Dear Future Student in R1 304

Dear future student in R1 304,

           

Welcome to Greece! This entire experience is going to a wild one, but it flies by in a flash. Here the days are long but the months are super short. It is an absolute must to take advantage of every single opportunity. You know what they say, you can retake a class but you can’t relive a party. But in all seriousness, you don’t know when or if you will get back so as Father Linanne says, “Squeeze the sponge”.

The first stop most people do while in Athens is the Acropolis and all the famous ruins on this hill. You cannot study abroad in Athens and not see this historic and famous archeological site. Then once you are downtown, you must walk around Plaka for shopping and enjoy dinner or a drink at either “A for Athens” or “360”. These are the two famous rooftop bars that overlook the Acropolis and it located right in the middle of a very popular area.

In the neighborhood that you will be living in, Agia Paraskevi, there are many fun restaurants, coffee shops, and bars. My favorite place to get a gyro is called “M.I.L.F: Meat I Live For” and it is right down the street from my dorm. You one hundred percent must try a chicken gyro from here (in the pita with everything). Then on mornings when my friends and I don’t have class we like getting brunch at Kitchen Lab. Then, we will often sit at Mirador or Stars, two coffee shops, to do homework and socialize. I also leave Tsi-tsi for a sit down nice Greek atmosphere, but it is still cheap. There are options for American, Mexican, Chinese, and Italian food all over the area as well.

Student’s favorite bars that are in Agia Paraskevi are probably North and Captain Bill’s. These places will hold themed parties and events that current students organize. Also, both American and Greek students go to these bars. However, there are many other places people like to go to as well such as Big Spoon and a place up the street that has karaoke.

Another awesome aspect of our neighborhood is there are a ton of shops that you can go to buy very cute clothes. These stores are very inexpensive. I recommend not packing your winter coat and instead you can buy one here if you are planning to travel to somewhere cold like Switzerland or Copenhagen. Besides these regular shops, the streets are lined with kiosks that sell snacks, gum, magazines, alcohol, and sometimes little packs of toiletries. These kiosks are very convenient to have, especially when you desperately need a Cheetos or a bottle of water at 9:15 after the supermarket has closed.

When you travel, there is an insane number of places you could go. Make sure you go places that you want to go. If there is one place you must absolutely go to, plan that trip first to make sure it happens. Travel with people whose company you enjoy and that make you happy. Be smart when purchasing flights: don’t throw all your money away because you don’t want to wake up 3:00am. Honestly, it’s not as difficult as it sounds. Take pictures and videos. Don’t be afraid to seem like a tourist, you are one, but don’t be obnoxious about it. Learn as much as you can about the new places you go to and their cultures. And most importantly, enjoy it all.

Fair warning: Loyola requires that we take an introduction course to Modern Greek. Honestly, it is not too bad. When making your schedule, try to take Professor Sophia because she loves Loyola students and makes the class much more enjoyable and comprehendible than the other professors according to my friends. Also, most of the classes will only have a midterm and final exam as your grades so there won’t be nightly homework. However, don’t leave all your studying for the night before, or even a few days before, because it will be much harder than you think. Also, don’t take biology abroad if you don’t have to, and odds are, you really do not absolutely have to.

On a serious note, you will experience culture shock. However, the degree of this depends on the person. It hit me around the third or fourth week I was here. Then I also got homesick the week after my parents visited. If and when you get in a funk, homesick, or frustrated with the differences, just remember that everyone is going through it whether you can tell or not. Then, try to distract yourself by hanging out with friends, doing school work, exploring the city, or planning new trips. At some points you may wish the time away, but once it’s gone you will grow nostalgic for it. So, cherish it all and try to stay optimistic during the difficult days.

Please, please, please, push yourself and get out your comfort zone. You do not want to have any regrets from not doing something or wonder what if. Try every food, not matter how strange it looks or how picky you may be. Speak to new people both from America and Greece. This way, you will make friends from all around the world. Try to travel every weekend. As I said, you do not know when you will be back, so try to fit in as much as possible. But, do your best not to rush it. You want to enjoy every moment of this experience. Have homemade dinner nights with your friends, waste hours in the coffee shop, stay out too late, eat that last French fry and make sure to drench it in tzatziki.

P.S. Do not lose your passport. I did and couldn’t go to Croatia. Luckily, I convinced the embassy to give me a temporary, emergency passport. However, I get questioned a lot more because the passport looks different. Make photocopies and always know where it is. Even if “you know” it is in your bedside drawer or your handbag, check before trying to catch your flight.

P.P.S. Make sure to call your family and send them pictures. They miss you and want to live vicariously through you.