Program Reviews

People ask me to sum up my experience, and I am often speechless. This truly was an outright positive experience for me. The staff and the administration were so helpful sending out weekly emails with places we would be interested in going. Moreover, the preplanned trips were the PERFECT way to immerese us into Greek culture. This program really does put the student and the student's experience first, and I think this is th emain reason I have fallen in love with Greece. The staff made sure to acknowledge, the fantastic, the good, the bad, and the ugly as it concerns living in Greece with varying identities. It was utterly phenomenal.

CYA is an excellent program. I came into it expecting to learn certain things about myself, and it wasn't until I left that I realized that I had gained even more than that. The academics here are great, especially for an aspiring classicist or historian. The city is filled with so much to do at a generally affordable rate- with so much beauty on every corner. Most importantly to me, this program has made me realize how small and traversable this world is. I went from having never been on a plane in my life in June to spending my every weekend in a different section of Greece or in another country. It is exciting and often overwhelming in the moment when you step on the plane to new places so often, but it wasn't until I was home that I began to realize the lasting effects that three months in Greece had on me. I began to look at places all around me in the U.S. -even just my hometown- and think "why have I not been here?" and "why have I not done this?". Its hard for me to find myself bored anymore because I know how easy it is to just go out and do things.

CYA was a great program that made my experience in Greece wonderful. The academics were manageable while also engaging and all my professors were fantastic. I loved the subjects of my classes as well as they were topics I had never really engaged with prior. My favorite aspect of the programs was the inculded trips to Crete, Delphi, and the Peloponeese. I loved the hands on learning envrioment CYA created. The trips and all the museum visits really added to my expience and made it unforgetable.

I was so nervous going into the program, I had never been out of the country for longer than a week and away from my family for so long. I am so glad that I went, I would not trade the experience for anything. I got to learn so much about my family's culture and experience a new world that I was not used to. I have made lifelong friends and memories that I will treasure for the rest of my life, I feel like I found a missing part of myself in Athens and it will always be a special place in my heart.

College Year in Athens was the perfect program for me. Independently living in Athens provided me the independence to immerse in a foreign country, while having sufficient support systems to help me through all of the struggles of living abroad. The immersive field studies were a perfect way to learn and explore in a structured way. All of my professors were engaging and flexible, and Athens provided an excess of opportunities to grow, personally and academically. I could not have wished for anything more.

Everybody will tell you that going to study abroad is an amazing experience, full of fun and relaxation. And for the most part, this is indeed very true. But like any real adventure, studying abroad comes with its share of struggles too. It may take time to learn the language and the culture of where you're staying. You will miss home; your friends and life that moves on while you're away. I say this because to me, the mark of an excellent study abroad program is that you forget the struggles; College Year in Athens (CYA) accomplishes this difficult feat. The staff are kind and understanding--from the moment you step foot in Athens they will work to help you understand and engage with Greek culture. Furthermore, the numerous field studies hosted by CYA allow students to explore parts of Greece they may otherwise never have visited, all while soaking up a rich culture and history. Keeping with this sentiment, you will live in the Pangrati neighborhood of Athens, and be able to immerse yourself in everyday Athenian life. If you have the ability, I highly encourage you to study with CYA; the opportunities and wisdom they provide for you will give you an unforgettable adventure

The classes and professors were excellent. We stayed in Athens, but visited many other cities around Greece. The administrators took a personal interest in students and helped us with our needs. I had to go to the hospital due to an accident while abroad and the faculty took great care in making sure I was alright, staying with me at all times, and paying extra attention to me afterwards to ensure my continued well-being. Despite that incident, this was the best semester of my life. I would choose this program all over again.

Greece is the best place to study abroad. CYA people are here to help you at any step! (Especially the student affairs office- they are the best!) My professors were amazing & made the classwork relevant to Greece and other current events, as well as being very inclusive and encouraging us to get immersed in the culture. Located in the Pangrati neighborhood where weekly farmers markets occur, has many cute cafes, 20 min walk from the acropolis, & right by the stadium. The food in Greece is incredible (very easy to be vegetarian), & I would highly recommend to travel to islands.

The College Year in Athens has everything one could need not only to explore Greece but to have a complete and enduring study abroad experience. Although on the surface Athens may seem like a location meant for those interested in Ancient History or Art History, CYA defies this understanding. CYA offers a broad range of courses from Political Science to Psychology to Business. Any student regardless of academic interest can find a home in CYA's academic offerings. However, beyond the diversity in course selection, CYA is structured down to its housing in a way that forces every student to ingrate into their community and explores Athens and Greece as a whole. With the whole program nestled in the Pangrati neighborhood of Athens, every student is forced to be intimately acquainted with local shops, restaurants, cafes, and vendors. Outside of all of this CYA is staffed by helpful and enthusiastic people who have an endless wealth of knowledge that is geared toward supporting American students studying in Greece. They know how to help with every type of problem that could occur, and could not do a better job of making students feel comfortable. Whether they are organizing a cab to your apartment when you first arrive or helping replace a passport, they are there for you. CYA also has a system of affinity and interest groups to help students get involved in different ways across the City. Whether it be looking for underground restaurants or a chance to hike Mount Olympus, CYA students can find extracurricular opportunities. Finally, what would a study abroad program be without more travel? At CYA students embark on two mandatory Field Study trips over the course of their semester. These trips, guided by CYA faculty and supported by CYA staff, bring students to an area of Greece to learn and experience that is outside of Athens. During my Trip to the Peloponnese, I was guided through ancient Sparta, tasted Olive Oil at an Olive Mill, and visited the Ancient Stadium at Olympia. These trips are organized completely by CYA, allowing students to focus purely on learning and experiencing all these great places have to offer! These field studies are jam-packed with fascinating information and unforgettable experiences. Overall, there is nothing more CYA could offer to be a better more holistic Study Abroad Program. Whether you want to or not, you will have a wonderful time, meet wonderful people, and create memories that will last a lifetime!

I first arrived to Athens with the intention of getting to know all of its ancient monuments. For students of history, classics, and archaeology, I think this is the primary aspect that makes CYA attractive. For sure, the ancient monuments and ruins that dot much of Athens makes for a picturesque and out-of-body experience. However, Athens much more than its ruins, its a city that is teeming with energy at all hours of the days, from museum events, rebetiko music in tavernas, and general nightlife, there is something for everyone at any time. Greeks also tend to be very welcoming of foreign students, people of all backgrounds who come to really immerse themselves this unique culture will be welcomed with an incredible hospitality. CYA is very cognizant of this, and they've prepared a study abroad experience that encourages this kind of exploration; anthropology courses which empowers their students to inquire into the city's vibrant culture, and archaeology courses which take place at the sites they explore. This is conducive for a kind of experiential learning that is unmatched by traditional forms of teaching. The lecturers at CYA are respective experts in their field, which makes classroom discussions in these experiential settings often feel like you're being taken on a tour of the city through time, rather than a static lecture. Beyond Athens, CYA incorporates field study in other parts of Greece, which allowed me to really grasp the cultural and geographic diversity that makes Greece the most beautiful country I've ever seen. tl;dr although the academic component was amazing, and at the heart of the study abroad experience, I feel like I learned more about life in my time here than I could have at a traditional institution.