Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Once-in-a-lifetime July 21, 2022

By (International Politics and Economics, Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/12/2022 to 05/12/2022 with

CET Prague

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned about European culture. It was definitely worthwhile.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Classes not very hard, some were very informative and culturally relevant, some were basically pointless.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My apartment was great but others had worse apartments. Every once in a while, there would be a problem that required fixing, but nothing serious or long-lasting ever.

* Food:

We bought all our own food

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

There were Czech roommates that help you learn more about Czech culture but besides that, it was hard to integrate because all the students are from the US

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The one time I needed something health-related, our assigned insurance provider was essentially useless.

* Safety:

I never felt unsafe and I don't know of anyone else feeling unsafe in Prague.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Prague was great, the people I lived with were great, my program took us on a bunch of cool trips around Europe and paid for a lot of our meals.

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)

I probably spent $200 or more/week but that was inclusive of things outside of food/necessary expenses. Prague is a very affordable city. If you only buy food/necessities, you could do so with $100 a week

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $250 roughly
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Make your own food. Buy groceries.

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

There was a language class but Czech is very hard to learn and it was not suggested that we use it heavily in everyday life.

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? None
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? Focus on the essentials: being able to read a menu/order food, know directions, transit information, greetings.

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? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The people I lived with
  • Prague
  • Being able to travel to other cities/countries easily and cheaply
* What could be improved?
  • The internship component of the program was a mess.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? If you want to do an internship through the program, don't expect to be placed at a company that does the work that you're interested in doing. There's one specific company that they will place you at (they've been placing students there for years) regardless of what you say you're interested in.

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:

European economies in transition
Course Department:
Instructor: Petr Balcar
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Not challenging, no content taught, tests were a joke, class sessions were a joke, all homework essentially optional. If you want to learn something, pick a different class. If you want the easiest A of your life, it's right here.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Conflict and Cooperation
Course Department: International relations
Instructor: Jitka
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Really great discussions, really smart and capable teacher
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Czech art and architecture
Course Department:
Instructor: Martin Krumholz
Instruction Language:
Comments: Really great exposure to Prague and Czech architecture, smart teacher, class format a little inefficient, easy tests.
Credit Transfer Issues: