Program Reviews

Studying abroad through Athena was my first major trip over seas- prior, I had been to Jamaica with my family for a few days, but primarily stayed within the resort. That trip left me wanting to truly experience and immerse myself in a new country and culture, so I began to scour the internet for a study abroad program. However, finding the right program proved to be difficult for me. I am a Communications Sciences and Disorders major, which makes it difficult to study abroad and take relevant courses. After a year of meeting with study abroad advisors and googling different programs and the classes they offered, I felt disappointed and thought my dreams of going abroad would never become a reality. That is when my friend mentioned Athena Study Abroad to me. She mentioned their incredibly unique programs and how they offered courses that may not align with my major, but that would prove to be a once in a lifetime experience. She could not have been more right. I ultimately decided to take an introductory painting course through the Paros program as a free elective. I was filled with both excitement and nerves- I had absolutely no painting experience, I had never traveled alone before, and I also applied without knowing other participants going on the trip. The trip was filled with a lot of unknowns and a lot of firsts for me, which is why it was one of the best experiences of my life. What made this program so amazing was that I got to learn while exploring Greece. From learning to paint while sitting on a rock by the ocean, to learning about Greek mythology as we hiked through ancient caves and explored various islands, this program utilizes the outdoors as your classroom. The teachers were also incredibly talented, kind, and patient. In my painting course, there were about six of us with ranging levels of painting skills. Some of the students were studying art at their universities, some painted as a hobby, and some were like me. This fostered an amazing learning environment where the teacher was able to adjust her expectations and lessons for each student's skill level, and the less skilled students (a.k.a. me) were able to learn from the more experienced artists. My favorite memories consist of being in the art studio- I would go alone and work on mixing paints and making slow progress on my pieces. I would spend hours alone there, but the hours merely felt like minutes because I would become so immersed in my art. After I would leave class, the HISA building had stairs that led to the roof with an amazing view of the ocean and island. If I left the studio in the evening, I would climb to the rooftop and watch the sunset over the ocean. I still have never felt as content and at peace as I did in those moments.
For other students like me- who have majors that they cannot take directly take classes abroad for, and who want to be able to enjoy their time abroad rather than spending much of it studying and stressing- I recommend Athena Study Abroad. I also recommend applying to be a blog post writer for the program you apply for. I decided to apply as the blog post writer for the Paros program, and it ended up being an incredible way to capture my time there. I frequently go to the website and read my old posts along with the new adventures of students, and it makes me remember small details I had forgotten from my time there almost a year ago.
These experiences taught me so much about myself and my abilities. I left Greece not only knowing how to paint, but I also felt empowered. It was so liberating knowing I had traveled abroad alone for a month and thrived there. I am still in contact with three incredibly close friends I made while I was there, and painting is now one of my favorite stress relievers. Going abroad through Athena has also inspired me to go abroad again. I not only plan to apply to go to Nicaragua next summer, but I am also looking into applying for graduate school in England. I truly believe if it were not for Athena Study Abroad and the opportunities I had in Paros, I would not have the confidence or the drive to reach for these goals.

I loved this program so much! Everyone was great and so much fun. I learned a lot about Japan and the history of Kyoto while also being with people that were amazing and doing something I love. I’d been getting really depressed and unmotivated to keep going to school. I really wanted a break and I was scared that I was going to do really bad with this program since it wasn’t a traditional school. But everyone was really friendly and I did great. I’m now more motivated then ever to keep going to school!! I wish I didn’t have to leave Japan and I’d love to go back! Thank you Athena Study Abroad!

I have nothing but great things to say about my time in Dublin. From the very beginning of the process Athena study abroad was there to help me through everything that I needed, which was a lot. Upon arrival they have a great advisor who is available to you when ever you need, she had great trips and activities planned for us and everything was amazing. Griffith college is amazing as well, it’s located close to the city center and the campus and dorms were very nice. Through this program I made new lifelong friendships and I cherish every memory that I made during this semester. Ireland was such an amazing country to study abroad in I could not be happier with my choice to go to Ireland or go through Athena.

This program is a wonderful experience for all sorts. One is fully immersed, and encouraged to interact with the locals for lessons with digital photography. The course is at an introductory level, and easy enough for beginners. Those with little to no understanding can easily get by for the program. What distinguishes this is that we are encouraged to explore, and find ideal photoshoots, and try the local food. I was able to enjoy the wonders of ceramic pottery in Kyoto, while my classmates spent a week in Tokyo Japan. We were brought to many sacred temples, and marketplaces from Kyoto to Nara. Plus you are free to complete your own pace.

Absolutely fantastic experience in Germany. Athena made it relatively easy to get overseas and once I was over there, the staff at the ESC were fantastic, probably my favorite component of the trip overall. Thomas was the real OG and the interns were some of my best friends there. Great company.

The school work is relatively easy compared to my work at home, but it was okay because it gave me the opportunity to adventure more than if I had the coursework I would at my school.

The excursions with the school were nice because you had to plan very little. Just show up and you're good to go. However, my favorite trip was when I got to go to Ireland for spring break with a few of my friends from the ESC. Germany, specifically Heidelberg, is great because you are so close to so many different places that one can literally go to a different country every weekend without breaking the bank. Heidelberg has an easy to use train station that makes longer distance travel a breeze and their public transportation makes going to the historical area of the city really easy. Though many enjoyed the tram, I enjoyed the 20 minute walk to the Alt Stadt along the river.

The house is an amazing prewar mansion that complements the surrounding city's architecture. Situated in a very nice and posh area of the town, I never felt in danger, even in the middle of the night. We studied downstairs in the house while we lived upstairs so we never had to leave for class more than 5 minutes in advance and many of my classmates showed up in pajamas. If you want to get to study with German students, there are opportunities for this as well. For me, I studied German at a language school which shares a few classrooms in the house, which was very convenient and I got to meet people from all over the world including Sweden, France, Saudi Arabia, and Switzerland. Though I didn't take the classes, there is also a business school a short tram ride from the school where one can study with German students as well as students from other areas of the world.

Another advantage of living where we did was the hiking trails. Heidelberg is surrounded by mountains with great views of the city and surrounding areas and many trail heads are within 5 minutes of the house. Some of my fondest memories are when we convinced Thomas to take us for hikes up the mountain the house was located on and in his dress shoes and sport coat, he led us up the mountain to discover ruins of thousand year old churches and a nazi amphitheater. Once we finished our hike, we all drank some fantastic hefeweizen and shared stories in a little hut on the top of the mountain.

I 150% recommend this program to anyone interested in travel and getting out of their comfort zone. The area and the people are incredible.

In the summer of 2017, I went through Athena Study Abroad to participate on a study abroad trip to Paros Island, Greece. The program took me not only to the island of Paros, but to Greece's capitol Athens and several other cycladic islands like Mykonos, Anti-Paros, and Santorini. The duration of the trip was only 3 weeks, but it was crammed with enough memories to fill a lifetime. During my trip I was studying digital imaging and photography. The scenic landscapes and exciting moments led to some amazing photos that I was able to use in my class portfolio and keep for myself. The teaching staff at HISA along with the owners of the School, Yuko and Barry, felt more like a family than instructors. They accompanied us everywhere and gave us insight into Greek culture even when we weren't in the classroom. They truly made my first study abroad experience feel like more of an adventure than I would've ever been able to anticipate. I'd have to say my fondest memory in Greece was the sunset on the island of Santorini. My entire study abroad group of 18 had all gone out for dinner together and enjoyed a rooftop dining experience while the sun was setting upon the sky blue ocean, a moment I doubt I will ever be able to beat. After returning to the States, I noticed that nothing measured up to the Greek island life I had experiences for the past 3 weeks. I am eager to return to Greece myself to experience something like the indescribable time that my study abroad experience gave me.

It was one of their first times running the program and there was only one other student. So I got to know the professors pretty well and let me tell you: they are incredible people. They are all brilliant and passionate in their fields as well as wonderful human beings. When I missed my flight, one of them took me in to their home and family and I had one of the most enchanting nights of my time in Paris. I learned many wonderful things and hope to return soon.

I studied abroad in Florence at LDM for spring semester 2018. The Athena staff were really friendly and it is a small company so you feel like you're important to them. The only downside of being a small company is that you don't get to know the people that you're going with beforehand. My roommates all went through their school's programs, so they knew a lot of people who were going beforehand.

Florence is a beautiful city and Italy is a great country to study in. I recommend traveling EVERY weekend or as much as you can because the semester does go by really fast. I also recommend the LDM field trips that are included with Athena's program. Everyone else had to pay $300 or so, but I liked that mine was included in my tuition. I definitely recommend the Amalfi Coast trip, but DON'T miss the bus!

LDM is a great school for many programs. However, their policies are not the best. You can only miss 2 classes before your grade goes down and if you miss 4, you automatically get an F. If I could do the semester over again, I would have studied at a school that is more lenient with absences.

I LOVED Florence and everyone I met there and I would definitely recommend studying here to anyone!

Being on Paros was like nothing I have ever experienced before. I go to school in Chicago, so to go to a small island village from living in this huge city was absolutely life changing. Meeting locals, watching the island change and blossom as the season changes, traveling by boat to various islands, and seeing the incredible nature of Greece was indescribable. The program and classes are small so you truly form unique bonds with everyone, and you get to know the teachers as friends and people too. The classes are fun and unique, and my painting class provided unlimited resources and support for any experimentation or projects you could ever make. The program length allows for some travel before, too, because mine started March 2 and I finished my semester in the states in december. Paros is a hidden gem and living in between the mountains and the ocean was an experience I’ll never forget, and helped me grow and develop as an artist and human. I was so sad to leave and will surely be back!!

For the 5 months that I lived in London, I grew not only academically, but culturally and personally as well. The academics at Roehampton were incredibly well organized, each professor held high expectations for their students and provided the guidance, assistance and encouragement for their pupils to meet them. My classmates attending the University with me were friendly and outgoing which meant I got an insiders look at London, along with some fellow study abroad classmates. I met some of my now closest friends and forged irreplaceable relationships across boarders that I will forever cherish. I also traveled all across Europe on the weekends and holidays! Driving through different countries, visiting age old landmarks and historic places that most only ever see in history books. Expanding my cultural viewpoint helped me as a person to grow and be more open minded. This short summary of my time does not do that indescribable experience justice, but I will never be able to put into words how amazing my time over seas was, and how it changed me as a person; for the better.