Program Reviews

I participated in CYA's summer session 1 of 2022 and enrolled in a travel writing course that was a month long. We spent half that time in Athens and the other half in Poros, with a stop in Nafplio along the way. This course was absolutely fantastic, my writing improved so much and I was able to pick up a decent amount of modern Greek. Katerina was a lovely professor, extremely kind and passionate about the subject and Greece in general. I made great friends and got to know Greece on a much deeper level. I highly recommend CYA's study abroad programs, it was a great mix of independent travel and professional support.

Athens is the perfect place for studying; everywhere you go there are different museums and historical sites, but also lots of food, shops, and other activities to do. Greece is a beautiful place full of friendly and welcoming people- I was lucky to make friends with some of the locals and found them all to be quite open-minded and helpful. I think that there is something about learning on-site (or at least within the same country/city), that you cannot re-create back home in the classroom. Overall, CYA did a great job of providing support and guidance for us students, yet at the same time gave us the room to be independent and explore on our own. If you choose to do this program I really recommend taking the time to go to one of the smaller islands on your breaks, but also don't forget to take in all that Athens has to offer itself!

Studying abroad with CYA was the perfect decision. I was able to explore so many places in Athens and Greece, both in an academic context and for fun. All of my classes were very interesting, especially as a Classics major, but there are a wide variety of courses offered. I loved living in the neighbourhood of Pangrati and it was so easy to get other places in Athens. I made some really good friends, especially my roommates. The country is very affordable, I loved the food and I will miss it a lot!

Studying abroad through CYA was the best decision I ever made. I was able to meet so many people, whom I will be friends with for the rest of my life, and fall in love with a country and culture I knew nothing about aside from mythology and literature!

My professors were amazing and all of the staff I interacted with were super nice and helpful, and I couldn't recommend this program enough. The location is right in central Athens so there's plenty for you to do and ease of access to travel outside of the city--on your own or on the organized trips!

If you love to try new things or travel, Athens is the city to be in. I wish I didn't have to leave!

This was truly one of the most interesting and exciting programs I have ever been on. College Year in Athens is dedicated to teaching students in a way that gets them out of the classroom and into the world around them. This three week long winter program is a great way to familiarize oneself with the fundamentals of an archaeological excavation and meet people with similar interests. Work in the field is supplemented by short trips to other archaeological sites in the surrounding area, as well as to the Acropolis of Athens. Professor Karavas is one of the most knowledgeable professors in the field and is able to draw on his experiences at his own dig site to provide students with a world-class and one of a kind experience.

Studying with CYA impacted me in countless ways. I learned so much about the history and culture of Greece and the country quickly began to feel like home to me. The staff went above and beyond to make us feel safe and comfortable while also challenging us to learn new things and experience all Athens has to offer. In general, Greece is the most beautiful country I have ever seen and I think everyone needs to visit at least once. I cannot recommend College Year in Athens enough to anyone looking for a fun semester abroad.

I loved Athens! The study abroad program allowed me to meet some of the best people I now know and have given me some of the best memories. I loved the classes and being able to go to different sites for class. It was such a unique experience to be able to visit the historical sites that we talked about for the semester. It was amazing to be there in person and be able to tell people I visited the site, multiple times even! Being able to connect with the professors differently than I do in the US was refreshing. The professors at CYA were a lot of fun and engaging. They really cared about your academics while also making the classes fun and different compared to classes back home. The food in Greece is amazing as well, even if it just a gyro or souvlaki from across the street. I miss the food and the people I met. The night life was also a lot of fun and gave me a lot of things to do around the city.

I loved my study abroad program, from the second I landed in Athens until the second I left. CYA offered the perfect balance between academic challenge and the opportunity to explore and immerse myself in the culture in Athens. My favorite part of the academics at CYA was the emphasis they put on learning outside of the classroom. With CYA I was able to see a lot of regions of Greece. From Athens, to Crete, to the Peloponnese, to even Mount Olympus.
My apartment and the academic center were in the heart of Athens, just a 5 minute walk away from the Marble Stadium and 15 minutes away from the main square, Syntagma. Other amazing places such as Monastiraki and the Parthenon were within walking distance. Public transportation was reliable for the most part and got you everywhere you needed to be in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
CYA was very helpful in connecting us with really cool extracurriculars so we were able to get even more involved and take advantage of amazing opportunities while abroad. I was CYAs media lab intern and I got to write about my experience and document it via photos and videos as well for current and future students.
I loved my semester abroad, I loved my peers and my classes and professors. I highly encourage anyone looking for a life-changing adventure to consider CYA for studying abroad.

I approached the study abroad decision process with an open mind, but I did not already have the "perfect place for me" in mind. I chose Greece because I was enticed by the prospects of beautiful landscapes and rich history. Athens will certainly provide these qualities, but studying in Greece provides so much beyond that. CYA introduced us to places around the country I would have never thought to visit like quaint mountain villages to the north or history-filled coastal cities in the Peloponnese. The professors are absolutely amazing, extremely knowledgeable, and structured the classes to allow us to combine what were learning outside the classroom with the course content. The CYA apartments are all located close to great coffee shops, restaurants, the center of Athens, and a 25 min walk to the Acropolis. Greece and CYA provide all the tools to make your study abroad experience truly life-changing.

I went abroad to Athens with CYA this past fall (2021) and it was truly the most wonderful experience of my life. I am a sociology major and although archaeology and classics are their specialties, I was able to engage in sociological research and take classes with two very qualified sociology professors. I am also interested in going into law and the program was able to match me up with a firm to do an English speaking internship this coming summer. The apartments were great, clean, and close to CYA and the field studies were incredible opportunities. My favorite field study was to Meteora, which is a group of monasteries that perch on rocks at cloud level. The views are otherworldly. For such a small country, Greece has so much to offer from Mountains with snowy peaks, to deserts and beautiful seascapes. Whether you choose to stay in Greece and explore the cyclades islands or to travel outside the country at some point, you will never run out of new and exciting experiences. Athens is a friendly city full of life with many free activities such as ice skating or a burger festival. The friendships you make here will be lifelong ones and the memories you make you will cherish forever. My only piece of advice is to be careful about not falling too deeply in love with Athens because you may never want to come back!