CYA - Study in Greece (Semester Program)

While at CYA I had the opportunity to take classes and do things I would not have gotten elsewhere. I was able to get immersed into the Greek culture quickly. The staff was so helpful and helped me get an amazing volunteer opportunity. CYA gave me an experience that allowed me to grow as a person. I never realized how much I could learn being in a different country. Everyone in Greece are so friendly and wants to help you succeed. I would absolutely recommend this program to anyone who wants to experience a new culture

CYA was an amazing experience and it has truly been life changing for me. The administration was so careful and aware of our needs and the orientation sessions, though tedious, were helpful when it came to navigating but still saying safe in Athens. CYA gave me the opportunity to travel Greece and visit parts of the country I would not have had access to otherwise, both through mandatory and optional trips. The perfect location sealed the deal on CYA being the place for me. Being across the street from the Panathenaic Stadium and within walking distance of major historic sites is something that not many can say.
I wish there had been more on campus activities where people can meet others with similar interests that they go to school with. Regardless, though my biggest worry beforehand was finding people I connected with, it was not as difficult as I believed and there was a friend group for everyone! I found that having friends with similar interests really improves traveling, exploring, and the CYA experience over all. Bonding with my fellow students came easiest on the optional trips that were offered on weekends through CYA. Usually, it was an intimate group of 20 to 30 students that would participate and you got to know everyone else very well.
In Athens, and at study abroad and general, it was so important to go out and explore! During the first few weeks especially, I felt as though I didn't really know the area so making it a point to explore, not just Pangrati, but further out as well, was a great option. In the CYA handbook, there was a list of many places listed that we could visit within walking distance. Beyond that, Nadia was sure to email us upcoming festivals and surrounding popular cafes, promoting interacting with the locals (while also allowing us to practice our Greek!). Overall, this is definitely an experience I wish I could revisit. I have developed a newfound love of Greece (both the culture and the food) and plan to return for sure!

The best part of living in Athens is the accessibility students have to a multitude of activities. Museums are dispersed throughout the city and allow you to better understand the history of Greece and the cultures nearby that have influenced the country.
At night, Ghazi offers a different experience. The night life was always fun and the clubs were welcoming to Americans.
Unique and beautifully decorated restaurants are scattered throughout Athens. Syntagma was my favorite place to shop and find new cafes.
The beach is only a twenty minute cab away!
I was never bored in Athens!

I decided to study abroad in Greece relatively last minute, but in the end I left it all very content with my experience, with a strong desire to return. The CYA program staff are very communicative and helped with every step in the visa application process and other prep coming to the country. While there, they were also pretty accommodating about various arrangements/needs. It was definitely a challenge to take classes while living in a new city and traveling quite frequently on weekends. However, the courses I took were very interesting and more engaging than my home college classes due to the small class sizes and on-site classes. Learning about the Acropolis sitting atop the Acropolis was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The three field trips built into the program (Delphi, Peloponnese, and Thessaloniki) were another great opportunity to site-see and learn on-site. Our neighborhood of Pangrati was an ideal location, with key tourism sites and shopping areas in very close walking distance. The local cafe became a second home and ideal study spot for most CYA students. I greatly enjoyed the endless opportunities to learn more about Greek culture and politics.

CYA helped me grow in so many ways. I learned how to quickly adapt to new cultures and communicate with language barriers. The teachers were always there to help and gave us constant advice. They were also brilliant in their fields, to the point that it was almost scary how smart they were. The staff of the program was quick in responding if we needed help, and made sure we were fed and had a nice roof over our heads. I learned far more than i ever thought I would have, and am so grateful that CYA gave me this opportunity. I made friends from universities I had never heard of, and definitely would not have met, and am able because of them to have a network around the country. Greece became one of my favorite places very quickly, and I cannot wait to go back. I do not feel comfortable in new situations quickly, but orientation week and the helpful sessions we did there allowed this place to feel like a second home. All the friends and business owners I met here made this experience one of a kind.

My semester in Athens was invaluable. I feel as though I grew as a person by creating an intimate and irreplaceable connection with Athens and the Pangrati neighborhood. Pangrati is the perfect mixture of historically fascinating, socially invigorating, and culturally welcoming. I will always cherish the connections that I made with locals, coffee shop baristas and store owners (many of whom became some of my most loyal study partners!). Athens, to me, is one of the best cities for study abroad; the food options were numerous (while Greek tavernas always rank as my #1), the nightlife was plentiful but not overwhelming and historical ruins and museums seemingly mark every street corner. Academically, CYA boasts a diverse faculty that bring international knowledge and experience. I found that much of my learning came from the one-on-one conversations and relationships that I developed with my professors. I learned experientially through attending football (soccer) matches, observing the famous May Day parades, and even just listening to my professors talk about their lives over coffee and dinner. I would recommend CYA to anyone who is truly interested in experiencing a culture that is politically active and socially vibrant.

Spending my semester abroad studying in Athens with CYA is one of the best decisions I've ever made as it helped me to grow as a student and as a person. My courses exposed me to aspects of life in Athens that I would not have seen otherwise, and the program was wonderful with the trips they took us on that allowed us to view different areas of Greece as well as many historical sites. Through CYA, I was able to get hands on experience aiding the immigrant community in the city, which is incredibly beneficial to my prospective future career as an immigration lawyer. My time spent in Athens with CYA was incredible, as I could not imagine having a well-rounded college experience without challenging myself in this way, by living in a foreign city and truly experiencing the culture there. CYA worked to expose us to different foods and experiences, helping to show us all that Greece has to offer, and for that I am eternally grateful.

CYA was an amazing way to experience Athens and Greek culture. It had excellent academics with enough work so you actually learn throughout the semester, but not so much that you feel unable to go out and explore Athens (it does get more work-heavy at the end). The housing was in local apartments with other students, and was a great way to have a bit of independence and immersion you wouldn't get living in a dorm. The city has so much to offer, with so many archaeological sites, museums, galleries, parks, and of course, the Acropolis. You also receive a card that lets you into every museum and archaeological site for free! Getting around Athens is not to difficult, as most things are within walking distance of your apartment, and if not, taxis, buses, and the metro are all pretty cheap. The culture and way of life in Greece is very relaxed welcoming, so it's easy to get adjusted in the city. I had such an amazing time in Athens, and would repeat the semester again in a heartbeat.