Prague, Czech Republic: a beautiful city, culture, and experience. Past Review
By Alyssa S (Theatre and Political Science, Trinity University) for
CIEE: Prague - Central European Studies
My cultural awareness of Central and Eastern Europe is so much deeper now, and my understanding of the gulf between former communist countries and the Western Europe.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The work load was too much, and the expectations were very different from what I was used to. It caused a lot of stress. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program was a little bit scattered, and the passing along of information was sometimes difficult, but I think that was due to the disparity between the volume of students and the small staff on hand. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The housing was absolutely fantastic. There were some cookware things that would have been nice to have in the apartment, but the essentials like bedding and basic cookware were provided. The neighborhood was extremely safe, and a fabulous location in appreciating all that the local culture of Prague involved. We weren't in a touristy part of town, so we had a better immersion experience. And class was an easy 20 minute commute by tram/metro. |
| * Food: |
I was responsible for my own grocery shopping and cooking, but I recommend Billa or Albert for groceries. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We were given a lot of opportunities to travel around the Czech Republic for free with the program. I visited Cesky Krumlov, Trebon, Most, Trebic, Ledice, Terezin, Brno, and Kutna Hora through both CIEE optional day/weekend trips, or through required field trips for classes. They provided us with meals, and accommodation for free, as well as amazing cultural experiences in each location. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Prague felt extremely safe to me. Aside from petty theft (pickpocketing), of which I was never a victim, there was nothing else that the program really stressed for us. Aside from basic city safety practices-- being careful walking alone after dark etc., I never felt unsafe. |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Personal expenses were cheap, as food is very cheap in the Czech Republic. I probably spent an equivalent of $50 or so on groceries etc. every week? But probably less. And going out to eat, meals would average about $6-10. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I can't think of any at the moment. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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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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 think that a student who can appreciate the many opportunities of a richly cultural city can benefit the most from Prague. Museums, art, festivals, opera, theatre-- they are all incredibly cheap and available. Anyone who is ready to experience a culture with a completely different background from ours (communism, and a very young democratic government) it bound to enjoy and benefit from living in Prague. |
