CYA - Study in Greece (Semester Program)

I have always been a relatively anxious and shy individual. I am an academic at heart, and have always taken on a heavy work load, but was never one to take risks. Athens and its warm, compassionate inhabitants, however, taught me how to genuinely not fear so many things about life and its possibilities. The night before my flight back to the States, I had one of the most meaningful yet simple conversations with the local cafe owner. He asked what I'd learned from the Greeks and I told him I'd learned to not be so afraid of life. I began to tear up, knowing I'd be leaving in the morning and I wasn't ready to let go yet. When he saw this reaction, he responded to me, "Yes. We do not fear life because we do not fear death." With that, he and his partner sent me on my way with a box full of Greek traditional candies and pastries to take home to my family.
Never have I felt so openly welcomed and comforted by people outside of my own immediate family as when I was in Athens surrounded by genuinely selfless people. The courses I took abroad were obviously very conducive to earning my degrees back home, and I love the topics we studied. However, the most significant and life changing moments I had were those such as I've just described: the moments spent with locals; the simple encounters.
While in Athens, in this program I was fortunate enough to travel to different parts of Greece both as required field trips and as optional side trips. This included all parts of the Peloponnese (Nafplio, Kalamata, Sparta, Menaleion, etc.), Delphi, and even Crete. On the optional trips, I got to visit, Ioannina, Meteora, and Metsovo as well as Cyprus! All of these trips were not only culturally immersive but vastly educational. I loved meeting new people and learning about their backgrounds and ways of living.
Aside from trips, my courses were very involved in the city and took us on several local field trips so that we were studying on-site and truly gaining hands-on experiences, which helped make sense of the cultural concepts we were learning about.
My time in Athens saw many social "firsts," and allowed me to learn how to be a bit more like a social butterfly. I made some very sincere lifelong friends, and for the first time in my life, I learned how to let go of some stress and to have fun while really living in the moment.
I spent my semester as working as an intern for the media lab, creating content, writing articles, doing journalist coverage and social media work for the program. This work not only allowed me to explore my love for writing and blogging, but also forced me to really immerse myself in the culture, while also getting to know the students and their passions. This opportunity is something that has stuck with me as I prepare for graduation and look into further pursuing ambassador and higher education opportunities that allow me to help others pursue these same passions.
I also had the pleasure of working as a "babysitter" for a local Greek family twice a week. While the 2-year-old child I spent time with already had a full-time nanny, I read him English children's books to help him become acquainted with native English speaking. This child brought so much joy to my weekly life, and the time I got to spend with him was very humbling.
Above all else, I say that this was the semester my life began because before my time in Athens, I spent a lot of time being afraid of my own potential, and hiding from some of life's most wonderful opportunities, just for fear of failure. Between the courses I took, the people I met, the mentors that guided me, and the places I visited, this semester changed my life and set me on a path of success, regardless of it's lack of destination. I don't know quite where I am going. But I do know that I am no longer afraid to go there, and since returning home, I have spent the last year exploring, experimenting and figuring out who I am as an individual caught in the web of sociality. This semester truly was the beginning of my life.

I spent the Fall 2018 semester with CYA, and my experience with them was fantastic! My favorite aspects of the program were its dedicated staff, incredible field trips, and central location. The staff were very helpful in making the transition to life in Athens go very smoothly, and they were also very reliable prior to my arrival. The courses could have been more challenging, but I really enjoyed the opportunities to learn inside and outside of the classroom. There are also many opportunities for volunteering if you are willing to reach out and ask about them. The apartments were quite nice, and we were less than a 20-minute walk away from Syntagma. Overall, I am already missing Greece and I wish I could go back and experience it all over again!

I had an incredible time in Greece. To start with, the country itself is so beautiful, Athens is the most colorful city I've ever seen, with a vibrant street art community, as well as the incredible ancient sites scattered around. My studies were a surprise to me, as they were challenging, and encouraged me to work hard, but they still left enough time for my friends and I to explore and expand our horizons. My professors especially rose above and beyond my expectations through their thoughtfulness, understanding, and enthusiasm and knowledge of their respective fields! As someone who has wanted to study archaeology ever since I can remember, this experience has only revitalized that passion, and I can't wait to use what I learned while abroad in my studies, and one day, my career!

Studying with CYA had a lot of great perks. The most awesome thing about the programs is the program trips which are completely planned by CYA and which take you all around Greece. I was able to travel around Europe while also gaining a very deep knowledge of Greece. The course material is also very centered around Greece which helped to further my knowledge about the country. While the apartments that are provided are not in the best condition, they are clean and also help you be more independent. Greece is in a fairly central location so it's really easy to travel from as well. Also, Greeks are really friendly so it was very easy to learn about the culture and about life in Athens. Overall, I had a great time at CYA and would definitely recommend the program to anyone who is interested in it!

The opportunity to study abroad in Greece has been a life-changing one. I was able to tour through the country of my dreams, view ancient ruins up close and personal, and make friends who I’ll have for the rest of my life. As someone who is notoriously skeptical about leaving my home and my family, I’ve come to release that I still am because writing this at the end of my
semester abroad, I can’t even imagine leaving CYA and my new family. I feel that the program itself is designed to bring all the CYA students together through one common goal, nurturing a love for the new country that we can now call home. Whether it’s traveling to an island on the weekend or sitting at Kekkos after class, there isn’t one thing about this program that I’m
not going to miss dearly.

My time with CYA in Athens was one of the highlights of my college experience. The community CYA creates is fun, supporting and really encourages long lasting friendships. My roommates became my best friends in the program, and I still keep in touch with them to this day! I loved living in Athens in a Greek apartment. Even though we were part of a study abroad program, I felt like I was really living in the city! The neighborhood we lived in was convenient and safe, and easily accessible.

Class wise, I felt like my mind was opened! I hadn't realized how ignorant I had been of the world until I studied abroad and took international relations courses at CYA. I am so glad that I was able to participate in this program not only to gain more knowledge, but to increase my understanding of the world around me; It's so easy to live in a bubble.

I also loved on CYA took us on many included excursions to see other parts of Greece! There are so many amazing places to see. I'm glad CYA took the time and effort to show us some of those places, and offered us opportunities to see more!

Studying abroad with CYA sparked a greater interest in international travel and study abroad for myself. I ended up doing an extra semester in another country to really explore that sense of wonder CYA helped inspire.

Future participants: Greeks are easily some of the nicest, most welcoming people. Go to Greece - you will eat some of the best food, meet some of the most amazing people, and make some of the best memories of your life.

College Year in Athens enabled me to make a dream come true while still working towards my bachelor’s degree. It is great to sit in a classroom and learn a new subject, but the whole experience is elevated when you’re living in a place that birthed the content you’re learning about! I took Modern Greek and got to practice it as soon as I left the classroom by walking the streets of Athens, buying groceries and taking public transportation. Greek Philosophy became so much more to me as my class walked in the Park where Plato himself taught his students. I had the privilege of learning about Greek Mythology and then climbed up Mount Olympus, where the Greek gods themselves resided as declared in the myths. As a believer in Christ, I was greatly touched by visiting Areopagus Hill where the Apostle Paul preached to many people about Christ. I even spent an afternoon studying on that hill, reading Nicomachean Ethics with the Parthenon as my backdrop.

Additionally, we took field trips to a variety of places in Greece including Sparta, the Peloponnese, the island of Crete, and Andros Island where we learned more deeply about the culture and history. Not only were the field trips very educational, they were so fun and in some of the most beautiful parts of the world that it felt like vacation! The beaches, mountains, flowers, and art were all breath-taking, as was the food! I quickly fell in love with Tzatziki and feta and still crave it to this day. I also had the opportunity to stand in the original Olympic stadium and run a portion of the very first marathon course! Needless to say, my mind was broadened, my cultural competency was expanded and my desire to travel and learn increased. I’m so thankful for the semester I spent learning in Greece as it has greatly changed me. I fondly reflect on my experience almost daily and cannot wait to return.

I fell in love! With Greece that is! I learned so much not only about my field but also about myself! I am kind of lost in the pack back at my home university and always underestimated. At CYA my professors wouldn't just expect things but would stop and help you when you need it, one even guided me through fixing a paper I had trouble writing. I grew close with one of the professors who just wrote me a letter of recommendation for the Masters program at the British School of Athens, and hopefully work alongside him next year in excavations. He believed in me sometimes more then I did and helped me to understand not to underestimate myself.
But that isn't all, I was lucky enough to have a host family rather then live in the apartments and found a second family! I learned Modern Greek with their help and talk to my host mom at least twice a week still. She keeps asking when I am coming home.(LOL) I found another home in Greece at CYA and I miss it all the time!