Could not imagine going anywhere else Past Review

By Jonathan C (Economics, Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/02/2015 to 05/15/2015 with

UPCES - Study Abroad in Prague (CERGE-EI, Charles University)

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

Through being vastly removed from my comfort zone, I learned how to live an everyday life totally independently. The school itself was not too challenging, but that enhanced the cultural aspect of living in Prague and allowed for more adventures, such as travelling.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	Not very hard until finals rolled around.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?
* Food:
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:
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)
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	Probably $70 and I ate pretty liberally.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Cook and budget beforehand for each week.

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?	Not any Czech prior to departure.
How many hours per day did you use the language?	0
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants?	Use it at restaurants. It's easy and encourages practice.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Apartment
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Americans
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Americans International Students
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?	The city The teachers No friday classes
* What could be improved?	Economics of Transition Make Czech class later than 8:20 Maybe a little more cultural integration
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Honestly nothing. They did a great job of helping us through the whole process.

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 Urbanite A 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.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Economics of Transition
Course Department:	Economics
Instructor:	Semerek
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Driest professor I have ever had in my life. Impossible to learn anything. Would never recommend this class to any student.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Intro to Czech
Course Department:	Czech
Instructor:	Petra
Instruction Language:	Czech
Comments:	Although early in the morning, the teacher made it stimulating and easy to learn. Incredibly sweet woman.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Housing Market in a Central European Context
Course Department:	Economics
Instructor:	Martin Lux
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Probably most challenging class. Teacher was nice and new what he was doing and encouraged participation.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Comprehending the Holocaust
Course Department:	History
Instructor:	Michael Plzak
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Favorite class by far. This professor was so easy going and knowledgeable and made the class easy to learn. Very tough subject to teach but he did and unbelievable job with it and was an awesome guy.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Prague as a Living History
Course Department:	History
Instructor:	Jaroslav Svatek
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Cool to walk around Prague and see everything and learn about it, but the teacher was super dry and just needs to spice up the class a little. Tests and assessments were pretty straight forward though.
Credit Transfer Issues: