Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Great to be in Europe! Past Review

By (Film, Video, Photographic Arts, Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/23/2015 to 05/20/2016 with

New York University, Tisch Study Abroad: Prague - 35mm Filmmaking in Prague

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Great being in Europe. The program was disorganized, but it was awesome shooting on 35mm.

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.

Some courses better than others. None are very academically challenging. Access to equipment during shoots. Otherwise, gear and facilities are rather limited.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

NYU Prague was well organized. FAMU less so.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

NYU dorms were really nice and spacious.

* Food:

Prague doesn't have an extensive food scene but there are some gems. And it's cheap!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Not a ton of interaction with Czech people.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Prague is super safe.

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)

Rather easy to get by in Prague. Spent about $100 a week, but you could spend less for sure.

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? Rather easy to save money in Prague.

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

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? Czech is pretty tough. Good to learn some basic info.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • 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? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Europe
  • 35mm
  • Film!
* What could be improved?
  • Organization
  • Professors
  • Classes
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? This is a good program if you want to shoot on film/travel in Europe.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Screenwriting in Prague
Course Department: FAMU
Instructor: Pavel Jech
Instruction Language:
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

An Historical Analysis of European Cinema
Course Department: FAMU
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Petra was awesome! Structured class with interesting info.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Directing Traditions: Theory & Masterpieces
Course Department: FAMU
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Intermediate Film Production
Course Department: FAMU
Instructor: Michael G.
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Shooting on 35mm is awesome. The highlight of the program.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Language Arts Culture of Czech Republic
Course Department: FAMU
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: We got to visit some cool places. Language class met once a week.
Credit Transfer Issues: