Prague: City of the Gods Past Review
By Christopher D (Directing, Illinois State University) for
ISA Study Abroad in Prague, Czech Republic
See things in a different and more global view.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Our program was different so many of these questions do not apply. We went with professors from ISU, our home university. We went for a specific event, the Prague Quadrennial. These generalized questions are not helpful for us to answer. We cannot get into answering many of these because we used the classroom at Charles University in Prague, but we brought our professors. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
ISA Prague office staff excelled. They went above and beyond expectations. They responded immediately and always assisted in a timely and professional manner. ISA Prague staff deserves praise as they know what they're doing, how to do it, and are great professionals and excellent service staff. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Best housing location wise. Unfortunately bed bugs were discovered the first night we were there. But ISA tPrague staff responded to the issue and resolved it quickly. Also, students be aware that laundry facilities are different: washers are small and most items are hang dried, no dryers used. Unfortunately the washing machine did not work in our apartment and it was not fixed before the end of our three weeks. |
| * Food: |
If in Prague, visit The Globe Bookshop and Cafe - the soup of the day is a great deal, happy hour has a great special on wings and some other foods: Pštrossova 1925/6, 110 00 Prague 1-New Town, Czech Republic; also this place is run by English speakers so it's a good place to either start off your trip or go to relax if you ever get "homesick" |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Prague Quadrennial, Terezin, Cesky Krumlov, - arranged and all great trips. Not arranged but done on own: Lidice, Kutna Hora - these two places should be added as they reflect many sides of Prague and it's history and character. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Prague is a safe city. No issues with our group. No one even got pickpocketed. |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Eat 2 meals a day at home: breakfast and dinner- treat yourself to one meal a day. Grocery shopping is done differently, it's done on a daily basis so not bulk buying like done in the US. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| 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?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Explore, wander down the side streets, find all the hidden gems. It's a safe city. It's a beautiful city. It's a fun city. Use common sense, have fun, and you'll be fine. But do stop and take it all you see. There's nothing like it anywhere else. |
