AIFS Abroad in Athens, Greece: Semester

I recommend everyone study abroad! AIFS made the process seamless and easy. The experiences I had here exceeded my highest hopes. Greece was the perfect place for me and had many supports there. I’ll spend forever reminiscing on this incredible experience!

This program was the only study abroad that was able to offer me the courses I needed to stay on track. Since ACG is an entire university, there is a full course, meal plan, beautiful campus, a large amount of students there who are not study abroad students but Greek locals, giving a true immersion experience. The quality of education at the school was challenging and impressive. It is so cool to learn about history and foundational concepts in the classroom and go visit them in a museum the next day. AIFS treated us so well from taking us out to delicious dinners, to amazing educational excursions. The staff at AIFS, Alice, was such a joy and pleasure and made sure to make herself available for any of our needs.

I spent 5 weeks in Athens, Greece with AIFS and it was one of the best experiences of my life. They took care of finding me housing and scheduling my flight. With these stressors being removed I was able to focus on having fun. When I got to Athens, I was greeted along with other AIFS travelers and they took us to campus. No hassle trying to find a taxi, rather I got to start socializing with other students. I created memories and friends that will last me a lifetime!

I loved spending a semester in Greece! The onsite person, Alice, is wonderful! She is very kind and helpful if you find yourself in any tricky situations! I really enjoyed my classes and found them all to not be too challenging or too easy. All of the school/AIFS arranged excursions were pretty well planned out and there was a wide variety of sites/experiences! I didn't have to go to the doctor at all but from others experience's, it was very easy and simple. Getting around was pretty easy too, we would walk to the metro and then stay on one line to get to downtown Athens, there are also buses to and from the airport and around town that are easy to figure out. The only bad thing was the apartment, there are six different buildings that you can live in and the one I was put in were suites where 12 girls all shared a kitchen/living space which was very small for the number of people. The rooms were also pretty small too when you had to share. And we had to pay for our own laundry which was 3 euros to wash and 2 euros for twenty minutes in the dryer. I met my closest friends from being roommates but 12 people is just a lot to all live together. Overall, it was a great experience that I'm so glad I participated in!

Living with seven other girls in one apartment was a scary thought but honestly the best situation. Did a great job matching up compatible roommates. We were given such great opportunities to travel on weekends (with the program around Greece and to other countries on our own). The professors wanted us to learn but also wanted us to have enough time to travel and experience Greece. I loved the opportunities to meet other students (both Greek and American) and living so close to the school. Everyone in Agia Paraskevi was so welcoming and kind. Overall, definitely my favorite college semester.

My semester abroad was an experience that I will never forget, and includes some of my most prized memories. Not only did I gain the best of friends, but I gained a new outlook on life and learned so much about myself when abroad. I arrived on my birthday, and I can say with full confidence that this was the best gift that could ever be given. I was able to travel all over Europe and Africa, see family while abroad, experience once-in-a-lifetime moments, live independently, and experience a new culture. My program was also one that provided me with wonderful information, trips, services, advisors, and insurance. Never once was I worried about my safety, health, or resources abroad. Overall, I think about my abroad trip every day, and feel so blessed that I had the opportunity to experience a semester like the one I had.

My education abroad experience not only deepened my academic expertise, but also fostered personal growth, resilience, and adaptability. It taught me to navigate unfamiliar situations with confidence, communicate effectively across language barriers, and embrace the beauty of intercultural exchange. I met so many life long friends with who I keep in touch with frequently.

I am so glad I decided to study abroad. I met so many amazing people that I would not have met any other way. I mad so many friends for life. I was nervous about traveling alone, but AIFS provided a support system that was able to help me every step of the way.

I owe it to studying abroad to really having the ability to explore and find myself. Abroad changed my life in so many aspects. I learned how to exist on my own in a foreign country where I knew no one or the area. I grew as an individual and became a lot more confident in myself. Going abroad was the best experience of my life. Never again do I think I will get an experience like that again. To travel the world, with people doing exactly the same thing as me. Just trying to exist and make do. I felt so at home and comforted by the people and environment surrounding me and I truly do not think it would have gone as well if AIFS was not as amazing and accommodating as it really is. AIFS really strived to make this the best experience for everyone and boy did they. AIFS never let me down. Study abroad with AIFS and have the chance to add amazing memories and adventures to your life!

Going to Athens with AIFS Abroad is one of the best decisions I have ever made! I met some amazing people I’ll remember for the rest of my life and always felt so welcomed by the locals. AIFS helped me to feel prepared and this experience has given me such a wide variety of skills as well as confidence in my ability to navigate the world. Traveling has become something I am incredibly passionate about and I will always be thankful to AIFS for making it happen.

Studying abroad with AIFS in Athens, Greece was the best study abroad experience that I had out of my three times abroad. The program was set up fluidly and allowed for an all encompassing and inclusive study abroad program. Alice, the local support in Greece, made sure that all of the students were happy and healthy. She took us to dinner, around the town, and to museums. There is no such thing as a boring day in Athens, Greece and AIFS has enough activities in place to keep everyone happy. I highly recommend studying abroad with AIFS in Athens, Greece. As long as you are open to Ouzo, souvlaki, and feta you will not be disappointed.