Democritus University of Thrace (reviews)

Introduction
Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH) is considered as one of the top universities in Northern Greece. Founded in 1974-1975, it consists of 20 different departments and continues to welcome 30.000+ students per year. In 2021 I was accepted into the department of Molecular Biology and Genetics in Alexandroupolis (its headquarters are in Komotini). I now am a 2nd year student but I feel confident that my everyday experience till now allows me to present my own review of DUTH.

Courses and Professors
Molecular Biology and Genetics is a 4-year degree, only available in Democritus University of Thrace. Each year is divided into two semesters, the winter and spring one. Each one consists of 6-8 different courses that cover a variety of up-to-date topics and tend to gradually become more and more academically challenging. I was very happy to realize that since the very 1st semester we got to have labs, even though I wish that they were part of our everyday schedule, not only once a week, at least till now. The vast majority of our professors are well educated and hold a strong presence in the research world.

Tuition fees
0€. The Greek universities are not private and as a result there are no tuition fees. Another bonus is that textbooks are also provided for free through the Eudoxus system, where we can select one of the recommended textbooks for each course of each semester and then receive them from the local bookstores.

Accommodation
Even though there are no tuition fees, students still have to rent an apartment in Alexandroupolis, unless they possess a property there. Only those coming from a lower class family get to be accepted into living in a decent hotel room (no campus) that the university is mostly paying for. However, during holidays they are expected to leave and return when the school year starts, since the hotels will be booked from tourists.

Transportation
It’s free for university students, as long as they show their student ID to the driver. Even if someone misses it, they can take the local bus and have 50% off of the original ticket price (1.20€->0.60€)

Food
Three meals per day every day are provided for free for the students, as long as they show their student ID. The quantity and quality are decent.

Clubs
There are clubs founded by students, where someone, depending on their interests, can become a member of. I recall the photography club, along with the cinema, theater, dancing, music ones.