A Great experience. Past Review
By Timothy K (SUNY - College at Geneseo) - abroad from 02/04/2012 to 05/19/2012 with
Webster University: Athens - Odyssey in Athens
I gained tuns from this experience. As a future history teacher, Athens, Greece was a perfect place to go. It was worthwhile, however, there are so many other programs out there that may be just as good if not better and may be tailored more to others.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
My rating of 50% rigor is because the classes that I had were very easy compared to the ones back at SUNY Geneseo. However, this gave me time to explore Greece and other places in Europe. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Dina (director of student affairs) is the best, she will go out of her way in order for the students to have a smooth transition, education and fun. She taught us Greek cooking, dancing and so much more, including two of our excursions which were great. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We had many problems with our internet and other things in our house throughout the year. |
| * Food: |
Depending on the type of food one likes. However, if one goes to Greece, they must try a giros, musaka, lamb, taziki and other Greek traditional foods. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had no health problems while abroad so I cant rate. |
| * Safety: |
Even with the huge riots of 100,000 people in Syntagma Square, literally minute walk from us, we were all very safe. |
| 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) |
The open market was great, you can get anything for much cheaper than the stores. So, that helped. The center of Athens can be expensive but you can walk to less touristy places for cheaper meals. Dont expect to eat out many nights a week unless you have lots of money. If you cant cook before you go, do so/learn, it really helps because the housing has a kitchen. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Euro's add up. Even if you are only getting something for 2E. If you do this every day for 4 months it adds up very quickly. Also, make sure to save money for gifts and other personal expenses. |
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 |
They encouraged us to use the little that we knew/learned. |
| 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 |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | YouTube has some stuff like the Greek Alphabet and how to pronounce it, then on can get a book or what not. In general one does not need to know almost any language before departure. |
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? | dont pack to much. |
