Exploring the Ruins and Sites of Greece and Ephesus, Turkey Past Review
By A student (St. Mary's College of Maryland) - abroad from 05/20/2015 to 06/11/2015 with
St. Mary's College of Maryland: Athens - Greece Study Tour: Athletes, Actors and Sages
We traveled to so many places and learned their history, through books we read and the tours of the sites themselves. We gained more than that, though. I learned a great deal about modern Greece, the political state of both Greece and Turkey, and the cultures of both countries, at least a little. I gained an appreciation for how different the subcultures in Turkey are, considering how vast of a country it is. I learned how they view themselves and it is something I now consider when I listen to the news about the Middle East.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
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? |
Most of the hotels we stayed in were wonderful, especially the ones in Corinth and Nauplio. |
| * Food: |
Always excellent, lots of great restaurants in the area and food provided by the hotels was good as well. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We did not stay long, but we were able to speak a little bit of Greek and able to participate in a typical weekend activity by going to the Market. In Turkey, the shopkeepers and our tour guide shared their stories with us and showed interest in hearing ours, so in a way we were more socially integrated there, where we only spent a few days. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Only experience was with pharmacies. Did not have the same medication as at home. Had more herbal remedies. We needed no vaccines for our visit to Greece or Turkey. |
| * Safety: |
We were very safe and in most places felt safe enough for some group members to be alone at times when out and about. For the most part, try to stick with the group and go in pairs or small groups wherever you go. It's safer that way and that way if you get lost, you have companions to bounce ideas off of. In Corinth, I and two others were dropped off from a bus in an unfamiliar part of the city and we couldn't find our hotel. Being together helped us keep our heads and we got directions eventually from a Greek man who spoke some English. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The sites we visited were incredible, as were the cities we stayed in. I got experience in hiking and finding my way when lost. Some of the memories acquired on this trip are treasures, and they drive me to travel more in the future. I learned a great deal about ancient and modern Greece on this trip, and I enjoyed everything from the landscape to the food to the experiences dancing traditional dances. |
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) |
I spent a couple hundred dollars in the three weeks I was there total, probably $100/week at the most between food and souvenir costs. I avoided extravagantly expensive items of course. We didn't need to spend money on anything else since we were not living there long and could therefore pack other necessities such as soaps and personal items that would last the length of the trip. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Look into the exchange rates for the countries you are going to. Convert your money into theirs before you leave the country but only convert a reasonable amount at once. When you are abroad, if you have a bank card you are using, withdraw money when you are running low, but withdraw less at once than however much you originally brought with you. When you go out, leave some of your money in the room in a safe place such as in your suitcase under some clothes. With less to spend, you wont be tempted to spend a lot of money. |
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 |
Frequent, but we did not know much. We were encouraged to use what we knew frequently, though. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
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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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 had known how few opportunities we had to actually do laundry, which was by hand, because then I may have brought a few extra shirts at least. Maybe an extra pair of shorts. It was a very good thing I packed light. I had no problems with air travel because of how light I packed. |
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 LinguistYou 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! |
