Field of study in Wageningen: Management and Consumer Studies (BBC)
Study period exchange: 26/09/2021 until 23/02/2022
Country (exchange): Greece
City (exchange): Athens
University (exchange): Agricultural University of Athens
Faculty (exchange): Food Science
2. Motivation for exchange
Why did you choose to go on study exchange?
I really wanted to go on an exchange to experience living in another country for a longer period of time. To get out of my comfort zone and meet new people, experience new things.
What is the reason you chose for this country/university?
Athens was only my 5th choice, after I didn’t get into my initial top 3. But I don’t regret it all! I choose the destination because it is a big city with warm weather.
3. Accessibility to reach destination
Do you have any tips to reach your exchange destination?
Take the metro from the airport, if you mention that you are a student (in a Greek university) you will also get 50% discount. There is also a public transport card for Athens itself that will only cost you 13 euros per month as a student.
4. University and studying
Could you provide some general information about the followed courses?
How is the study formalized?
There are mostly lectures. 1 lecture per course per week. I felt like the academic level was lower than in Wageningen.
What is the culture of the university?
Since all ‘regular’ courses are given in Greek, almost all my courses except for one were together with only Erasmus students. This meant that I experienced not a lot of contact with the local students. Organization wise the university is also not perfect. After arrival you have to contact your professors yourself to make a schedule for example. WUR seems perfectly organized in comparison.
What does the university offer the student additionally?
There is a cafeteria on campus where you can eat for free for lunch and dinner. Unfortunately I didn’t live very close to university so I didn’t eat there very often. Also there was a free gym.
5. Housing-travelling-living
What are the possibilities for housing?
The university offers no accommodation itself. I found my room via an organization called stayinathens but there are also other possibilities. For example through facebook groups.
What is the culture of the country like?
Greek culture is a lot different to the Dutch. I feel like a lot more things happen outside because of the climate. People are generally nice and speak good English. Athens is a big capital city, so there is a lot going on all the time.
Could you give a general price indication of the place of residence compared to living in Wageningen?
I paid 300 euros for my room, all of my friends paid also paid roughly the same (280-320 euros).
Could you give some information about public transport infrastructure?
The public transport costs 13 euros per month. Taxi prices are cheap, mainly after going out its common to take a taxi home. Athens has 3 metro lines that work pretty well, I would recommend living near a metro station because that helps a lot with travelling time. I travelled by metro to university.
6. Free time
What are must-sees in the area?
The best part of an Erasmus in Greece is the possibility to visit the islands! The ferries are 50% cheaper when you are a student. So going to an island and getting an Airbnb with friends on the weekend is very nice. Some great islands I visited were:
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- Aegina (closest island, perfect for a day trip and renting quads)
- Mykonos (crazy party island, in summer its apparently filled with rich people which is also noticeable in the off season)
- Tinos, Syros and Sifnos (just beautiful islands)
A lot of people also visited nearby countries and cities. I went to Istanbul which was very nice. Jordan was a pretty popular destination too because of the cheap flights. Of course the Meteora are a must see too.
What does not appear in the travel guide, but is worth a visit?
Athens is surrounded by mountains and just going up those gives you a very nice view over the city. Some destinations around Athens are Pentelli cave, Pentelli waterfall Valanari and mount Hymettus.
Do you have general tips and tricks about leisure time?
The part of Athens where most clubs are is Gazi. EKEI is also a nice club. Nice and cheap restaurants can be found everywhere. Rosalia in exarchia is a nice restaurant. At Victoria there is an afghan restaurant which is incredibly cheap (a good meal for 4-5 euros).
7. Challenges & best moment abroad
What was a challenge you have experienced?
A challenge I faced was due to covid. I had the virus during the Christmas period while I stayed in Athens. So when everyone went back home to their families I was left self isolating in my house, which was not a great situation.
What was your best memory abroad?
The best memories are definitely the trips and things I did with the amazing people I met there. My Erasmus was filled with little and bigger trips to beautiful destinations. I’m very happy that I got to see a lot of different places with very good friends. A trip that stands out would be my 5 days in Istanbul.