An Adventure Filled 3 Weeks

CYA's "Anthropology of the City: Exploring Modern Athens" winter term class was one of my favorite classes I have ever taken. Classes rarely took place in the physical classroom - instead CYA took full advantage of its convenient location in the heart of the city and sent us out with our professor to explore it. We analyzed different spaces all over the city from neighborhood farmers markets and shopping malls, to street art in political neighborhoods and even Greek nightlife in one of Athens’ party districts. This class is the perfect blend of academics with fun and adventure, and taught me that there isn’t a single space in the city that can’t be the site of interesting anthropological research. This class would appeal to students with a wide variety of interests, including not only Anthropology but also Urban Studies, Sociology, Political Science, Architecture - or simply anyone interested in learning about what life in Athens is like. As someone who spent winter term and the following semester with CYA, this class was the perfect introduction to my time in Athens and the lessons I learned from it about Greek culture and what it meant to be an Athenian were invaluable to me. The Anthropology of the City class fits a lot of material and adventures into a short period of time, so even if you are not staying for the semester, I guarantee you will still get a lot out of this short but sweet study abroad experience with CYA.