Prague - The City of 100 Spires Past Review

By A student (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?

I loved being right in the heart of Europe. It allowed me to travel easily and learn about a culture I had not previously studied. I got a lot of exposure to the Czech culture by living in the heart of the city and wouldn't have done anything differently.

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.	Intellectually stimulating, but not very intense or rigorous - which was a nice break from Middlebury to be honest.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	Very nice and helpful.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	We bought our own apartment outside of their living arrangements, so take the rating with a grain of salt. Their living arrangements were fine too.
* Food:	Best Italian food I've ever had
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	Some Czech people are nice, others are less friendly.
* 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?	200
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Not really, but you can definitely save money but not eating out, going out to clubs often

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?	Spanish 210
How many hours per day did you use the language?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants?	They offer a "Czech Buddy" - a student from a nearby university that you can meet up with. they'd be willing to help you practice, but it is hard to use with the locals.

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
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?	Field Trips Food Comprehending the Holocaust Class
* What could be improved?	Potentially more rigorous classes
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	How to speak Czech, because it would have been a lot easier to connect with the locals, but definitely not a requirement at all for this program.

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.