Studying abroad in Thessaloniki, Greece was one of the most incredible things I've ever decided to do while attending college. If you're thinking about studying abroad I'd say to take the leap and go for it. The program coordinators at American College

of Thessaloniki were very nice, understanding, and made the process very easy going to a place unknown. The living situation was really nice, all the students that were studying abroad were in one building and we all got to know each other, made new friends and created long-lasting memories. If I can do the studying abroad trip again I would choose Thessaloniki because Greece is just a beautiful country to go to.

The only regret I have from this trip is not doing more. Everything about going to Greece with the group of individuals I went with was incredible. From going to the beautiful winery to going to the magnificent Monasteries of Meteora (my favorite part)

you could not go wrong. The school itself was full of amazing and kind professors and the classes were immersive in their own sense. I was lucky enough to be able to take the sea sailing course (I highly recommend) where you can literally learn how to sail in the Aegean Sea while having a blast doing it. The instructor is awesome and all of my fellow classmates can attest to it as well. Overall I would not trade this experience in the beautiful city of Thessaloniki for anything and highly recommend this program to everyone looking to go abroad.

From beginning to end, my study abroad trip to ACT was filled to the brim with adventure. The program leaders made every part of my trip easy and allowed me to experience everything I wanted to without worrying about how to do everything. They arranged

for transportation, took us on excursions, and provided us with beautiful apartments near downtown Thessaloniki to live in. One of the biggest things that stood out to me was the quality of the education. I took 2 classes during my 5-week summer program. One was Engaging with Greece in Transition which was a seminar-style class that educated us on the economic, health, and refugee crisis currently happening in Greece. This was very informative and important information to know about the country we were living in. The other class I took was about the history of Thessaloniki. Professor Kyriakidou was one of the best professors I've ever had and taught us everything from prehistoric Thessaloniki to modern-day Thessaloniki through simple storytelling. I retained so much of that history and can still spit out fun facts about the city to my friends nearly 2 years later. While on the trip, my everyday routine was packed full with classes, volunteer work, and trips. On our free days, there was so much to do in the city and just outside of it (like the nice beaches that are just a 45-minute boat ride away!) that there was no way you could be bored. If you're looking for a program that will push you to experience everything and anything you can while in your host country, choose ACT!

ACT was the best experience of my entire life. I have always been interested in travel and have loved visiting new places. Studying abroad was my first experience leaving America and being able to be in a new country. Not only did I get to visit Greece,

but I got to live there for several weeks and immerse myself into their culture. The staff at ACT and people of Thessaloniki are so friendly and welcoming. I loved being greeted with smiles and feeling comfortable during my entire stay. I think ACT is a cool experience because it is different than your typical study abroad adventure to London, Barcelona, or Rome. Thessaloniki is big enough to always have something to do whether it is a new historical place to visit, going shopping, or trying one of the many restaurants and bakeries on every corner. I enjoyed learning a little bit of Greek in one of my classes and greeting people in their native language. I loved being in a classroom setting where I had fellow American study abroad students, as well as local Greek students, and students from other neighboring countries. It was really interesting to hear the perspectives of people from different places. This is especially different than the large lecture sizes at my home school, the University of Iowa. I came into the program without knowing anyone and being the only person from my school. It was super easy to make friends and find ways to get to know each other. Everyone is super friendly and wants to get to know each other and create memories together. There is an RA onsite at your apartment and he works at the school. He was super helpful in answering any questions we had regarding school, Thessaloniki, and all of Greece. The field trips at ACT are a great way to explore other parts of Greece. They allow you to explore Athens, the Meteora monasteries, and Mt. Olympus. My favorite field trip was canyoning at Mt. Olympus. There is a mix of laid back and adventurous or thrilling field trips. I miss ACT, the friends I made there, and the memories I made everyday. If I could study abroad all over again, I would choose ACT again and again. I loved the opportunity to be at a smaller school, have the views of the sea as well as the mountains, the prettiest sunset in the world, and some of the kindest people I have ever met. Studying abroad at ACT will change your life for the better, and remind you to relax a little and live life in the moment.

Studying abroad at ACT in Thessaloniki, Greece was the best thing I have ever did. The program was run wonderfully and there was never a time I didn't feel I couldn't receive any type of support or guidance from the staff involved with the program. ACT

is a beautiful campus that was very easy to get acquainted too, and the program had every resource we could ever need available to us. The trip was one I will never forget and has helped me become a better, braver, and wiser person. Since being back from my time abroad, I find myself often reminiscing and missing my time in Thessaloniki.

I knew from the beginning I wanted to study abroad in a place full of history, great food and even better people; that's when I found The American College of Thessaloniki in Greece! The staff at ACT, in collaboration with my study abroad office, made

information accessible and easy to do the things that stress students out when going abroad, like getting a visa and signing up for courses that actually count! For example, when September came around, I wanted to get to Thessaloniki a few days early, before the official housing opened and even that was arranged for me since some great hotels in the area have a "friends and family of ACT" discount so I felt stress- free from the start. After arriving at study abroad housing, the RA's make you feel welcomed and arranged small city tours with students so they become familiar with the area. This helps you get close with everyone from the start which is great if you're nervous about making friends. The city tour also allows you to see that this city has a bit of everything for everyone, there's all sorts of restaurants, museums, bars, live music, and if you're ever feeling homesick, there's a Starbucks! Orientation week had some of my most memorable times! We toured the school, did some team- building activities, and learned about all the clubs and activities we could join. During the week, we also had a group lunch with traditional greek foods and desserts that still make my mouth water to this day. That week also included the most amazing museum I have ever been to: the Museum of the Royal Tombs at Aegae, trust me even if you're not a museum person you'll be in awe! Transportation is also made easy. ACT provided shuttle buses at different times to take us to the school and at different times in the afternoon to take us to back to housing. If times weren't favorable for you, public transportation was really simple and if not, it's also cheap to get a taxi and split it with fellow students. When going to classes came around I was definitely scared, but after going to class the first few days, the worries went away. Professors made it easy to get to know the Greek students in class and it made it interesting being the only one from the US. As the semester went on, I kept learning more about Greek culture even if that wasn't the course's goal. Outside of the class, another thing that ACT arranged for us were optional field trips. Some of my favorites included, hiking Mount Olympus, the Meteora Monasteries, and Athens. Going on field trips to see Greece allowed us to truly enjoy the country we were in. Greece was amazing and my experiences in Thessaloniki are some I would not trade for anything! The city does really become your home away from home and the friends you make become family.

Studying in Greece has always been a dream of mine and I was finally able to make it come true about a year ago in 2017. Living and studying in Thessaloniki was so much more than I could have ever imagined. The food, the people, the culture and the authenticity,

just everything about it I loved. It’s a very humble city and easy to get around which makes it very stress free. The American College of Thessaloniki was not as scary as I expected it to be.. going in I was very nervous but all the staff and students welcomed us international students with open arms. With it being a smaller college it was super easy to make friends and not feel so on the outside - easier to assimilate/not so much of a culture shock. That helped a lot moving to a whole different country for 3 months. If you’re looking to go abroad this is definitley the city to do it in! Also, the language barrier is not as bad as one would think.. very easy to get used to/seeing a different alphabet.

Studying at the American College of Thessaloniki was transformative. This study abroad program helped me immerse myself in local Greek culture while helping me gain credits toward my major. ACT provided several guided trips for the study abroad program

which showed us the culture outside of Thessaloniki. The professors at ACT were insightful and inclusive to all students. I enjoyed studying at American College of Thessaloniki and wish I could do it again!

During Summer of 2018, I traveled out of the country alone for the first time to Thessaloniki, Greece. I had the sole intention of gaining experience with Computer Science basics before starting classes at my home college but left with much more than

that. I hiked a mountain, indulged in traditional Greek food, traveled all around the country, spent a night walking around the city of Athens, and met lots of wonderful people (both in my program and residents of Thessaloniki). On my first night in Greece, I stayed at a nice hotel only a three-minute walk from a restaurant where I met George, who served me for no cost and provided a list of must-see places (which helped relieve my stress of being out alone in a foreign city). Then, through my classes at ACT, I gained a greater understanding of the state of Greece and its people's history. I built robots in my CS class, walked through historical landmarks with my history class, and had the most beautiful campus view. My time in ACT was not long enough, but by the end of the trip I knew the bus routes by heart and could walk my way around the city alone.

When I first arrived at ACT, the first thing I ate was a greek salad. Not being familiar with the traditional greek salad, I was oddly confused on why it was a salad. It was composed of tomatoes, feta cheese, olives, oregano, cucumbers, and onions. There

weren't any leafy greens to this salad so I was thrown off. Studying abroad in Thessaloniki was a culture shock but in the greatest way. I learned how to navigate throughout the city by taking city buses, tried everything imaginable in the Greek cuisine, and learned a few Greek words to begin interacting with the local people I saw daily whenever I walked to the farmers market or even to buy groceries. Living in this city was the greatest decision I had ever made. I learned to love the unfamiliar and really tried to learn everything I could about the greek culture. Attending ACT really helped me become comfortable with the city. The professors, recruiting staff, and even the students always had answers to any questions I had. Taking classes at ACT also was very beneficial. ACT made it very easy for me to make friends and learn about the coolest spots in Thessaloniki. ACT also had the greatest trips to become familiar with other Greek cities and local museums. Now that I am back in the states, I crave the greek salad I found so unfamiliar once because it'll remind me of my second home, Thessaloniki. If you study abroad here, be prepared for time to fly by.

My study abroad experience at ACT in Thessaloniki, Greece has been unlike any other! The amazing exposure to culture and knowledge has helped me become a more aware and engaged individual. I have grown to appreciate my culture and my roots even more,

and cannot wait to put the things I have learned during this study abroad program to use and to become an even more contributing member to society and the world. I’d highly recommend ACT as your study abroad destination!

Studying abroad in Thessaloniki at ACT truly exceeded my expectations. American College of Thessaloniki did a fantastic job making students feel welcome and included in the Greek culture. Whether this was weekend trips to Athens or Mt. Olympus, dinners

at local Greek restaurants, or simply giving us a tour of the city, as a student I felt like I was able to get a true understanding of the Greek culture thanks to ACT.

I really enjoyed my time in Greece with ACT. The program provides lots of opportunities to travel and experience life in Greece, including optional organized weekend trips to sightsee or participate in activities like canyoning and scuba diving. This

program allowed me to travel nearly every weekend with no stress, because the classwork load was quite easy compared to my home institution. Sometimes the administration wasn't very organized (for instance, we didn't get our student IDs until November,) but if you're willing to settle into the relaxed pace of Greek life, it's a great experience.

The American College of Thessaloniki is a great place to study abroad and I would highly recommend anyone to study here. It's location is in the mountains overlooking the city and the Aegean sea. It's a beautiful quaint school with a small community feel.

The administration and professors are some of the best I've ever met. They are all so genuine, down to earth, and involved in getting to know each individual student. The professors also realize you are there to do much more than study and they emphasize travel and cultural immersion. The Greek lifestyle is laid back and friendly, and the campus reflects this. ACT also offers many good field trips and clubs; I would recommend doing all the field trips you can! I believe it's the best way to see many parts of Greece you wouldn't otherwise see, and it's a great way to form genuine friendships with people from around the world. The nightlife, history, food, shopping, and boardwalk all make Thessaloniki a unique and perfect place to study abroad. The city is the perfect size and offers so many cool things to do if you're adventurous and get out and explore. The local people are also probably the friendly I've ever encountered in a culture. This experience changed my life and expanded my perspective in such a great way. ACT is a hidden treasure of a college and if you're considering studying abroad do it, you wont regret it.

My time in Thessaloniki was one of the best 3 months of my life. I learned so much about myself and the world through the experiences I had here. Academically, ACT is a little more laid back than my university in the US. If you're self motivated and put

a lot into the classes, you will get A LOT out of it. ACT has a very diverse student body which is awesome. There are plenty of clubs, activities, sports and service learning opportunities to get involved. Thessaloniki is a very cool city and the housing is close to the main tourist attractions. Public transportation is pretty easy once you get the hang of it. The International Programs Office does a great job of planning trips and activities to get you involved and connected with the other study abroad students. I had a great experience here.