PSYCHOLOGY., Berea College) - abroad from 05/22/2013 to 06/27/2013 with
KIIS: Greece - Experience Greece, Summer Program
I gained a new worldview and respect for other cultures. I expanded and explored my spiritual path and my own ambitions. It was worth every penny and every second. I cannot wait to return to Greece.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I had an incredible experience and learned so much, especially beyond the course curriculum about life, travel, and worldviews. Classes were not overwhelming, but were conducive to good and positive learning. Professors were approachable and available for help and fostered inter-learning relationships between students. It was an incredible experience that I would recommend to anyone. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
At times, things felt disorganized but we always had a plan of where we were going and objectives for that visit. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Most of the hotels were extremely nice, but had bad wifi to connect with family and friends at home |
| * Food: |
The food was ALWAYS amazing. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
For the most part, people were very friendly. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
One student was very sick and she had to pay more than she could afford to see a doctor, when it should have been covered by insurance or paid by the program. |
| * Safety: |
We traveled all over Greece and some places are more safe than others. Don't go anywhere alone and you will avoid most dangerous situations that could arise. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
It was not always easy. It is expensive to eat out all the time, but we had no cooking facilities. |
| 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? | eat lunch from the market and dinner from a restaurant. |
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 |
3 - we were encouraged to learn mannerism phrases (hi, bye, thank you, etc) but weren't required to be conversational in Greek. |
| 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? | High School level Spanish |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Get an app to learn phrases that will speak them to you or possibly use rosetta stone for a few months before departure. |
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? | More Greek language |
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. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Day to Day Life in Ancient Greece |
| Course Department: | HIS |
| Instructor: | Chris Shea |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | We learned so much on site and in-class readings, discussions, lectures, and assignments were supplementary to on-site learning. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Greek Myth in Context |
| Course Department: | REL |
| Instructor: | Richard King |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | We learned the most on-site, visiting temples and museums to view and discuss the artifacts. In-class discussion, readings, assignments, and lecture greatly supplemented on-site learning |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
