Life-Shaping Past Review
By A student (Mathematics, Berea College) - abroad from 01/31/2013 to 05/18/2013 with
ISA Study Abroad in Prague, Czech Republic
I learned a lot about my own capabilities and resourcefulness. I also learned how to be more assertive. Furthermore, I developed formidable traveling and travel-planning skills, figuring out transportation and lodging on a budget, as well as thinking quickly and adapting when all of my careful plans went out the window. Communicating with people who don't speak English developed into an important skill as well. After all of this, I feel like I can handle anything. I don't panic, I just take a moment, look at the situation and immediately start figuring out how to handle it or, if I don't know how to handle it, finding someone who does.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Fortunately, the classes were not particularly strenuous or difficult, giving me more time to enjoy the city. The classes were great about helping me deal with culture shock and maximize my time there. The classes, taught by Czechs, not only taught me about their subject matter but also provided framework for learning about the history and culture of the Czech Republic and how they shaped each other. My classes opened my eyes and made me consciously aware of what I was seeing around me, how people interacted and the historical sites, and gave me a much deeper understanding and, as a result, appreciation for what I was seeing. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The ISA staff were absolutely amazing. They provided great excursions and opportunities for us to learn about and experience Czech culture and history. They also made themselves available as a resource to help us adapt and learn. They were consistently supportive and there to help us with absolutely anything that came up. I truly enjoyed getting to know them and the city through them. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved having an apartment near the city center. I was within walking distance of Wenceslas Square and literally a 1-2 minute walk from the green line metro station. My apartment was quite spacious and comfortable. I also liked that my apartment was in an ordinary apartment building, not just one for other international students. |
| * Food: |
I cooked for myself the majority of the time to save money, but the Czech food was really good, in my opinion. The traditional Czech dishes are pretty heavy--beef with gravy and dumplings. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I quickly felt like I fit right into the Czech culture as I went about my daily life, grocery shopping, taking the metro, and walking around. However, it was somewhat difficult to meet Czech people, since all of my classes were with other Americans and I lived with other Americans. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I always felt completely safe in Prague at any time day or night. Pickpocketing is common, but I never had any problems with it. |
| 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 was a pretty cheap city to live in. After paying the initial program costs, by cooking for myself, I really didn't have to spend much money once I got there. I didn't have to buy any books for my classes and food was not expensive even if I went out. I honestly spent most of my money on souvenirs for people. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I'm not entirely certain, but I would say around $40 per week maximum. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Cook for yourself and don't spend a lot of money going out. |
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 |
The intensive Czech course was very helpful, there was a semester-long Czech class, and ISA offered extra Czech lessons. In addition, on excursions or when hanging out at the ISA office, the ISA staff would help me with my Czech and be very supportive of my efforts to practice. |
| 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? | 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? | Take all of the classes, go to the tutoring sessions, and try to practice every chance you get talking to Czech people. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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? | It is totally normal that I immediately regretted my decision to go the second I got there, but within just a few weeks, I felt like I fit right in and was loving every opportunity. Also, the 4 months does go pretty quickly, so it's important to be incredibly intentional about researching and planning specifically what you want to see and do while you're there. You should never just be sitting in your apartment. Prague is simply too beautiful and full of surprises to waste any time not exploring! |
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. |
