A great experience! Past Review
By Adriana K (SUNY - Binghamton) - abroad from 02/04/2012 to 05/19/2012 with
Webster University: Athens - Odyssey in Athens
I learned a lot about myself and about other people. It was the adventure of a lifetime.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The classes that are recommended for Study Abroad students are great. I took a Greek language course, volunteered in a refugee center and listened to Ambassador's lecture about their countries. The regular university classes however I do no recommend. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I couldn't have asked for a better program director- Dina Skias! She helped with everything- from choosing classes, to planning trips to personal concerns and everything in between. She really made the group feel comfortable and welcome. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The location of the apartments are the best. You're in the middle of everything and only a 5 minute walk away to some awesome places. The apartment was a little on the small side, but since we all got along, it was something we adapted to. Furthermore the housing director, Tom, was very helpful and had solutions to all our clogged drains and washing machine difficulties. |
| * Food: |
The food in Greece is great! However, it does expensive to eat out often so the best produce and fish came from the Central Market. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The school itself is small and consists of students from all over Europe (not just Greece). We did meet some Greek students but mainly hung out with international kids. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Don't believe everything you hear in the news! Greece is very safe and my well-being wasn't threatened at any time. The strikes, protests etc. are all planned and Dina would remind us via e-mail and whenever she saw us, so avoiding them was not a problem. |
| 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) |
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| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Around $100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Greece isn't cheap- there's no way around that. |
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 |
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| 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? | None |
| 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? | Learn some basic words before you go. |
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? | Nothing. I liked going in as a blank slate because I didn't judge anything before I could experience it. |
