Capstone in Greece: My exploration of Greek life Past Review
By Paul Pins (University of Northern Iowa) - abroad from 06/05/2016 to 06/25/2016 with
University of Northern Iowa: Capstone in Greece
I have gained such a better understanding of cultural differences and people in general. It was awesome to get out of my cultural box and adapt to a different place and lifestyle for three weeks. I feel much more rounded as a person and made 18 new friends, which I'd say made it worthwhile.
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 |
Professors had great knowledge and did a great job spreading their passion of the topics |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The hotels we stayed in had great amenities, views, and were in great locations |
| * Food: |
Delicious! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Locals made us feel welcome and were very friendly |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
No major issues but our instructors were very attentive to any problem that arose |
| * Safety: |
I never felt any real danger, just the discomforts of being in a new and unfamiliar place |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
You can't beat Greece's history and beauty |
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) |
We only had to pay for one meal a day, and meals were relatively low cost. All other costs were at the student's discretion, which varied on how many souvenirs and ice cream people wanted. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 50 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't feel like you have to buy something at every souvenir shop, they generally all have the same stuff. Find a cheap local cuisine that you like and eat that for your paid meals (in Greece that's the gyros). And ask for tap water at restaurants, they'll try to give you bottled water and charge you. |
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 |
Speaking Greek wasn't necessarily required but the instructors highly encouraged us to use common phrases and were more than happy to teach us words/sayings if we asked |
| 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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Spanish III in high school |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
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 knew how to pack more efficiently and how to be a better traveler in general. |
