Prague: Most amazing 6 months i could have spent abroad Past Review

By (Fine and Studio Arts., The University of Texas at Austin) for

CET Photography at FAMU

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Yes my study abroad experience was definitely worthwhile, having visited mostly latin cultures being thrust into a central european/ eastern european culture was incredibly rewarding. I learned so much about the history and the traditions held there and was truly intrigued by it. In the future i would like to go abroad again more as a volunteer then a student. Through this experience i have been inspired to want to learn more about individual communities and furthermore investigate them and help them.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I found the teaching method very effective. Our program was very small and thus we had one on one discussions about our work with our professor which i felt was very helpful.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The On site administration was incredibly helpful, most things requested were done on a timely basis and everyone working there was incredibly nice. They definitely went out of their way to provide us with everything we needed and helped minimize any concerns we have. The only complaint i have was that they were a tad bit disorganized at times and sometimes got things mixed up but overall they were outstanding.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My housing situation was satisfactory, we had 6 girls in a 2 bedroom which meant i shared a room with 2 other girls and a shower with 5 other girls which i wasn't that fond of. The living area was big enough for all of us to move around and feel comfortable in but the rooms were a bit small and so was the kitchen. Besides that it was convenient that the shower and toilet were in seperate rooms so that the toilet was for the most part available when needed as opposed to not being able to use it when someone was in the shower. Appearance was fine and i felt pretty safe. proximity to our classes and the nightlife were excellent since we were right in the center of town so i have no complaints on that end.

* Food:

I found it very easy to find food in prague since for the most part all cuisines were available. they also had a huge supermarket (tesco) which offered most of the stuff i was use to eating so that i could save money by cooking at home.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

our program arranged several tours and other cultural outings. We had "CET buddies" which were people who had been living there and knew places to go out as well as cultural events (art opening film openings festivals etc) we would be interested in going to.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

i wasnt aware of any of the health issues of my peers but never hehard any complaints so i assume they were addressed well. We were thoroughly warned about pickpockets and where to look out for them, besides that i felt the city was pretty safe as long as you didnt do obvious risky things like wander the streets alone late at night etc.

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

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)

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? no and no

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? none
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? hardworking student whos really interested in photography, you learn so much about photo history (esp czech photo history) i learned things i dont think i would have learned here and was very motivated to work etc.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Visual Theory 1

Course Department: unknown
Instructor: Beth Lazroe
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This course was very useful, among the things we learned was how to deconstruct an image in order to interpret the artist's message. We were challenged to select images of our own or found images and deconstruct them, looking for certain messages or ideas. i found the course to be very well taught and informative.
Credit Transfer Issues: not that i know of
Course Name/Rating:

Advertisement and Fashion Photography

Course Department: 307EAF1
Instructor: Stepanka Stein
Instruction Language: English
Comments: I found the course to be somewhat useful since I did learn some about fashion and advertising photography but i wish it had been more hands on. When i chose to enroll in the course i thought we would learn to use light and flashes and the studio but i came to find out that you were expected to know how to use all the equipment already and the class served more as a prompt to get you thinking deeper about concepts and the images.
Credit Transfer Issues: not that i know of
Course Name/Rating:

Fine Art Photography

Course Department: CE231
Instructor: Miroslav Vojtechovsky
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This course was amazing, the professor worked with each of us individually and helped us develop our ideas further conceptually and technically. We also had a small introduction to alternative processes which i found incredibly intriguing and we were pushed to create a series of coherent and connected photographs that would depict an overall theme. This course was incredibly useful and i believe it has helped me in many ways.
Credit Transfer Issues: no
Course Name/Rating:

Image Ambiguity & Culture

Course Department: CE331
Instructor: Miroslav Vojtechovsky
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This course was incredibly useful and informative, i learned so much about the history of photography as well as a lot about czech photographers and history. The information i learned definitely affected my artwork and made me think more about what i was photographing
Credit Transfer Issues: no
Course Name/Rating:

Czech Language

Course Department: CE100
Instructor: Ilona Koranova
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The course was very useful and was succesful in teaching us common czech phrases and the beginnings of czech language
Credit Transfer Issues: no