CYA (College Year in Athens)

My name is Amira and I was in the CYA program for the winter semester in 2023 and it was an unforgettable experience. Oftentimes individuals travel because they believe they may ‘find themselves’ and I believe that as a person you do not find yourself, you make yourself. Being part of the CYA program helped give me the tools to understand who I wanted to build and what would that person do in various circumstances. I thoroughly enjoyed my time on field studies in Delphi, the Peloponnese, and Thessaloniki/Northern Greece. I was given every chance possible to be culturally immersed and to learn more about Greece and Greeks alike. I found Greek culture to be relatable in terms of values for myself and because the culture is so hospitable and welcoming I was able to befriend locals without having to live with a host family. This program was largely made for anthropology and classics students however the program is evolving to include a wider range of topics and courses available to students. Greece has a rich social resistance history that I found fascinating to study as someone with a sociology background and I found that my peers had mixed studies between UX Design, Pre-med, economics, etc. If you are looking for an internship or to volunteer to add to your resume CYA is splendid at connecting students including myself to career-relevant internships and volunteer opportunities.

CYA allowed me to experience all that Athens and Greece had to offer, while also giving me the chance to explore on my own and become immersed in the Greek culture. Staff was always incredibly helpful and kind, trying to make your experience the best it could be. The academics of the program were rigorous and taught by some of the most qualified and interesting professors I’ve ever had. Truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. Definitely recommend taking advantage of all the opportunities the program provides including the optional trips and the activities they sponsor.

I had an incredible time at CYA. Students live in apartments in the Pangrati area of Athens which is in walking distance to the parthenon and hosts weekly farmers markets. All of the field study's lead by amazing staff and professors gave me a chance to learn about the culture and history of all of Greece. In Athens I was able to take a sculpture class that mainly took place in museums, as well as other classes where I learned about Greek history and culture. Overall I made life long friends and great connections with the local Greek community, and can not wait to return for a visit.

I loved this Program and would recommend it to anybody who desires a study abroad experience that is unique and worthwhile. The Program provides a great opportunity to live in and study in one of the world’s oldest and most interesting cities. Academically, this rigorous Program provides interesting courses that center on Greece. I took four courses that piqued my interest and challenged some preconceptions about the topics from previous experiences. There is support when you ask for it. When it comes to writing and study skills or language skills, it provides great support systems in their administration and academic departments. The Program provides three field studies that are required and three that are optional (I would recommend joining one if you are able, and these do cost extra.) The Program’s staff plans the travel very well, and it is important to keep on time as they are often action-packed and interesting. I would highly recommend this Program.

I could not have imagined having as wonderful an experience as I did at CYA. I would recommend this program to anyone as there is something for absolutely everyone.

Overall: For a broad overview, this program is packed with fun, amazing, engaging, and mind blowing experiences every single day. I look back and can't believe that I had this opportunity and was lucky enough to choose this program.

The country/city: Athens and Greece overall exceeded my already high expectations. The history is unbelievably rich, the food amazing, the locals friendly, the country is safe, and the opportunities to explore endless (beach, mountains, museums, restaurants, etc.)

CYA itself: CYA's professors are astounding and make sure that you're engaged while also allowing you time to live your life and not be too stressed over academics. I learned a ton with many field trips and interesting subject material and was never stressed. Additionally, the administration is there for you to help with any issues and check in on you while also allowing complete independence. They encourage being social as well and the social scene at CYA is unmatched. I made more friends at CYA's midsized (around 140 students) program than at my home school with many more students. This is because the culture of CYA is to live life to the fullest and fully engage with your surroundings, which you can't help but do.

Highlights: My favorite parts of the program were the week long program-wide field study trips. Basically, the whole program takes two weeks off of school together to travel to different parts of Greece and explore while being guided by the program. You get tons of free time while also being taken to amazing sites that would be difficult to travel to on your own. There are optional field studies too which I took part in. My mandatory field studies were Northern Greece and Peloponnese and the optional ones were Italy, Rhodes, and Crete. Additionally, traveling on your own is super easy with many cheap flights and ferries close by in Athens. Greece's location is unique so if you want to explore well-known or less-traveled places in Europe, it offers you both!

Finally, I felt more safe in Athens than in any city back home in the U.S. It is a lovely city, and CYA ensures that you appreciate it to its full potential. I cannot wait to return to Greece someday, but I will always look back with fondness on CYA and the my wonderful experience in Greece!