Nicola Mayer studied abroad in Prague Fall 2017.
CEA is affiliated with my college and that made the application process much easier. Furthermore, there were a good amount of classes I would get credit for. CEA had a lot of activities and excursions that helped make the program more than just schooling.
I had help from my university and CEA with the application process. After I was accepted I had to apply for my visa on my own and book my flights, but other than that, the logistics were all handled.
I wish I knew how important down time is. It's easy to get wrapped up in the go-go-go mentality and feel like you always need to be doing something. When I was exhausted and trying to still explore, I was much less invested and my experience suffered.
Balancing fun time with down time helps ensure you can make the best of your time. I was abroad for 4 months and if I was constantly traveling I would have burnt out very quickly. It took a little time to realize it's ok to slow down, and I'm very glad I had that lesson.
I was afraid of not becoming friends with people on my program. I spent the first week trying to make a lot of connections, getting contact information and reaching out to people even when I had only known them for a short time.
I really put myself out there and made active efforts to build relationships with the other people on my program. I quickly realized everyone was in the same boat of wanting to hang out, but not everyone was as comfortable reaching out.