Student review [#29640] for Biology
at National and Kapodistrian University of Athens - UOA

Starting with the positives, our professors are the stars of the academy. On average, they present their subjects with great passion and an eagerness to answer questions. For lack of a better term, they are nerds, and that’s great! Biology is an inherently nerdy subject, and seeing them be so excited about what they teach is really inspiring to nerds like me. Additionally, a quick glance at their résumés reveals most of them got their degree from the same department they now teach in which is reassuring in a way. Lastly, I must mention their flexibility and willingness to accommodate makes the tales of my friend’s department’s strictness seem nightmarish.
The curriculum is also one of the academy’s strong suits , as it sets a strong foundation of knowledge which then allows the students to steer themselves towards their preferred branch of the science. One caveat is that this means condensing some lessons which in other institutions happen over 2 or 3 semesters into one but it is a necessary evil for a field so diverse as this. Also of note is the fact professors of other departments come in to teach lessons such as organic chem and biostatistics.
A somewhat mixed blessing is the location. Kaissariani forest is beautiful and allows for exercises in the field for lessons such as botany and ecology, but the commute is not too pleasant. The ever-dreaded 250 bus which takes one from Evangelismos to the department is always crowded and rather infrequent. Still, the annoying commute is worth it for the chance to actually learn in the field. The thought of some poor Brits or germans or whatever doing ecology inside is just hilarious to me, really makes me appreciate the aforementioned.
Before getting into the negatives, I would like to point out some other details. For starters, the canteen. Some say the food is gross but personally I’d say it’s pretty good. Plus the canteen staff is lovely. Also impressive is the university’s zoological museum which boasts exhibits from back when Greece had a monarchy, which is awesome. My only complaint is the variety of quality in the taxidermy. A great example of this is in the ape section where a beautiful baby chimpanzee sits atop something which is supposed to be an Orangutan yet looks more like the victim of some horror movie villain, and don’t get me started on the abomination opposite of it.
Now for the negatives, I remember the physicist of my high school saying the most modern electric microscopes of Greece are what Europeans display in museums. The sad truth is , as the economy of Greece is barely existent, EKPA has nowhere near the budget of another European university and thus the equipment and infrastructure are rather lacking, at least in relation to other institutions. I truly believe with more money and wiser management EKPA would skyrocket in global rankings. Sadly “more money and wiser management” in Greece is like saying ” When I win the lottery”.
Still, despite this limitation, the Department of Biology offers great labs, which pains me to say relate directly to the second major issue of the university, that being how time-consuming it is. UoA’s bio department isn’t easy. Labs are by far the most inflexible aspect of the university as you only get one absence ( in some lessons none), after that, good luck doing the lab again next semester and finishing within six years. Of course, the professors will let you come in on another day or try to repeat some lab exercises towards the semester’s end but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s a 12-hour per week commitment. In a similar vein, the effort that’d get you a really good grade in another academy gets you a 7 here, and I’m not saying this to boast or demean other departments and whatnot, it’s really just that there’s an insane wealth of knowledge to consume and process.
To summarise, UoA’s Bio department is a great but flawed university that has a lot to offer to students at a considerable cost of invested time. Still, if one is interested in the field, the curriculum is a sweet deal for getting acquainted with a variety of fields which are presented by passionate hard working professors.