Filmmaking in Prague Past Review
By Devi (Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/17/2017 to 05/17/2017 with
CET Prague
Getting to spend time working on making a film and meeting other filmmakers was invaluable, and it was great to be a part of a program and school that supports it.
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 courses at FAMU were definitely rigorous, and it was great as a film major to get to spend more time working on production, especially to have a great product to show for it at the end. A lot of time is dedicated to crafting the story and dramatic arc of the film. There are also options to take other courses outside of the main production course, both related to film and European studies. I greatly enjoyed the class I took offered through CET, "Resistance and Dissent" -- it was a great opportunity to get something other than film experience and learn more about the city and its history. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
While communication could be spotty at times, overall CET did a solid job at arranging everything in and outside of the city. CET staff work hard and it's clear they care about creating a good experience for students. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Housing was good. There were a couple problems that people experienced in the program--I didn't have a laundry machine for the first couple weeks, and appliances broke in another apartment--but overall it was solid, and CET did its best to rectify situations. It was great to be able to live with a Czech buddy who knows the city and can take care of things. |
| * Food: |
Food isn't often provided by the program (a few dinners during the semester) but there's plenty of places to eat in the city in and around the class areas, and it's fairly cheap. Meals are around the equivalent of $5-10 (more for fancy stuff). |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program definitely focused on integration, offering an intensive language course and a live-in Czech buddy. There are also cultural events offered through CET such as trips to museums, sports games, and the opera. That said, in my opinion Prague isn't the friendliest of cities--the young people are super friendly and welcoming, but in some places the people are insular and it's clear you are perceived as an outsider. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I can't speak to this much as I didn't have any health issues on the trip, but the program does offer health insurance and options for health care. |
| * Safety: |
Prague is very safe. I never had any problems in the city, and felt safe even at night. They do warn about pickpocketing being pervasive, so it's good to be vigilant especially in touristy areas, but I never had any experiences getting pickpocketed. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
It was a great experience, and I met some wonderful people. |
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) |
Czech Republic has a lower cost of living for many items, especially food. Transportation is provided by the program. There are frequent ATMs throughout the city and some places accept debit card. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $50 |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
The language program starts as soon as you arrive and begins in an intensive crash-course, and continues through the semester. There's a heavy focus on using the language in and out of the classroom. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | None |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
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? | I'd recommend looking up even some basics of the language before heading out. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
