CYA - Study in Greece (Semester Program)

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!

Living in Athens, Greece through the CYA Spring semester program was an absolute dream. I am a first-generation college student and the first time I went abroad was through school. I was very nervous traveling abroad being a black woman. I went abroad the same month that Trump was elected so I was very nervous about how people would see me as not only American, but also because of the color of my skin. I spoke to my counselors of my study abroad about my concerns and they were very open and honest with me. They were very candid about the way Greeks view foreigners and made me feel very comfortable. They also constantly checked in with me to see how I was adjusting to the culture and acclimating to life in Athens. To sum it all up: I had an AMAZING time in Greece! My program took us to explore Thessaloniki, the Peloponnese and Delphi to further expand on the academics we learned in Greece and never did I feel out of place or like an “other.” A lot of people speak of their time traveling abroad and academics during these reviews, but I’m here to say if you’re a person of color that may be nervous about study abroad like I was, PLEASE DO IT! Especially through CYA! Faculty and staff will make sure you’re comfortable and create a safe space for you to speak with them honestly about your experiences as a minority abroad. Safe travels and yamas!

The academic richness of this program blew me away. Not only did we have daily art history and archeology classes in and on the ancient sites of Athens, we took two weeks to tour Greece with leading archeologists to see and understand close up the ancient life of Greece. But the modern city was just as illuminating. I took marble carving classes and learned Greek Sign Language, made friends with other Athenians, and came to feel Pangrati (our neighborhood of Athens) was my Home. I’ve returned nearly every year to this country and city, and love visiting the CYA offices. As my academic interests have evolved, I’ve formed new relationships with faculty and continued pursuing research in Greece. And five years later, my best friend is someone I was matched as roommates with for the semester. CYA was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! Go for it!

I had a great time with CYA! The classes were the perfect mix of educational trips and fun adventures exploring the city or island. Our professor was super chill and gave us great tips on where to go and what to eat. The smaller class size made it easy to become super close to the people I was with. Even though the class was only a month long, it felt like I got a lifetime of memories from it. Overall I was super happy with my experience and if I could do it all over again I would in a heartbeat!