Anatolia American University

ACT's study abroad program offers a rich classroom experience combined with opportunities to visit local archeological and historical sites, climb Mt. Olympus, attend outdoor concerts and festivals, and sail the Thermaikos Bay and Homer's wine dark sea beyond. Courses span a broad range of topics and disciplines aiming to meet the needs and interests of American college students wanting to fulfill electives or major requirements at their home school or discover Greek culture, history and language. Students are introduced to life in Thessaloniki through a two-day orientation program. Housing accommodations include comfortable studio apartments (with private baths and kitchenettes) located in the center of Thessaloniki, steps away from everything. Thessaloniki is extremely safe and hospitable. Numerous cultural events, exceptional and varied cuisine, exciting nightlife, outstanding museums, and astonishing examples of Roman and Byzantine architecture and history will keep you engaged.

Studying here was a pretty fun experience. The classes were too easy, though. The people are nice and ACT always has fun trips to go on and a lot of extra activities to participate in.

Overall my experience in Thessaloniki was awesome! My dad was really worried about me going because of Greece's economic struggles, but honestly, it's mostly centered in Athens, so going to Thessaloniki was totally fine (actually, great for Americans because the dollar-conversion works in our favor! haha). I always felt very safe. There were so many awesome trips to go on (climbing Mt Olympus, traveling to the beaches, learning how to scuba dive and sail a boat!) it was crazy. I really miss it and I'm already planning my trip back. :) Academics: The classes weren't necessarily the most challenging, but it was kind of what you made of it. If you wanted to study harder, you could, but if you slacked off, you could probably B.S. your way to a decent grade. It was great that the credits transferred to my host university easily though- other study abroad programs I looked into before I picked this track had issues with credits transferring. Living Situation: It was my first time going abroad and I had heard horror stories from friends going to other places that dorms abroad sucked. Compared to my freshmen year dorms in America, the dorms here were like suites! The showers were really small, but I had my own private room which was nice. The food wasn't the best on campus, but it didn't matter because there were so many other places to eat off campus easily enough. Cultural Immersion: I felt like the study abroad program had a lot of ways to really get to know both the traditional aspects of Greek culture and the more modern aspects of pop-culture. It was easy to get to awesome destinations like Mt. Olympus or go out clubbing. I always felt safe and it was easy enough to make friends on campus and go out together. Program Administration: Everyone was really helpful, the introductory orientation was so thorough, it was a bit boring, but I felt like I knew all that I needed to know about what the school offered (trips, restaurants, clubs, activities, events, safety, etc etc) that I could personalize my study abroad and make the most of my time in Greece.