My experience in Prague as an Italian student with new American friends

Spending three and a half months in Prague felt like taking a small jump into the future,
towards the slightly more independent life that I imagine after university. I had my own space
for everything, studying, making friends, wandering through the city, stopping at cafes to
work, and visiting museums.
I tried to make the most of this opportunity to break away from my usual routine, which was
always filled with work and university commitments, and to enjoy some time for myself. I
realized that adapting to living in another country, with people speaking another language
(Czech) and, at the same time, with American friends, and thus from another culture, was
more natural than expected and, in fact, stimulating every day. It was a double cultural leap
that made me realize how much there is still to learn, even just by stopping speaking my
native language.
I took these months to grow and have experiences that I had always put on hold, diving
headfirst into everything I love, absorbing every suggestion and experience. It was my
American roommates who made me think right away about how little I had traveled in
Europe so far, while they had flown for at least 12 hours just to be here. Given these
premises, their goal was to see as many countries as possible and plan every weekend at
their disposal. My initial plan was completely different; I thought of enjoying Prague and
taking advantage of lighter courses to focus on some freelance work I had in progress or
start my thesis. Needless to say, I succumbed to their enthusiasm, and, in hindsight, I admit
that there was nothing better I could have done.
The first destination, after initially adapting to Prague, was Munich, a memorable experience,
especially as a first opportunity to bond with my friends out of the study programme's usual
contexts. Then, after a quick check of the cheapest flights, we went to London, where,
thanks to a frantic race among a thousand museums, I finally saw my favorite works of art in
person. Following that was Berlin, where despite the cold, we experienced an extremely
vibrant city, culturally rich; and finally, Amsterdam, which was my second trip entirely "solo"
but truly wonderful.
However, Prague was always waiting for us between weekends, a place where I immediately
felt at home, both because of the beautiful relationship established with my roommates and
the useful orientation provided by USAC in the first two weeks of the program. During that
time, in the mornings, we attended the intensive Czech language course, and after lunch,
usually trying local food, we were guided to various parts of the city. This allowed us to learn
the basics for every easy conversation and gave us the opportunity to get to know each
other better between the conviviality of meals.

In the following weeks, the actual courses began. The ones I chose were: "Alternative
Culture, Literature, Music, and Lifestyles," "Art Photography," "Marketing Principles," and
"Sustainable Development: Key Dimensions and Challenges." Each of these courses was
not held at Charles University but in dedicated classes at USAC, where only the program
participants attended. One great advantage of these courses was the small number of
students, allowing the professor to focus more on us and tailor the program to our interests.
As for the commitment, in addition to the mandatory attendance classes, there were almost
always assignments to complete, often in the form of essays. This was not a problem for my
classmates accustomed to the English language, but for me, It turned out to be a good
writing exercise. Occasionally, we also had to prepare presentations for the class, which also
helped me improve my language skills, especially because I realized that I had never said
certain things except in Italian.
All this made me understand even more how, being communicators, it is important to
practice English; otherwise, as beautiful as our projects may be, they remain limited to an
Italian audience, limiting their potential. It should also be considered that being good
communicators in Italian does not automatically mean being good in another language; it's
always like starting from scratch again.
Regarding the accommodation, I must say that it was more in that aspect that I learned the
most by communicating daily with my friends and roommates. The apartment was located in
a very strategic area of Prague, right next to one of the most important metro stations,
extensively connected to the center by buses and trams and surrounded by supermarkets
and cafes. In less than 20 minutes on foot, we reached the main square, while the journey to
the university was about 25 minutes between walking and taking the metro. Another pro of
Prague is its very efficient and user-friendly transportation system. Besides this, I would like
to say that the city is truly beautiful and very safe. Despite the initial impression that people
may seem cold, they are always ready to help when needed. An example is when I realized I
had lost my iPad on the shuttle from the airport to the center, and miraculously found it the
next day thanks to the driver's willingness. Even though none of them spoke a word of
English, when I went to the bus depot to retrieve it, they were extremely kind and helpful to
me. In experiences like this, but not only, the USAC staff also proved to be valuable and
always available to support us in anything.
As a final balance of this experience, I must say that yes, I went beyond my initial plans by
traveling much more than expected, but I still had the opportunity to start my thesis and
make room for my freelance work, without neglecting the courses neither at my home
university IUSVE or the ones in Prague with USAC. Furthermore, I bring home tons of
precious memories from the new cities I visited with wonderful people, whom unfortunately I
will no longer see in my daily life once back in Italy. Thanks to them, I found myself taking
more flights in one month than I had taken in my entire life, and now I feel completely
comfortable traveling and living in a big city as an European Capital. While it was a
significant step from the countryside of Treviso to Prague, London, or other large cities I
visited, I appreciated all the new perspectives I discovered by meeting new people; it was
like taking a dip into the present after spending so much time studying in my small world. I
learned to make myself known and live every experience as an opportunity to enrich myself
culturally a bit more, whether it's a conversation at the bar or a major event like the "Free
Palestine" protest in London. I will forever be connected to the wonderful people I had the
pleasure of meeting and the memories captured in the photos I took during these months.
Special thanks to the collaboration between USAC and IUSVE for the scholarship that made
this experience possible.

Ines,
September – December 2023.