fun, inspiring, valuable, freeing, surreal, teachable and eye-opening Past Review

By A student (PSYCHOLOGY., Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/27/2013 to 05/17/2013 with

CIEE: Prague - Central European Studies

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

Too much to say in words. I think everyone should take advantage of any opportunity they might have to go abroad. Interacting with so many different people from a variety of different backgrounds....jumping from city to city every other weekend...study Czech as a brand new language...meeting lifetime friends from all over the US...and having one of the few opportunities in my life to have little worries, little responsibilities and all the time in the world to be free, young and adventurous. A huge learning experience for me to get a chance to understand myself as a person better.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	Rigor and intensity was light, but exactly the right amount for being abroad. It allowed us to keep educational learning first while also having time to appreciate our unique location and opportunities to travel. I wouldn't have wanted the educational experience to be any less challenging or any more challenging.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?
* Food:	SO cheap and you can get pretty much any type of food you can think of! Restaurants were fantastic.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	I slowly started to feel more a part and familiar with the local culture. I learned to really appreciate their lifestyle and found myself adjusting easily.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	I never had health issues there but all friends I knew that did were tended to well.
* Safety:	Prague came across as a very safe city to live. Like all cities, there are certain areas that are more dangerous than others but generally a very safe city!
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)	Groceries in Prague are extremely cheap!
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	$15 at the grocery store could get you enough food for about a week and a half.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Try to keep a budget as you go. It's easy to lose track of how much you're spending especially sense so much is at your fingertips.

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
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	Apartment
* 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 beauty of the city. Speechless The beer gardens and remote areas of the city The nightlife, bars, beer, people etc...
* What could be improved?	I wouldn't change a thing about Prague
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I learned a lot about the cities and locations in Europe in general. I may have planned out my travels a little differently.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	PSYC 3001 PRAG / POLI 3001 PRAG - Psychology of Transition and Transformation
Course Department:	Psychology and Poliscience
Instructor:	David Heller and Katerina Machovcova
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This course provided a good amount of challenge, offered optional field trips, held interesting speakers, and had some extremely interesting discussion topics. I found it really fun to be able to learn more about the Communist regime and its long lasting effects while heavily applying psychology to the transition of people that lived under the regime...really interesting class. The two professors that co-taught the class were a good balance for each other and were great at monitoring discussions and providing effective assignments.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I have not heard back from CIEE about any final grades or official transcripts...

Course Name/Rating:	AHIS 3001 PRAG - Art and Architecture of Prague
Course Department:	Art History
Instructor:	Marie Homerova
Instruction Language:	Language
Comments:	I loved this class because it had an "out" class once a week where the instructor would tour us around Prague. We got to view and analyze this amazingly historical and beautiful buildings and structures all around the city first hand with our incredibly knowledgable instructor. She was a little difficult to understand at times due to her heavy accent but she was extremely kind and willing to help explain or answer any questions. She even offered make up tours and extra credit options as well!
Credit Transfer Issues:	I have not received final grades yet from CIEE...

Course Name/Rating:	CEAS 3002 PRAG - Contemporary Czech Culture
Course Department:	CEAS
Instructor:	Pavla Janssonova
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	I love this course as well. It allowed us to get out of the classroom and explore the contemporary art and culture of Prague. The professor was very enthusiastic and fun to listen to.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I have not received any final grades from CIEE...

Course Name/Rating:	CZEC 1001 PRAG - Beginning Czech Language, I
Course Department:	Czech Language
Instructor:	Karolina Novakova
Instruction Language:	Czech
Comments:	I loved Czech class. It was fun, interesting and provided a ton of helpful information for becoming oriented and familiarized with a brand new, foreign, and amazing city like Prague! Being able to speak even just a little bit of Czech was really helpful and made the experience so much more rewarding.
Credit Transfer Issues:	Have not received any final grades from CIEE yet...

Course Name/Rating:	LITT 3002 PRAG / ANTH 3002 PRAG - Interpretation of Czech Fairy Tales
Course Department:	Literature and Anthropology
Instructor:	Barbara Storchova
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This class was not very challenging except for the final paper and test - which were way over the top difficult compared to how well she prepared us. The class had potential to be really interesting given the materials and subject. However, the professor had a really heavy accent and was not completely fluent in English which made it really hard to get through things in class. It was hard to understand what she was saying and much of the class was spent with her trying to find the right words or the right explanation.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I have not received any final grades from CIEE yet...