Amazing Experience Past Review
By William (University of Toronto) - abroad from 09/01/2013 to 06/10/2014 with
Masaryk University: Brno - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I learned so much, but not much from the courses. I learned independence and confidence. I tried so many new things and went to 15+ countries over the course of 10 months so that in itself was worthwhile.
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. |
Courses were taught in English and most of them were geared towards international students so if you speak and write English well you will have a much better chance of doing well. There was a lot of reading to complete but if you didn't do the readings it didn't really affect your grades too much. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I had an specific person who I could direct all my administration questions to which made things very easy. When I had troubles getting my residency card he was able to help me quickly get that sorted by arranging for someone to go with me and translate for me. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The student dorms were just that. Nothing great. I stayed in Vinarska where the majority of international students stayed. This was very fun as all your friends are living in the same building as you. It can get very loud at times though. The actual rooms are very basic, shared accommodation with a small kitchenette, a shower with a sink attached, and a small toilet room. Some rooms had a balcony. |
| * Food: |
Food was very inexpensive at restaurants, the cafeterias and grocery stores. Cooking was difficult as we were only provided with a hot plate but the cafeteria provides hot meals for $1-3 and restaurant meals were between $5-10 |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I had fairly little integration to the local culture but I did meet a few Czech and Slovak students who were very friendly. You mostly ended up socializing with the international students who are mostly from around Europe so that is interesting to learn about different cultures. I learned very little Czech but was able to travel around the country extensively and be immersed in the culture that way. Also living in Brno vs Prague gives you a much more authentic Czech experience with few tourists and English speaking people around. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Nothing happened to me but they never once checked for my health insurance and those that had to use the hospital said that it was a very easy experience despite some language barrier. |
| * Safety: |
The city felt very safe. Safe to walk around at night no problem. There is one area near the main train station where you go underneath and there are some vendors there on the way to Tesco where you should be careful for your wallet because I heard of someone getting pickpocketed there. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The program was fairly laid back and the scheduling could be done so that there was lots of time to travel and hang out with friends. It was very inexpensive especially for Europe so it made travelling very doable. |
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) |
If you wanted you could easily live on less than $100/week by cooking meals at home or eating in the cafeteria. Public transit is inexpensive with the term passes available. There are many parties to attend and entrance to them is free if you sign up for the International Student Club. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | At the beginning of each semester they have a second hand shop for free where past students have left behind things like kitchen essentials or laundry detergent so you don't need to buy that stuff. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
|
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
They had a |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| 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? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Basic Czech phrases to order meals, work through the grocery store etc. |
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. |
