Prague: A place to grow culturally, socially and academically. Past Review
By Barbara W (Architectural History and Criticism., Middlebury College) for
UPCES - Study Abroad in Prague (CERGE-EI, Charles University)
Yes it was. It allowed me to grow and become a lot more independent.
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. |
My workload abroad was very minimal. I hardly had any weekly assignments. Europeans rely heavily on their final exams so that period was overwhelming and a lot of built up work and pressure. The teaching methods were good in some classes and lacking in others. The quality of teaching was definitely not as high as at Middlebury College. I found the grading to be fair. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I felt the program was very well led. The leaders made themselves very accessible and they constantly helped us out academically, socially and culturally adjust. The size was perfect and I felt our program was able to get very close but also do our own thing. My expectations were definitely met if not surpassed. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Our apartment was in a very sketchy neighborhood and I constantly felt unsafe. I feel it taught us a lot about the culture and ultimately was a good experience, but I would not recommend our apartment to another Middlebury student. |
| * Food: |
The Czech cuisine is not good. There are a fair amount of restaurants you can find other types of food in though. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We saw a National Czech hockey game which was incredibly fun. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I think Prague is a safe place. There is a lot of petty crime and a ton of homeless people. One needs to be cautious as they would in any city abroad, but I would say Prague is very much a safe place. |
| 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
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Our program required us to take an elementary Czech course. We met twice a week and had multiple quizzes and exams. It really helped me in everyday interactions. |
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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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? | I think someone that wants to have a very exciting and upbeat abroad experience should go to Prague. Someone that wants to spend more time involving themselves in the everyday culture than in the classroom. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Prague as a Living History: Anatomy of a European Capital |
| Course Department: | History/Cultural Studies/Art History/Architecture |
| Instructor: | Ondrej Skripnik |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This course was very interactive. It revolved around actually visiting architecturally important places around Prague and studying them in a hands-on manner. I loved this course. The Professor was knowledgeable and I felt I participated the same as I would in an Art History class at Middlebury College. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Gothic, Baroque, Modern: Arts in Bohemia Culture |
| Course Department: | History/Art History/ Architecture |
| Instructor: | Tomas Hribek |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | I am an Art History major so this course was my favorite. It was extremely well taught and it focused solely on Eastern and Central European art. It allowed me to be exposed to a totally different area of art that I had never studied before. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Romanticism and National Identity in Central Europe |
| Course Department: | Literature/History |
| Instructor: | Martin Prochazka |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | I had never taken a literature course before and I wanted to try it out. The professor was extremely knowledgeable and I felt I really excelled in this course. We learned about Romanticism in Central Europe. I felt I gained a good understanding of the Czech Republic's history and I also gained new writing skills. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Elementary Czech (Mandatory) |
| Course Department: | Czech/Foreign Languages |
| Instructor: | Zuzana Svibkova |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This course was extremely helpful. It taught us elementary Czech that helped us in every day conversations. It gave me a basic understanding of the Czech language and made me feel a lot more comfortable in the host culture. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Czechs, Americans and Europeans: Cultural Contrasts and Common Ground |
| Course Department: | Anthropology/Cultural Studies |
| Instructor: | Dan Shanahan |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This was an extremely interesting course. It focused around an analytical study of American expatriates living in Prague. Throughout the semester we found expatriates on our own and interviewed them extensively. We then worked with other students to analyze and prepare a presentation of our findings. I learned a lot about Czech culture and Czech-American relations. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No |
