Week 4- Academic Life

Welcome to my Blog!

Firstly, I would like to introduce myself and this blog! My name is Jocelyn Kingman and I am an English major at UMass Dartmouth. I am currently studying  in the 4+1 MET track program to become a teacher. Teaching is one of my passions and I love seeing the light-bulb moments or when my student comes up to me and shows me what they have learned. One of the things that I tell my students is to never stop learning.  For me, traveling is a way for me to never stop exploring and learning. This Spring Semester, I am studying abroad in Agia Paraskevi, which is right outside the beautiful city of Athens, Greece. The goal of this blog is to document my time here in Greece and to  inspire other students to take the opportunity to study abroad. The blog posts will focus on different topics each week including, academics, places that I have seen, delicious Greek cuisines and many more! This week, I will be sharing my academic experience at Deree- The American College of Greece. The college follows a different curriculum than that of UMass Dartmouth which definitely adds to the Mediterranean lifestyle.  Agia Paraskevi streets are filled of local shops, cafes and local markets that makes it a perfect place for college students. A Crash Course about Agia Paraskevi: The name comes from the Church (Right), which is called Agia Paraskevi. The name Agia Paraskevi in English is St. Friday. Living here for the first weeks was definitely a big adjustment than living in Massachusetts. The lifestyle here is very calming and relaxing. For example, one of the things that took time to adjust to was the siesta hours. There is a rest period from 1pm-5pm everyday. This time period is very important, so much so, that shops close and will reopen after 5pm.  For this semester, I chose to take courses that were engaging in immersing myself in Greek culture. My two favorite classes so far is my History course about Alexander the Great and Greek 101. Hearing about the different stories of ancient Macedonia and the different Gods that used to rule ancient Greece is very fascinating. Seeing the ancient ruins around the city and then learning about them in class is very fascinating and exciting! Learning Greek while being in Greece is very helpful, especially when you get to practice the language everywhere you go. Quick Greek lesson: Hello in Greek is Γειά σου (ya sou) and good bye is Γειά σου (ya sou).  My time in Athens is just beginning! I can’t wait to explore this beautiful city some more, stay tuned for the adventures to come. Γειά σου for now.

Signing off, Jocelyn Kingman.

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