Red Greece - Questions about moving/living in Greece?

Questions about moving/living in Greece?

I'm 18 year old, 100% Greek female and at a technical college in Wisconsin right now. I'm thinking about moving to Greece in the near future. My parents are from Greece, so I know that I can get citizenship there. I speak greek, probably not the best but can carry out conversations. My writing skills aren't that great, but I can try to write what I want to say. I'm wondering what type of jobs/careers in Greece pay a fairly good amount (~1000+ euro/month) If I get an Associates degree here in the US, will it be valid in Greece? What is college like in Greece. I was looking at the American College in Athens..is it more challenging than a US college? I would appreciate any answers I could get! I know that I'm giving up a lot to leave the States, but I feel something is missing and I may find it in Greece. Much of my family lives in Athens and Kalamata, but I would like to plan it out so I could live an alright life there. I've been to Greece 13 times, staying there for 3 months at a time. I'm not a materialistic person and do enjoy going out with friends rather than shopping or other things. One mentioned that the American University degree isn't recognized by Greece. Could someone show a website where it says that, because I'd like to show someone. Since both my parents are from Greece, I read that if I take some exams, I can attend other universities there. Is this true, and if so which ones? What would i have to do to take these exams? If I were to get an Associates Degree in Nursing here at an american technical school, would it be recognized in Greece? About how much do nurses make in Greece? If I move there I would like to find a job making about 900euro/month +IKA. I've been reading up alot on all this...would it be better to just work, or get an education? Sounds like education doesn't do much.

Public Comments

dont forget your toga, olive wreath, and sandals. sorry i couldnt resist. i say dont worry about anything just go. if that is where your family is, they will be there to support you. you will find your way once you get there. it's almost destiny sounding. you dont plan for that. it plans for you
Ask Nickynackynoo - she's British and she's gone to live in Greece. (She's a bit older than you.) She just had a baby so look in that category ~ she's asked a few questions recently. Unless your family's rich, be prepared for a much lower standard of living. Greece is beautiful, but Athens is crowded, polluted, and noisy, with insane traffic. Attitudes to women are different too.
i haven't been to greece before but the information about the education might help you with the first question, but with the second question it all depends what kind of Associates degree that you want to be. Education Greek education is free and compulsory for children between the ages of 6 and 15. English language study is compulsory from 4th grade through high school. University education, including books, is also free, contingent upon the student's ability to meet stiff entrance requirements. Overall responsibility for education rests with the Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs. Private primary and secondary schools are under the authority of the Ministry of National Education. Control is mainly exercised in matters of curriculum and competence of teaching staff, as well as financial control in connection with fee collection and increases in fees. The Greek constitution does not permit the operation of private universities in Greece. Private colleges and universities (mostly foreign), however, do have campuses in Greece in spite of the fact that their degrees are not recognized by the Greek state. Low salaries and recent legislation aimed at teacher evaluation have prompted a new wave of demonstrations and protests. Delay, on behalf of the state, to supply students with textbooks, lack of supplies, labs, and computers are matters of concern for Greek parents and educators. A high percentage of the student population seeks higher education. About 295,000 students are registered at Greek universities, and 15% of the population currently holds a university degree. Entrance to a university is determined by state-administered exams, the candidate's grade-point average from high school, and his/her priority choices of major. About three in four candidates gain admission to Greek universities and/or technical educational institutions but rarely at the institution and major of their preference. A large number of students, mainly those who are excluded from university admission or are admitted by less the respected technical educational institutions, pursue higher education abroad. When they return, they present their degrees to the official body of the Ministry of Education responsible for awarding recognition and equivalence of foreign university degrees. This body decides, through an evaluation procedure, whether to recognize degrees from specific foreign universities as a qualification for public sector hiring. Other students attend private, post-secondary educational institutions in Greece that are not recognized by the Greek Government. The number of Greek students studying at European institutions is increasing along with EU support for educational exchange. In addition, nearly 5,000 Greeks are studying in the United States, about half of whom are in graduate school. Greek per capita student representation in the U.S. is the highest of any European.
Hi I'm also British - living in Greece (like NickyNackyNoo) although much older than you (in age not mentally). The basic wage in Greece is very low compared with elsewhere - and the price of living is quite high - especially if you choose Athens. I believe the normal starting wage for an 18 yr old is about 700 euro (+ IKA) My suggestion to you would be .. teach English. Take a course in US before you come which enables you to teach English as a 2nd language. This is one sure way of getting a job immediately. Are you thinking of staying with family? Apartments are also expensive in Athens. I do not know the standard of life you enjoy now ... but as the answerer above said - expect to lead a simpler life. For me that worked out fine as I;m not (and never was) materialistic, I prefer to go out and have fun rather than have a state of the art home (unlike my sister who is designer mad and plans to move here ... boy is she in for a shock) Having the ability to teach English enables you to make extra money with private lessons. Life is not easy in Greece financially ... but the fun times outweigh the 'no money'. You may be lucky and fall on your feet with the help of your relations but don't rely on this. I don't know if the American college is nore challenging (doubtful) but I do know is is extremely expensive - my friend's son had to go there to complete his schooling because he's dyslexic and Morietis [sp] (The best school in Greece) wasn't able to teach him. Personally I would wait a few years before making the move - 18's quite young and you might be over protected by well meaning family ... I came at 21 and still feel that was too young as it's a life changing experience. My intention was to stay 6 month .... 20yrs later I'm still here with a family and 2 businesses. Financially I'm ok now ... but I remember the early days in Athens when all I could afford was a 1 room (no bathroom just a toilet - washed at kitchen sink) Cockraches ..loads! as it was a basement .... looking back I don't know how I managed but I did and I made some great friends ... we had great fun .. I'm still close to most of them now (19yr friendships!) I was determined not to go back to my mum who would have gloated! She was so sure I wouldn't be able to make it on my own. You say you're 100% Greek but you may find that Greeks don't see you as that - you are and always will be a Greek/American. You may find your upbringing in US has (understandably) made you different from Greeks here - I know lots of Greek/Americans and they tend to mix with other Greek/mixes or foreigners rather than true Greeks as they have more things in common with them. I wish you luck - but please think carefully - you may not get the freedom you (may) crave if you go live with family. I know I never could have done that!!! I think you'll be better to wait awhile ... Greece isn't going anywhere and you'll be more mentally and emotionally prepared in your 20s no matter how matuire you may think 18 is now ... you'll look back and realise it's still very young.
Spartans! Prepare for Glory!!!
Some things to bear in mind before deciding: a) Getting your degree recognized in Greece can be tricky. The accredditing body (www.doatap.gr) is one of the most inefficient institutions in a disfunctioning Greek bureaucracy. It took me several months for them to acknowledge that they had received my application, and a little over a year to have my own degree (from a leading European univeristy) recognised as equivalent to the ones given out by Greek universities. I understand that, for some reason, they are even more negatively predisposed towards U.S. colleges. b) The American College in Athens is not accredited in Greece, i.e. the degrees issued are not recognised by the Greek government as tertiary level degrees. This somewhat limits your employment prospects. While you may find employment in the private sector, you will probably treated and paid as a High School graduate. c) Wages are generally quite low. As an entry-level employee, you can reasonably expect to earn around Euro 12,000 gross p.a. Approximately a third of this will be withheld in the form of taxes, insurance, social security etc. I am not sure that you will be able to cope with living expenses and tuition in Athens with that level of income. d) Many foreigners settling in Greece from more developed countries find it hard to adjust to a society where concepts such as legality, due process and responsibility are often dismissed with a shrug. Not having to worry about things like deadlines is OK, but how would you react if a government official misplaced your immigration documents (painstakingly collected over several weeks) and asked your to submit a new set? Or if rioters were allowed to destroy your car in full view of our "tolerant" police?
You mentioned nursing and at the moment nursing is in high need and demand. Many are to be employed in the public hospitals after some examinations but according to their assessment by their colleges it will be easier for them to get a job. Anyway a well trained Nurse is in high demand even by private hospitals as long as her credentials are in good order. Money is relevantly good but for starters may be a little hard to make ends meet. I'm afraid the certificate of studying in the States will not be easily recognized here for state employment but for private hospitals it can be a plus. BTW. A good section of nursing is on the use of radioactive and active instruments and machinery. That can land you a job in any of the private laboratories that are in constant development at the moment .
I agree with what has been said that salaries in Greece are low. If I remember correctly around 500-700€ should be what to expect for entry-level jobs but do NOT take my word for it. I recently graduated from Deree (the American College you are talking about) and I can tell you it will be as chalenging if not less as a US college. Most students are Greek but the second majority is either American or Greek-American and every one I have met was satisfied. There are two campuses, one downtown and one in Agia Paraskevi. The downtown one is used mostly by students who work and offers late hour classes. The Agia Paraskevi campus has all the facilities you could ever want or need and the area is great. That is the one I went to but if you want an apartment in the area its expensive! There are other american colleges located in Athens such as New York College, The American University of Greece and a few others. You might want to check those out as well! About if the degree is recognized or not it isn't..yet. Although there's no telling when it will be. This will only pose a problem if wanting to work in the public sector. It is recognized by the EU so you can get a job working in any EU institution. You can go to http://www.acg.edu/acg/facts.shtml for more info. Getting a job without being able to write/speak Greek fluently might be difficult. You should know that things still work with meso so maybe your family working there could help you meet the right people. This has been long so I'll end it by saying that student life in Athens is absolutely fantastic! It is imho the ideal place to study! Please feel free to email me or send me a msg if you need any help!
My son-in-law had degrees from US colleges and has a doctorate in Physics from the states also. At one time they were planning on moving back to Greece and he had all of his degrees and papers sent to an official in Athens to be all translated back into Greek. So I am sure that the degrees here must be recognized to some degree. I can find out more on that from him for you though if you need me to. you mentioned nursing but I am not sure of salaries there for a nurse but you speak of over 1,000 euros a month...when I was inquiring when there one time about women salaries or even men's salaries they are not as high as what the states have. BUT you can find smaller places to live some very expensive and some much cheaper than you would expect. I was told that there I could live for just over 1000 euros a month on Island of Poros if I was cautious in my spending. There is high unemployment there though so it may not be so easy to take a job from one that has grown up there and you just wanting to live there now. My question is you mention you know you are "giving up a lot" moving there....what are you giving up? I have spent any where from 10 days to several months and I always felt I could find whatever I needed. Just wondering mainly. OK, so maybe high salary, xmmm for the life of me that's all I can come up with at the moment. Guess you know though.