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Wanting to comply with within the footsteps of a school scholar who studied overseas in Greece? We not too long ago caught up with Laura, a finance main from Grand Valley State College, who spent her summer season learning overseas within the historic metropolis of Athens!
Learn on to study extra about Laura’s expertise with AIFS Overseas and what it’s like learning overseas in Athens, Greece.
Deciding The place to Examine Overseas
It’s widespread for faculty college students to have problem deciding precisely the place to review overseas. Whereas AIFS Overseas presents dozens of wonderful locations, our program search instrument makes it straightforward to filter by educational curiosity, nation, and time period, so you will discover a program that matches your preferences. As Laura had all the time heard constructive issues about Greece and its stunning landscapes, Athens was a simple alternative:
“I’ve all the time heard wonderful issues about Greece and the way stunning it’s. I might suggest this program to any college students who’re keen to place themselves on the market and check out new issues.”
Making ready Household & Help Programs
When you’ve got members of the family who’ve blended emotions about you going overseas, offering them with extra details about AIFS Overseas applications will help ease their worries. We encourage mother and father to browse our web site and attend AIFS Overseas webinars. After they find out about our trusted on-site employees, secure housing, and 24/7 emergency help included in each program, they usually really feel way more assured in your resolution to review or intern overseas.
Considered one of her household’s largest worries was having Laura fly to Athens alone. In case you select to buy tickets your self quite than choosing the AIFS Overseas Journey Package deal (which incorporates round-trip flights and airport transfers), it’s best to see if another college students from your property college are enrolled in the identical program, so you possibly can all fly collectively as Laura did:
“I had been chatting with two different individuals who went to my residence college, who have been additionally learning overseas at ACG (The American School of Greece). We booked our flights collectively and have been capable of talk beforehand. This actually helped ease my household’s fear.”
College Expertise
While you research overseas, you acquire entry to an entire new academic expertise: professors who apply an area perspective to topic materials, worldwide college students from around the globe, location-based programs, and a campus that provides a novel educational and cultural atmosphere. Laura attended The American School of Greece, which is positioned about quarter-hour from town heart, permitting her to understand the change of surroundings after a brief commute: “We have been in a really Greek city, which was cool. The campus was additionally very fairly.”
Laura took two programs throughout her summer season program in Athens, which, as she stated, have been made up of about “50/50 research overseas college students and Greek college students,” offering alternatives to fulfill locals and different college students from around the globe.
Journeys and Excursions
AIFS Overseas applications embody journeys and excursions that supply immersive experiences in your host nation, serving to you deepen your understanding of the native tradition and historical past, all when you have enjoyable together with your fellow contributors. As Laura notes, her excursions throughout her summer season research overseas program in Greece took her round a number of the native islands and past to Italy: “The excursions have been nice!… We went to Italy and some different Greek islands!”
Making Buddies Overseas
Along with journeys and excursions, AIFS Overseas applications embody social and cultural actions that assist contributors bond and additional immerse themselves within the tradition of their host metropolis. Past these built-in occasions, you’ll have the ability to join with locals throughout your on a regular basis life and expertise the energetic power the Greeks are identified for. Laura discovered the folks in Athens particularly welcoming and desperate to strike up dialog: “[My] social life was nice! Everybody may be very pleasant and likes speaking to People.”
In case you’re frightened about making buddies overseas, that’s completely regular! Thankfully, everybody in your program might be in the identical boat as you, and as Laura found, a bit of effort can go a great distance. If you wish to make buddies, Laura recommends that you just “put your self on the market and don’t be afraid to start out a dialog!”
Tasting the Native Delicacies
For a lot of college students, one of the crucial enjoyable perks of learning overseas is attending to style your means by your host nation. And Laura was no exception; she emphasised how she “beloved the meals!” Pondering again on her first night time in Athens, the scrumptious meals stands out in Laura’s reminiscence; she stated that she’s going to “always remember the primary night time after we went out to dinner and tasted the meals for the primary time.”
In actual fact, the native delicacies made such an impression that she“tried to prepare dinner extra Greek-inspired meals as soon as residence.” Appears her semester in Athens actually pita new spin on studying!
AIFS Overseas Assets
AIFS Overseas applications embody trusted on-site assist employees who’re there to help you with absolutely anything—whether or not you need suggestions for native eating places that may accommodate your dietary restrictions otherwise you’re locked out of your housing and don’t know what to do (to call only a couple!). As Laura found throughout her program with AIFS Overseas, assist was by no means far-off:
“The sources, whereas I used to be there, actually stood out. I all the time felt like I used to be in communication and had somebody to speak to if wanted… Our [Program Director] helped us rather a lot.”
Examine Overseas Recommendation from Laura
Trying again on her expertise, Laura encourages future research overseas college students to embrace new connections and step past their consolation zone:
“Don’t be afraid to place your self on the market. Generally the folks you assume you don’t have anything in widespread with find yourself being the folks you possibly can speak to for hours!”
Are you able to take the leap and research overseas like Laura did in Athens? We’d love that will help you begin your journey!
Right here at AIFS Overseas, we all know a factor or two about serving to school college students research overseas. Our applications are full of precious inclusions (which actually take the stress out of planning!), reminiscent of housing, journeys and excursions, cultural and social actions, complete insurance coverage, 24/7 emergency assist, on-site employees, and extra. While you select AIFS Overseas, you possibly can go overseas with confidence understanding you’ll have assist all through your total expertise.
