Prague -- very fun and extremely livable city Past Review
By Hannah Kressel (Brandeis University) - abroad from 09/10/2018 to 12/22/2018 with
CIEE: Prague - Central European Studies
I loved it -- I loved living on my own (mostly) and forcing myself to interact daily with a culture different than what I grew up in; Prague is very affordable and fun and is a great location to access other countries in 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. |
work is definitely assigned but you only have to do it -- it doesn't necessarily have to be done well; some of the professors are incompetent and assignments are confusing/never accounted for -- makes academics frustrating but not difficult |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I lived in an apartment CIEE organized; I loved the apartment however it had a lot of issues (no hot water, leaking etc) and random workers would enter the apartment at random times (they mustve been given a key by the landlord) and CIEE either didn't know this was happening or never gave me or my roommate notice; my Czech buddy left the program 3 weeks in and CIEE never addressed the issue, checked in with me or my roommate, or attempted to find a replacement |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
the apartment itself was beautiful and in a good location -- administration of the apartment was not handled well |
| * Food: |
very affordable, I have dietary restrictions but had no trouble finding good/cheap food |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I didn't make any connections with local Czechs however I did feel comfortable in Czech culture -- however definitely as someone studying there (there is a large international community) |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
the program was helpful when I needed to go to a doctor (set up the apt) and the doctor was very helpful |
| * Safety: |
Prague was extremely safe -- public transport was very accessible and easy at all hours and the city itself was very easy to navigate; I heard about pickpocketing etc but I personally had no issue |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I loved Prague and the people I met/things I saw however found the administration of the program to be mostly unhelpful and some of the professors to be extremely out of touch with what they were teaching and contemporary teaching standards |
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) |
my groceries each week were about 30/40 dollars and all other expenses (to go out etc. were not expensive either) the program also provided us with transportation cards which made all travel within the city (including to the airport) very easy |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 40/week on groceries 40/month on gym 30/40 on going out/museums a week |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | plan out your grocery shopping -- especially if you are traveling every weekend -- don't buy too much that it goes bad over the weekend or too little that youre constantly buying food at restaurants/cafes; you only need to buy one drink and can sit at a cafe all day -- dont let the waiters guilt you into spending more! |
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 |
necessary for understanding public transport and buying things in stores however almost everyone within the city spoke English |
| 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 |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 0 experience in czech |
| 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? | force yourself to use it even when people in stores respond to you in English |
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? | 0 |
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 much I would miss prague once I left |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
