Studying abroad is one of the most spontaneous experiences a college student can have when it comes to their education. When considering where you should go, think about how this faculty-led trip to Greece could be the right choice for you.
When studying abroad with UNI they help prepare you for everything before you leave so you can enjoy the moment rather than worry when you arrive. Professor Greg Bruess and Professor Isabela Varela, his wife, are the faculty leading the program this summer. Varela was born and raised in Greece and Bruess is also fluent in Greek. They have both been doing this program for over two decades now, so it gives you a warm feeling knowing that your leaders know the place very well.
Once you decide you want to study abroad in Greece, your first step will be to contact Bruess. You will have a meeting with him to help decide if this trip is a good fit for you. Once you apply and are accepted, you will have a weekly pre-departure course with all the other students who will be going to Greece. In these meetings, you will learn about the culture, the Greek alphabet and learn a few words such as please, thank you and good morning.
Paige Hibbs, who is a senior here at UNI, went on the faculty-led study abroad trip to Greece with Bruess and Varela. Hibbs shares one cultural difference, stating “when I used my debit card and I had to punch in my number the person behind the cash register would either fully turn away or they would cover it for me.” That way the person paying feels more protected and respected, which you don’t see in the United States.
The faculty led trip to Greece is three weeks long. In those three weeks, you will visit seven different towns, which include Athens, Nafplion, Olympia, Delphi, Kalambaka, Crete and Santorini. Professor Bruess says his favorite place to visit is Delphi because it is “physically beautiful, as well as very significant in Greek history and culture.”
During this three-week trip there will be a walking lecture every day, where you will walk around and learn about that town and the culture. Buress and Varela want you to go explore and learn things on your own. Mikayla Capman, who also went on the Greece trip, said one time her and some other students took a bus three hours away to a completely different city, and when they were going to come back, the bus didn’t come. Capman had to text Varela saying they were going to be late for dinner, and the professors were not upset, but were eager to hear about their trip when they got back.
One thing about Greek culture is they love it when you speak to them in their language. They see tourists, so they appreciate the ones who take time to learn little bits of Greek language. Hibbs even said there had been times when they had gotten free things such as drinks or food because they loved getting to hear them talk in Greek.
One major tip that Hibbs gave was to not bring a big suitcase. This is because you’ll be able to wash and reuse clothes and you are not going to want to be pulling such a big suitcase from town to town on stone roads. Hibbs suggests you bring a smaller suitcase and a duffel bag because they are very spacious and can hold pretty much anything you buy in Greece.
Capman describes how the relationship between the students and the professors was almost parental. “One of my favorite parts of the trip was how we all felt like a family, with Greg and Isabela as our parents, and then we got to run free we felt like we were just kids going everywhere and then we got to go back home every night.”
This study abroad course counts for six credit hours. The credits are split into two sections, each taught by a different professor. The first one is HIST 3279: Conflict and Justice, which is three credit hours. The second is HIST 3186: History of Greek Material Culture, which is two credit hours. Then you receive one credit for attending the pre-departure class in the spring semester. You will also have a total of two tests during your trip and one presentation. For this presentation, you will be given a subject during the pre-departure course that you will learn about in Greece and present on the subject. You will also receive a study guide to help you, and will also have to do a daily journal to turn in to the professors as well.
I asked Hibbs what her favorite place to visit was and she originally said the whole thing but then shared it was Nafplio, because it was much smaller and slower. She described herself as not much of a city girl, so when they arrived at Athens she loved it, but loved Nafplion much more because “We could walk around without being bombarded with people and it made me feel like I was a part of the culture and the community it was really immersive in that way.”
In Greece, if you want to give a tour of a museum or archeological site you must be a licensed tour guide. This is a law, meaning if you are caught giving a tour without a license you could be arrested. Varela went to school and became a licensed tour guide so that way students could receive the best education.
When talking with Brues, Higgs and Capman, they all agreed that Olympia is one of the most unique places they went, because they got to see and learn about the original Olympic racetrack. They even got to have their own race on the track to see who won.
Studying abroad in Greece with Bruess and Varela is an opportunity you don’t want to miss. You get to travel around Greece with people who will become your closest friends and what feels like a family, and learn about Greek culture and create the memories of a lifetime.
