It forced me outside of my comfort zone for the best! Past Review

By A student (American/United States Studies/Civilization., Middlebury College) - abroad from 09/09/2013 to 12/13/2013 with

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

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

I am happy that I chose to go to Prague because I was somewhat naive to its eastern European aspect and the environment that I lived in there definitely gives me a totally different perspective on America and our history. If I had to reconsider what program I would go on, I think that I would have also looked into Copenhagen or Amsterdam, however, I do not think I would have had the same reaction because I would have been more comfortable in those western cities.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	UPCES provided interesting classes that were relevant to the location of our study abroad program, however, some of the professors failed to realize that this was a study abroad and the workload was at times holding me back from traveling away on a weekend to a city that I was extremely interested in visiting and that did not seem like something that should happen when you are abroad and you are supposed to experience all that you can.
* 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?	It was difficult to integrate with the Czechs because of how hostile and uncomfortable they were around Americans, but it pushed me outside of my comfort zone and forced me to deal with a difficult situation on my own.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	I rarely felt unsafe in the city and especially in the neighborhood that I lived in.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	No

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)	Prague was very cheap and we often cooked, which was very cheap, because the city is also not known for its cuisine.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	~$60-$100 on food and drinks in Prague- Traveling was much pricier
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Cook as much as possible. It forces you to learn to take care of yourself on a budget. Take the public transportation as much as you can, except for at dangerous times.

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?	Intermediate
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program?	Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	AP Spanish
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?	I thought that having the Czech Language course was good for the necessary words and phrases we would need to live in the city, but the course went a little bit too in depth for a language that outside of the country is basically irrelevant and would not need to be known.

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	Local Students Americans International Students
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?	Accessible staff class subjects housing help
* What could be improved?	less concentration of students from one school, it made us feel like we were on Tulane's program understanding professors, students go abroad to experience a new culture, traveling and independence, not to sit in a class room and work all weekend like we do in our home Universities. I learned more outside of the classroom than in the classroom abroad. Basic Czech instead of in depth
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	There is a large concentration of Tulane students making it difficult to meet others outside of the Middlebury group. Prague is not the most welcoming city to Americans.

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:	Global Communication
Course Department:
Instructor:	Todd Nesbitt
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	I was interested in taking this class because of the topic of globalization and the height of the Cold War, however, Professor Nesbitt made the topic very uninteresting and rushed through many of the key aspects of global communication. It felt as though Professor Nesbitt has no desire to be in class and he did not want to see any of us do well in the class, which was a huge disappointment since the class was three hours long on a Wednesday afternoon.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Life and Culture in a Totalitarian Regime
Course Department:	History
Instructor:	Barbara Day
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	I loved the subject of the course and how relevant it was to the city we were living in and the recent history of the country's politics and freedom. Professor Day, while obviously very well exposed to the topic having lived through it all in Prague, with all respect, was a very difficult professor to have since she could not hear or engage in conversation with any of the students. She lacked a relationship with the students and it made it difficult to ask her questions or understand why she chose to come to Prague during the madness in the first place.
Credit Transfer Issues: