Melanie Toth '15
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| All of us learning traditional Greek dance while on Lesvos |
What is your major?
Sociology/Anthropology
Why did you decide to study abroad?
I decided to study abroad because I have always had an urge to travel, am fascinated by culture, and therefore thought that an abroad experience, no matter the location, would enhance my degree at LC.
Why did you choose Greece?
I chose Greece not only because of its immense beauty but also because of the program's archeology focus. I have always wanted to learn more about archeology and am even considering it as a potential career path
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Listening to a lecture from our
Archeology
teacher while at Ephesus, in Turkey.
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What was your living situation like?
Our program was divided into a few different sections. We were in Athens in September, in Lesvos in October, and then came back to Athens for November. In Athens, we all lived in our own apartments. All of us LC students were grouped together in apartments (about four per apartment) in various places in neighborhood adjoining our school in Athens. This was a really exciting source of independence for a lot of us, but also gave us the option of having each other near by. While in Lesvos, we all stayed in a family run hotel, two to a room. This felt more like living in the dorms because we were together all the time. Having these two experiences was great, because in Athens it allowed us to make our own identity in the city, but we all got very close while living at the hotel.
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One
of the stunning Meteora monasteries |
Highlights of the program:
Highlights of the program were with out a doubt the bond that we all formed through our group travels. We got to see all over Greece, not just the places we lived, as well as taking a trip to Turkey together. I can safely say for all of us that our travel weekends to Delphi, Olympia, Metsovo, Meteora, Nafplio, and our week in Turkey were some of the best times on our trip.
Challenges of the program:
A challenge of the program was our academic schedule. We had class six hours a day four days a week and, like I said, spent a lot of time on the weekends at ancient sites. As LC students, it was not the academic rigor that was especially difficult, but adjusting to a new culture and new schedule for class and homework time did prove to be a challenge
Advice you wish you had been given before your program?
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| View of Athens from the Acropolis |
Before my program, of course people
were telling me to enjoy every second, and absorb as much as I possibly could,
so I won't tell you to do that because of course you will. I do wish, however,
that someone had told me in September to not be as stressed as I was about
school and to get out into the city more. When coming back to Athens in
November, I sort of figured this out for myself by setting myself a goal of
going to at least two new places in Athens each week. This is something that I
wish I had done in September as well because I was able to explore my city,
while still staying focused in my classes. Finding a balance between academics
and adventuring in a new country is something that I wish I was better equipped
to handle. Savor every second because it will fly by!
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| A location for many a class, the Parthenon |
Additional comments?
I've just gotten back to LC for the spring semester, and everyone says the same thing: "How was it?!" How can I sum up what was the most incredible and full experience of my life so far? The friendships and experiences I had while in Greece have absolutely changed who I want to be and I have learned more about both the contemporary and ancient world than I thought I could. What is incredible about the Greece program is the degree to which you learn. Being able to learn and practice archeology in Greece, is valuable no matter what your major or interest. Getting in the dirt and learning about this world in such a physical way is absolutely remarkable. To see more of what our experience was like in Greece I also wrote a blog while there. It is titled, after my desire to be Indiana Jones, whereismybullwhip.tumblr.com.
If you have any questions for Melanie or about the Greece program in general, please follow this link to the Ask An Alum moodle page.
