Jewish Studies Program in Prague - an incredible fun, cheap, deep and engaging experience! Past Review
By Elayna K (History and International Studies, minor in Judaic Studies, Brandeis University) for
CET Prague
My study abroad experience was amazing. I learned so much about the Czech republic, Prague, Jewish history and European history in general. I also had a fabulous time living on my own in a foreign country and traveling. Prague is very centrally located in Europe which means easy quick and cheap travel to tons of places!
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The classes were interesting, meaningful and very relevant to what we were seeing, doing and talking about all semester. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Strengths- Small, focused, Prague is amazing! Weaknesses - some people didn't like that it was so small or that we didn't have that much choice in classes. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We had a fabulous apartment right in the center of town! We were close to school, all the tourist attractions and of course the bars and clubs. |
| * Food: |
Czech food is not the best... |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
There weren't that many planned social outings from the program. I would have liked more. We did spent 10 days in Poland which was extremely meaningful and was one of the most memorable experiences I've ever had. We also had a great trip in the Czech country side, and a nice time in Budapest. But you can you do what you want on your own time (of which there was plenty). There are tons of really cheap restuarants, lots of bars (beer is like $1), and definitely a lot of clubs (there are a few where all the "americans" go. So if you wana party with other americans or study abroad students there's that option). There are beautiful theathers and concert halls you can go to too. Tickets to the ballet, an opera, or a show are really cheap too. Prague is a very up and coming place. It's like the "NY" of eastern Europe. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
watch out for pick-pocketing but other than that Prague is really safe! |
| 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
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I didn't really put in the effort to learn Czech so that was my fault but the program also focused more on immersing yourself in Czech culture rather than in actually learning Czech (since we were only there after all for 4 months and none of us had previous Czech experience) |
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 do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Students are are interested in Jewish History, Central/European modern history, Holocaust studies, religious studies, globalization or communism studies would love this program. It's very focused on these subjects so if that's not your thing there really isn't much else the program offers. But if these are your interests than this program is perfect for you! |
