Life-changing and Eye-opening Past Review
By A student (The College of William and Mary) - abroad from 01/23/2012 to 05/11/2012 with
CIEE: Prague - Central European Studies
Appreciate every moment. Don't let the cold keep you from exploring when you first get to Prague (in the winter). Have an amazing time!
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | CIEE, FAMU |
| 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. |
I actually enjoyed the classes I took in Prague. While some people found them too "hard" for a study abroad semester of fun I thought the material I learned was interesting and helped me to better appreciate the city I was studying in. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Staff was extremely helpful, awesome, and understanding. All were great people that were easy to interact with everyday. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
So much better than I could have even expected! Had a great apartment, awesome roommates, and a great experience with my Czech roommate. Most people on the program were very happy with their housing whether it was homestay, apartment, or dorm. |
| * Food: |
I happened to like Czech food but there is a lot of it around Prague. I ended up cooking for myself most of the time because supermarket shopping is CHEAP and in the apartment cooking was easy. There are good ethnic restaurants in Prague though so if you're looking for a certain type of food you can find it in a few places. If you are a vegetarian there are limited options on menus. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Czech buddy program was really awesome! All were very friendly and fun to get to know. They helped to better understand and navigate the culture. Also having to take Czech was actually really helpful and definitely made immersion a lot easier. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
No problems for me other people I know found the hospitals frustrating but I don't really know details. |
| * Safety: |
I never once felt unsafe in Prague. As long as you don't stray into the outskirts you typically will generally be safe just be smart and don't stumble around drunk alone at night. Also beware of pickpockets though I never had problems. In general just be smart and aware of your surroundings. |
| 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) |
Prague exchange rate is awesome just don't get carried away with the pivo. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $50 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Book travel plans as in advance as possible to avoid high flight costs. |
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 |
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| 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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | none |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Be aware of the language even while walking around and reading signs, maps etc. it will help you remember even basic words. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | How fast it would fly by :( |
