Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

What a time! Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 09/11/2018 to 12/17/2018 with

UPCES - Study Abroad in Prague (CERGE-EI, Charles University)

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
definitely

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.

Finals were tough- had 5 exams and 4 papers, much more work than here at Middlebury

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Sometimes they were really helpful, but sometimes it felt like a summer camp and the people running it were the counselors. Orientation seemed poorly organized and they didn't really seem to know what was going on next. Our metro passes also expired with a week of school left

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I did not live in program housing

* Food:

Awesome restaurants

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I understood it, but the locals didn't have much patience for us/didn't want to talk to Americans

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Thought they were well addressed

* Safety:

Always felt safe. The program says West of Old Town Square isn't safe because there are drug dealers offering drugs but if you say "no thank you" they leave you alone. I always felt very safe in the city

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

SO much fun

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 went out to dinner a lot. definitely didn't have to spend as much as I did

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 150-300
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Cook

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

encouraged us to use it in Czech class and around the city

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?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? speak it

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
  • International Students
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?
  • classes
  • professors
  • relaxed
* What could be improved?
  • organization of orientation
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Wish I'd planned my trips around the excursions more, wish I'd seen more of the Czech Republic. Definitely going back though

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

European Integration Why and How
Course Department: Political Science
Instructor: Lucia Najslova
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Yes challenging but I learned a ton in the class. thought I would do worse than I did. got a lot out of the class
Credit Transfer Issues: haven't tried
Course Name/Rating:

Economics of Transition
Course Department: Econ
Instructor: Vilem Semerak
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Not too challenging but not easy either. the exams were tough. material could get boring but Vilem wanted us to learn what interested us so had no problem going on relevant tangents that were very interesting
Credit Transfer Issues: Haven't tried
Course Name/Rating:

Czech
Course Department: LAN
Instructor: Suzanna
Instruction Language: English/Czech
Comments: Understand why some thought it was challenging but Suzanna was awesome. Walked us through everything and made sure we understood
Credit Transfer Issues: haven't tried
Course Name/Rating:

Comprehending the Holocaust
Course Department:
Instructor: Michael Plzak
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Awesome class. Loved Professor Plzak and learned a ton
Credit Transfer Issues: haven't tried
Course Name/Rating:

Walking Tour of Prague
Course Department:
Instructor: Andrej Shripnik
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Learned a lot about Prague's history and architecture and saw a lot of the city I wouldn't have otherwise seen
Credit Transfer Issues: haven't tried