Studying in the center of Europe Past Review
By Paige N (Photography, Columbia College Chicago) for
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Prague, Czech Republic
My time abroad has changed the way I view myself, life in America and all of the opportunities there are across the globe. It also helped me figure out what direction I want to head in my life.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was much more strenuous during midterms and finals, but manageable throughout the semester. While the grading system is comparable to America's, the professors put much less emphasis on the syllabus and do not offer a grading rubric for projects and essays. All courses are roughly 3 hours and meet once a week, so although they are long lectures, many classes offer walking tours and visits to relative places in Prague. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
n/a |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
Food is amazingly cheap, but not always the most appetizing. Regardless of if you enjoy Czech food or not there is plenty of ethnic cuisine offered. Also, produce is cheaper than you have ever seen it before. Cooking for yourself is extremely affordable. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Take advantage of every event, activity and excursion offered. They are all worth it. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Prague as a city is incredibly safe (aside from the risk of pick pocketers). The health facility is also friendly and helpful. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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Language
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Studying abroad will give you greater introspection and undoubtedly help you grow up while giving you a wider perspective on the world. There is no way you will leave Europe the exact same way you came. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Psychoanalysis and Art |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | Joseph Dodds |
| Instruction Language: | english |
| Comments: | The class was challenging in the sense that the material was very dry and group discussions were not encouraged. The lecture moved very quickly with little time for questions and the professor was not willingly available outside of class to offer help. Also, there was no structured syllabus to follow, leaving a large amount of work to be dealt at once near the end. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Digital Photography |
| Course Department: | ART 252 |
| Instructor: | Mark Wiedorn |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Not a very beneficial art course. The basics of photography were barely touched upon and lecture was contradictory and did not always make sense. Required gallery visits were intriguing, as well as guest speakers, but not a good course if you want to learn about photography or the aesthetics of art. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
