Exciting and character-building! Past Review

By Abbie Rosenbaum (Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/04/2018 to 05/18/2018 with

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

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

It was a worldly experience, I gained confidence in traveling and meeting new people, a great knowledge of czech culture and european history, and I will forever love of Europe and can't wait to be back!

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.	It wasn't incredibly rigorous but compared to other programs in Prague it wasn't a joke.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	Great location although a little sketchy at night. I think the program made us pay way too much compared to local prices and it was quite annoying to have to pay rent in cash every month.
* 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?	around $100-150
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Don't go out to eat all the time, find a good grocery store near your apartment and make your meals from what you buy there its much cheaper.

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?	I took French in high school
How many hours per day did you use the language?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Apartment
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Americans International Students
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Local Students Americans International Students

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	the city freedom living in apartments program-led excursions
* What could be improved?	the housing process was stressfull paying rent in cash
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	to go with the flow and don't book trips in advance. Stay in prague for at least 4 weekends!

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:	Comprehending the Holocaust
Course Department:	History
Instructor:	Michal Plzak
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Film as a Mirror of Identity, Society, and individual Freedom
Course Department:	Film
Instructor:	Tereza Brdeckova
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	It wasn't that challenging. The films in class were interesting.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Prague as a Living History
Course Department:	History
Instructor:	Andrej
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	I learned so much about prague and it was nice to walk around and see things I would not have known about. Instruction was confusing at times and the ways they tested us seemed weird. Instead of an impossible written test and essay we should have just had to write an essay.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Kafka in Prague
Course Department:	English
Instructor:	Erik Roraback
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	It wasn't very challenging, it was more frustrating than anything. I learned about Kafka but a lot of discussion time was wasted talking about random things led by the instructor. Just two essays and a presentation.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Czech language
Course Department:	language
Instructor:	Petra
Instruction Language:	Czech/English
Comments:	It was challenging but started out at an appropriate easy level for beginners and ramped up along the semester. If you do the work its hard to fail. And everyone was very open to learning!
Credit Transfer Issues: