Univerzita Karlova - Spring Semester at Charles University in Prague Past Review
By Jessica L (Religion/Religious Studies., The College of William and Mary) for
Charles University: Prague - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
Extremely worthwhile. Learned how to depend upon myself and trust in my abilities. Learned how to force myself to get out there. Learned to overcome fears.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Univerzita Karlova |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
| The term and year this program took place: | Spring 2009 |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Loved my faculty (Protestant Theological Faculty), great professors. Less work than W&M but I still put a good deal of time in, and I wouldn't have wanted more work. The classes I took were regular institutional classes in English, so by default it was mostly international students. I was the only American; there were a few German students, a Belgian student, a Chinese student and a Hungarian student. Also, a few Czech students participated in some classes; usually only one per class. Classes werer only once a week, which was nice. Learned a lot from a non-American perspective, and the classes were engaging. All professors were really knowledgeable. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The international director at my faculty was great; very helpful. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived at Kolej Hostivar, located about 30 minutes outside of the center by tram. It was a quiet neighborhood save for the large group of international students. The dorms could be rowdy, but my floor was quiet. Met lots of interesting people; I was one of only a few Americans. Seemed dismal at first, but ended up being a great experience. |
| * Food: |
Prague has delicious and cost efficient food in general. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
|
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
Prague seems relatively safe, but I avoided traveling very late at night alone. As a single female I tried to exercise caution in general; not be too predictable, walk confidently, speak minimally if I felt uncomfortable so they did not know I was not Czech. These were just precautions though. |
| 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? | Inched above $100 due to traveling expenses. |
Language
| 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? |
There were no Czech classes available through my department; I should have pursued them elsewhere. I knew enough for my day to day dealings (buying groceries, ordering food, etc.) but as i was living with other foreign students everyone spoke English as a common language anyway. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Go for it; direct enrollment is scary but thrilling. Sometimes you will feel foolish for traveling off alone, but sometimes it will be wonderful. And it will all come from you. |
