My Big, Fat (Wonderful) Greek Adventure Past Review
By Lauren P (University of Northern Iowa) - abroad from 06/05/2016 to 06/25/2016 with
University of Northern Iowa: Capstone in Greece
I gained "street independence;" the ability to find my way in busy areas, communicate a bit with locals, and use the currency (without getting ripped off). I now feel more confident in my every day life knowing I have the ability to do these things.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Definitely not an "easy A" course, but it was filled with interesting class material and was a manageable work load. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Our program ran very smoothly and was well-planned out. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We stayed in hotels for the duration of the trip, and they were all very nice and accommodating. |
| * Food: |
Food was sometimes interesting, but there was always a variety to choose from. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Obviously not knowing Greek is a barrier, but our professors taught us basic words that helped us navigate. Also, we learned "street smarts" on how not to get ripped off like tourists sometimes do. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
No one in my group had health problems other than having to visit a pharmacy, but our professors were more than willing to assist with any medical problem, and wouldn't have hesitated to get medical treatment for us. |
| * Safety: |
There was not one incident that made me feel unsafe while in Greece. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Although it was a rigorous class, I loved this trip so much and would do it again in a heartbeat. We were able to travel all across Greece and its islands and see amazing things. It was a wonderful experience. |
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 about $600 throughout my trip, but that figure does include souvenirs and airport check bag fees (in the USA, not for int'l flights). The prices were very reasonable and cheaper options were almost always available. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 600 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't use EuroNet atms if you are from the USA! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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? | 0 |
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? | There will be a lot of laundry done by hand if you only bring a week's worth of clothes, but the experience is so worth it. |
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! |
