An unforgettable Semester Past Review

By A student (Mathematics, Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/26/2015 to 05/16/2015 with

CIEE: Prague - Central European Studies

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

I learned what it's like to be surrounded by another culture. I wasn't able to read many things (especially in the beginning) and had to navigate and figure things out with limited use of my phone. It was definitely worth while. I learned about lot about myself and how to adapt to a new culture and live on my own.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	I didn't like having only one roommate. Most people had 2-4 which I would have preferred.
* Food:	It was very possible to find any food you wanted in Prague. They had it all!
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	We had Czech buddies that we saw somewhat often and our teachers were Czech.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	Just important to be aware of your surroundings. Never felt uncomfortable or unsafe.
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)	Things were pretty cheap. So it was pretty easy to live without spending too much.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	Probably $200 per week

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	5
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?	Try to use Czech language as much as you can. At the grocery store, out and about when shopping. Don't turn to english, its a natural instinct to do, but avoid that as much as possible

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
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?	The number of opportunities they had How you had the option of where to live how you couldn't live with people you know in apartments
* What could be improved?	the class selections the communication between staff and students about course structures
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Nothing really. They were good at explaining what was going to happen next and led us through the semester.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.	The Avid Adventurer The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Contemporary Czech Culture
Course Department:
Instructor:	Pavla Jonssonová
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Understanding what the teacher expected on the exam was difficult since the culture of examining is different
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Gender in the Czech Republic
Course Department:
Instructor:	Blanka Nyklová
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Really interesting information that we learned, the teacher was sometimes unreasonable and expectations weren't always clear
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Interpretation of Czech Fairytales
Course Department:
Instructor:	Barbara Storchová
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Would have liked the class more if it was formatted differently. Teacher wasn't always the best at keeping the attention of the students. Doesn't compare American fairytales to Czech fairytales as much as I would have enjoyed.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Tribal Myths and Traditions of the Czechs
Course Department:
Instructor:	Jan Pařez
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Really passionate teacher. Able to answer any question you have. Funny too.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Beginning Czech Language
Course Department:
Instructor:	Karolína Nováková
Instruction Language:	English/Czech
Comments:	Really helpful to learn Czech language to navigate. Required to take.
Credit Transfer Issues: