Prague: Disneyland for the college student Past Review
By Aubrey T (Political Science/Geography, University of Wisconsin - Madison) for
CIEE: Prague - Summer Central European Studies
Basically I gained a new respect for Europe outside of the West. It was my first trip east of Germany and the horror stories of the Cold War past were mostly malarkey. Prague is honestly the best place I have ever been. I really want to focus my political science and geography majors towards Eastern Europe now because I think both the rest of the world and I have so much to learn about it and its wonderful cities and people
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. |
Very good for the time frame... The psychoanalysis course was challenging but all in all nothing impeded me from exploring the country and yet still gave me plenty to learn about. I honestly think I got more out of class abroad than I do at home. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The Czech buddies were fantastic. Always friendly, always willing to help. They knew so much not only about the Czech Republic but also of the United States which made relating that much easier. The program size was nearly perfect although it suffered somewhat from being cliquey, but that's the fault of individuals. My expectations were greatly exceeded as I had debated studying abroad in the first place. I would be kicking myself if I had not, it was the most rewarding experience I've ever had |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Great neighborhood. A short tram ride away from class, while located in a nice quiet area of pubs and close to the metro. I didn't need to buy much for the apartment. My roommate Frano was awesome in helping me adjust and just a good friend in general. |
| * Food: |
I was close to the supermarket and the restaurants were usually fairly priced and tasty. A few kids got food poisoning but I luckily never had any trouble and generally enjoyed the cuisine. Had the best pizza of my life while in Prague surprisingly |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The field trips were fantastic for getting to know my fellow Americans and learning more about the Czech Republic simultaneously. The field trips one criticism is that there wasn't much time for exploration, but at least they made sure we saw the majority of the awesome sites around the country. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Never had a problem honestly, but they made sure you knew you would be taken care of |
| 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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Language
| 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?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live 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? | DO IT. There is an amazing amount of culture, beauty, and fun to take in. The classes are well organized and not too challenging that you can't go out exploring. CIEE's Czech buddy system is also very helpful for finding the secrets of the city and taking full advantage of your time there. Everyone was extremely friendly, and not a bit fake. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Psychoanalysis |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | Joe |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Very challenging, but the teacher was really enthusiastic about the material. I participated more due to the small class size. We had a few field trips which were interesting |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Survival Course in Czech |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | Jana |
| Instruction Language: | Czech/English |
| Comments: | It wasn't that challenging as it was an introductory course, but it was really fun and helpful for life abroad. Jana was an amazing teacher and I was always happy to have attended lecture. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Czech History |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Very interesting and the teacher was great. We had some very informative field trips which really helped the material soak in. Highly recommended |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
