Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Immersed in Complex Czech History January 08, 2024

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/24/2024 to 12/21/2024 with

CET Prague

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was extremely worthwhile. I have never been that engaged in history or politics, but being in Prague where such important history is so recent made me fall in love with it.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The academics were not very difficult and had a good balance of interesting topics with not a lot of homework. Some of my professors were much better than others, but only one really matched up to a Middlebury standard.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The administration did not affect my experience very much. I really enjoyed our student life coordinators.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The housing was about 25-30 minutes away from our school which was not bad, and it let us have a bit more of an authentic Prague experience away from tourists. I enjoyed that we all got to live together.

* Food:

There was no food offered by the program, but there were some good options by school and our apartment.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The Czech culture is quite individualistic and does not render itself very well to an integrative abroad experience. The program did their best to have us meet Czech people. I really enjoyed having Czech roommates.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did not appreciate that in order to have an excused absence you had to have a doctor's note, as many times when I was sick I did not feel well enough to go to the doctor.

* Safety:

The city is super safe! I rarely felt uncomfortable in public spaces.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

I would choose the same program because it sounds like it was the most academically motivated one in Prague. I had many friends at other programs there and they had a very different experience from me.

Finances

* 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)

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

Because the Czech language is so different and uncommon to American students, the program did not really encourage us to use it outside 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

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The history class
  • The traveling seminars
  • The cultural activities
* What could be improved?
  • The Czech language program
  • The distance between school and home
  • The psychology department
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew how important it was to create friendships with people in my program.

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 Networker
An active student leader, it was important for you to network abroad as well. Once overseas, you sought out student clubs, volunteered with local organizations, or attended community events. You encouraged your friends join you, and often considered how you could reflect your international experiences in a resume.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Beginning Czech Language
Course Department: Language
Instructor: Marie Ondrichova
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The course was quite challenging, but it prepared me well for the amount of Czech I needed to know in my daily life. We had a few fun field trips and our teacher was very engaging. We had homework every night, 2 mid terms, and a final.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Central European Film
Course Department: Film
Instructor: Petra Dominkova
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The course was not very challenging. We had to watch a movie and do readings for it once a week, and then each week a student led an 1 and a half discussion about a movie. We also had a final test. We took one field trip to a theater which was fun. I thought the teacher did a great job of teaching people with varying backgrounds in film.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Cross-Cultural Psychology
Course Department: Psychology
Instructor: Eva Filippova
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The course was not very challenging at all. We had readings due for each class but hardly anyone did them. We had a presentation and a final paper. The teacher was very kind, but did not seem very knowledgeable or engaging on the topics we covered.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Political and Cultural History of East Central Europe in the 20th Century
Course Department: History
Instructor: Tomas Bouska
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This class was incredible! The professor was incredibly engaging and we went on many field trips to enhance our learning. We had readings and reading responses, as well as two tests and a presentation. I participated more often than I would have at Middlebury.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Czech Art and Architecture
Course Department: Art
Instructor: Martin Krummholz
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This course was somewhat challenging. The homework consisted of readings, a presentation, a paper, and two tests. The professor made good use of field trips, but I did not find him particularly engaging.
Credit Transfer Issues: