This summer, I had the opportunity to study abroad throughout Greece for four weeks, staying in Athens, Syros, Nafplio, and a weekend trip to Mykonos. On a personal level, this experience changed my worldview and increased my level of understanding for others. Academically, I took part in various business-law related lectures and projects and connected with my fellow MSU classmates, along with students from the University of Athens. Having the guidance of the Greek students from the University of Athens, especially during the first week of our program, helped me settle in and blend with Greek’s rich culture.

In addition to these personal and academic successes from this experience, I greatly improved my communication skills due to constant communication with local Greeks across various cities and islands. While English is very prevalent in Greece, I occasionally did encounter locals who spoke little to no English. Overcoming this language barrier was difficult but played an important role in integrating myself into the Greek culture as time passed.

While abroad, I learned about the customs and rituals of the ancient Greeks by visiting various archaeological sites, including the Acropolis village (including the Parthenon), the ancient Sparta village and the Palamidi fortress in Nafplio, which were my three favorites. The views looking over the Mediterranean Sea from these sites were breath-taking. I had high expectations for the program heading in, but they were greatly surpassed in every way possible. There weren’t any preconceived notions that I would say were “proven untrue,” but things about the trip (quality of stay, daily activities, lectures) undoubtably exceeded what I was expecting.

I believe my unique experiences while abroad would be of great interest to MSU students actively searching for a study abroad program. I am now the first member of my immediate family to travel to Europe, so I considered applying/committing to this program as a “leap of faith” for my family and me. For those students in a similar situation as I once was, I highly recommend studying abroad during your undergraduate career because the memories I now cherish outweigh the regret of not taking this “leap of faith.”

Name: Dylan Wooder
Status: Junior
Major: Accounting
Hometown: New Baltimore, Michigan
Program: Business Law, Ethics, and Sustainability in the Global Market in Greece