Living in a Fantasy Past Review
By Jordan E (Psychology, Wesleyan University) - abroad from 09/14/2015 to 12/18/2015 with
UPCES - Study Abroad in Prague (CERGE-EI, Charles University)
I became much more confident with regards to my independence.
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. |
I preferred the classes that revolved around the history of the Czech Republic, because it made living in Prague more meaningful (including Czech!). |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration is AMAZING. Always helpful, informative, and available. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The housing process was chaos, but once my roommates and I had an apartment it was incredible. We had the perfect apartment. |
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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 had to see a doctor the first week I was there, and it was not nearly as nerve-racking as I anticipated. Very helpful and it was comforting to have an administrator accompany me. |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I miss Prague and the program every day. |
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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | It varied a lot due to weekend travels. Average I'd say $25-$35 |
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 |
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| 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? | Intermediate Spanish |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Have fun trying what you've learned outside of class. (locals will also like you better if you do) |
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? | I wish I knew how incredible it would be, so that I would not have missed the deadline with my University for doing a full year abroad. |
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. |
