Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Priceless education and very memorable experiences! Past Review

By (HISTORY., California State University - Fresno) - abroad from 09/09/2003 to 06/04/2004 with

USAC Czech Republic: Prague - Politics, Culture, and the Arts

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Learned about new interests like Art History.

Personal Information

If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: Charles University
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Life enriching academic experiences that I will never forget. Having the opportunity to study history in a historically rich country was priceless!

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Jan Stodola, the USAC Resident Director, was excellent, very helpful and an amazing tour guide.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The dorms were from the Soviet era in Prague, not big on style, but great location.

* Food:

Very good

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Made Czech friends from clubs at Charles University.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

n/a

* Safety:

Just be wary of where you keep your wallet and be aware of your surroundings, no different than living in NYC or LA.

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)

Program and cost of living were inexpensive.

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

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
* 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?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Location, central Europe, easy to travel around the continent.
  • Prague is a living time capsule, the city architecture was essentially untouched by the second war verses other metropolitan cities in central Europe.
* What could be improved?
  • nothing
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Knowledge of the German language, since most Czechs and Eastern Europeans know German as a second language, would have made travel easier.

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.