Czech out Prague Past Review
By Andrea L (Psychology, Trinity University) - abroad from 08/26/2015 to 12/16/2015 with
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Prague, Czech Republic
I gained a longing for adventure and need to explore wherever I am living. I am no longer okay with living in the "Trinity bubble" and need to explore outside of my comfort zone.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The courses were not as difficult as the ones at Trinity, though I appreciated this as it allowed me to have time to immerse myself in Czech culture. Had the classes been as rigorous, I think I would have missed out on many travel opportunities and has less time to explore. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Everyone at CEA was AMAZING! I felt comfortable going to them with any issues and even visited them in my free time. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We had some issues with the dishwasher, but they fixed it as soon as possible. |
| * Food: |
It is kind of difficult to find the right foods because of the language barrier, but almost everyone is willing to help you. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not have an issue, but my friend did. CEA took us to a health clinic immediately but the health care system in Prague is universal so it took almost 4 hours for my friend to be seen for fifteen minutes and they did not prescribe preventative medication. |
| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I would not trade this experience for the world. Living in Prague was like living in a fairytale and you can easily travel anywhere. |
Finances
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* 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) |
The entire semester cost the same, if not less, than attending and living at Trinity. This includes all spending and travel expenses. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $50 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Budget. Budget. Budget. There will be a few weeks where you travel back-to-back and keep in mind that if you do this, you need to plan out how you will use your money the entire time. Don't blow it all on one trip and stress about it the rest of the time. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
We were encouraged to use it, but it was not frowned upon if we did not. |
| 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? | sSome panish courses, but this did not help in the Czech Republic |
| 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? | Watch movies in that language just so you become accustomed to hearing it and it isn't as much of a shock. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Bring more warm clothes. It's freezing. |
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 UrbaniteA 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. |
