CYA-Best Study Abroad 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!