Paros Island: An Inspirational Paradise Past Review
By Sara D (English/European History, Ohio Dominican University) - abroad from 03/06/2014 to 06/04/2014 with
Study Abroad Programs in Greece
I learned to relate to other cultures and how to be fearless and independent. I was an introvert that didn't make friends easily and I could not have imagined how much more confident I would become after the program!
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. |
This program is great because the professors are flexible and will work with each student to achieve their desired results, but there is also plenty of free time to be able to experience the culture. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program coordinators prepared everything beforehand so that we had a well rounded experience in the Greek culture. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We stayed in individual apartments with a kitchenette and a shared kitchen for everyone. The perks for this accommodation was that the apartments kept a maid, there were personal balconies, and it was only a short walk from the beach. |
| * Food: |
We were free to budget for our food however we liked, so sometimes we would make communal meals and all chip in to make it cheaper. Otherwise, food, whether from the grocery store or restaurant, was cheap and healthy. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The city on Paros Island is small, so I was able to get immersed in the culture. The Greeks are also very welcoming, so it was easy to strike up conversations with the locals. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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) |
Though the economy in Greece may not be ideal, the prices are cheaper for students to be able to live easily on Paros. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $20 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Take advantage of the local culture. You don't have to do a bunch of expensive activities to be able to enjoy your time abroad. Swimming, sunbathing, beach combing, and hiking are free. That's not to say "don't do fun things," just be selective about what activities you do. |
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 |
This one's on me though. I'm just awful at languages, so I only picked up a few phrases. The program does offer a Modern Greek course and one of my friends would go around speaking Greek to everyone. |
| 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 |
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? | I wish I had had the courage and the forward thinking to do study abroad earlier, because then I would have done it more often. |
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! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Creative Writing |
| Course Department: | English |
| Instructor: | George Crane |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This class combined a group critique with one on one meetings with the professor. The professor was flexible about how much we wrote and what times we met because he knew that creative writing couldn't be pushed and writers have to write at their own pace. He is also flexible across different genres and my classmates and I wrote fiction, poetry, and even screenwriting. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No problems |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Literature: Archetypal Themes |
| Course Department: | English |
| Instructor: | Sigrid Heath |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This course covered early Greek writing, including Homer and various poets and playwrights. For the plays especially we all participated in reading out loud. Sigrid used to be an actress, so when she read aloud the writing really came to life, even though it was an ancient text. I especially loved our class discussions because Sigrid's face would light up whenever anyone said anything, so it made me more willing to be involved because professors don't always act that way. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No problems |
