AIFS Abroad in Athens, Greece: Semester

I absolutely loved my experience with AIFS Study Abroad: January Term in Athens, Greece. The staff is very supportive and responds to emails and calls almost always within a day. The website is very easy to handle and the forms I needed were easy to get. My class professor was awesome! He kept our class schedule on track for our three week program and was very well informed on the subject he taught. As our classroom was predominantly outside, he stayed aware of the weather and made adjusted plans according to that. The city of Athens is absolutely beautiful, even in the heart of winter weather. The population of the city is also very friendly and willing to help lost travelers. Words cannot describe my awesome experience in Greece.

Studying abroad is an experience that few students within the United States take advantage of. The opportunity to live abroad, travel, and interact with locals are few and far between once you become a working adult and that is why students should opt in to studying abroad. If you are considering studying abroad that's great, if you are considering studying abroad in Greece, that is even better! When I went to Greece I knew absolutely nothing about the country, besides the mouthwatering food and their rich history. When I arrived in Greece I was greeted by Alice, she is a Greek citizen that helps the students that study through AIFS with absolutely everything they could possibly need. Alice took the AIFS students to the Temple of Poseidon, to unique museums, and even to the dentist, along with many other hard to reach areas. AIFS guarantees that their students are going to be taken care of while studying abroad in their country of choice. In order to help parents release the reigns they even offer flight packages that let you stop over in London, if you are traveling to a country in Europe. AIFS is truly an all encompassing program that lets you immerse yourself in the Greek culture, but there is always a safety net in case you need the extra assistance. Studying abroad in Greece is truly unique because of their location, as the cross roads between East and West. In Greece you will meet people from all over the world that have chosen to make Greece their homes. The the American College of Greece, referred to as DEREE, classes are all taught in English, but I highly recommend taking a Greek language course in order to truly appreciate the beautiful language that will be around you for the duration of the program. The housing options are spacious and allow you to room with students from all over the United States or as I requested to be roomed with someone from abroad, I was able to make a friend from South Korea! The experiences are unlimited in Greece as you can travel to an island every weekend and still have hundreds to explore. I do recommend traveling within Greece as the country itself is unique and holds the potential to hold your attention for your entire time abroad. Another unique aspect about my experience is that my Spartan History class was able to travel to Thermopylae and walk where the 300 Spartans fought against the Persians. Greece holds more history than any country I have traveled to and being able to be apart of the continued legacy of their country, even if just for a semester, was an experience I will never forget.

The three weeks we spent in Greece were amazing. We got to spend tons of time exploring the Greek capital on our own while dining, shopping, and drinking. The classes were very well taught and engaging. The campus had an amazing location with a great view that made the walk to class every morning worth it. Lastly the staff on campus and in the dorms were beyond helpful and fully introduced us to the Greek culture. Overall one of the best experiences of my life.