CET Czech Republic

It was my birthday. After a quick weekend in Bratislava, where I learned there aren't really many bars open past midnight and where I slept in an Air BNB that rented out the space under their restaurant and bar and next to their unpopular nightclub, my roommates and I found ourselves in a second class cabin on a train back home, to Prague. The trams had been down in Bratislava, so we ended up walking from our Boat-el to the train station. Sweaty, stressed, and a little unhappy, we were at least on the train, headed back to our beds that didn't rock. While everybody was a little upset with each other, I was fine. It was my 21st birthday, I was with new friends, we were on the train. That is, until we got to Brno and a man told us that he had reserved this cabin.
I still don't know if actually had reserved the cabin, but nonetheless, we were out. He kindly let us know that there are foldout chairs in the aisles. So we moved. And nobody spoke to each other.
Here we are, coming to the next stop. I'm doing my reading for class the next day, when I look up as I notice the train slowing down. What do I see? None other than my roommate's suitcase rolling straight at me!
Thankfully, and unsurprisingly, I lived.
As funny as I thought that day, and that weekend for that matter, was, I think what I took away from it was more important. It doesn't matter if your boat doesn't have heating, or if it's blasting bass-heavy music until 4 AM, or if you walk over three miles to the botanical garden just to learn that it's closed. What does matter is learning to roll with the punches and have a good time regardless! Who knows? Maybe your airBNB host (who is also the bartender) will give you a free birthday drink after forgetting you live there for the weekend. Maybe you'll laugh until you cry when you keep getting knocked over on the train by hungry Slovakians headed to the food car. With a bad attitude, you miss out on the subtle, hidden gems that make abroad life so much more beautiful and memorable.

One of the best parts about this program is their dedication to connecting you with the history and culture of the country. They believe it is not just studying abroad but living abroad and becoming a local. I was able to teach English lessons at a local elementary school. Others volunteered for businesses or retirement homes or after school programs. Coming back I not only miss the beautiful city of Prague, but also the amazing people I met who call Prague home.

I celebrated many holidays in Prague. From Jewish holidays to college traditions that I did not want to give up even while abroad, I was able to mix my customs with the people on my program, along with participating in Czech holidays. May 1st is a national holiday titled Mayday. Mayday is the day of love. Everyone has the day off and is supposed to spend the day outside at one of the many festivals around the country. It was such a fun day, with lots of traditional Czech food and lots of outdoor activities. But one of the most interesting holidays I have ever been a part of occurs the night before may day, on April 30th. All around the country, bonfires are set. The bonfires are for the communal witch burnings. the witches are symbolic of winter and these collective bonfires signify the end of winter. This is the official welcome of spring, by burning out the cold and bitterness of winter.

I honestly don't even know where to begin. My semester in Prague was filled with countless memories, surprises at every turn, and endless amounts of fun. From the stunning architecture to the amazing sights, vibrant nightlife, and cheap prices on just about everything, this is truly a special place and one you won't regret studying abroad in.

CET was a great program to be a part of. The academics are not overwhelming and more than manageable. The staff is great, always helpful and there if you need them. You get to go on program trips to awesome cities like Krakow, Vienna, and Budapest. Living in a residential apartment amongst locals (including having a Czech roommate) really helped me adjust to the lifestyle and culture of a new country. Keep in mind that it is a very small program, but there are still plenty of people to meet in Prague (both locals and other Americans).

Prague really was a dream world. Don't pass up on the opportunity to go to this city.

My time spent studying abroad in Prague was incredible. Coming from Whittier College, California I knew nothing about Czech culture or language. Within the first few days of arriving in Prague, CET helped me feel comfortable and competent in my new surroundings, providing intensive language learning, amazing housing with a Czech roommate, and cultural excursions. Each day I would wake up in an apartment just outside of downtown Prague, and take a short 5 minute tram ride into to the FAMU academy's studio building, where my CET film classes were held. Sometime's I would also take a tram to FAMU's main building where professor at the academy would teach additional elective courses. Throughout the semester, there was plenty of time to work on my film, explore the city of Prague, and attend classes. Sometimes CET would even provide free or discounted tickets to events like soccer games, hockey games, operas, theater performances, music festivals, and wine festivals. My semester was an excellent way to immerse myself in my passions and discover a new country from the inside out.

Prague is a fairy tale. Some of my best memories of Prague come from my aimless wanderings around historic Old Town and Lesser Town. From the tallest spires of the Prague castle down to the aged cobblestones of the streets, Prague offered something for the artistic, the adventurous, and the homebody. One of my favorite times in Prague was when I got to show off my magical city to visiting friends. I swelled with pride and love for this incredible city and its winding streets, ancient bridges, and hidden gems around every corner.

The actual filmmaking program at FAMU, which only accounted for about twenty percent of my misery, was pretty disappointing. Considering that it was a filmmaking program, I expected us to be doing a lot of the making part. In reality, we mostly just watched movies and talked about them. This was not completely useless, but it was leagues below the usefulness of actually learning by doing. I don't think I was unreasonable to expect something like, "This week we're learning about shot selection. Your homework is to make a thirty second film that employs the following technique." I did get to make one short film at the end of the semester, and that was admittedly a fantastic learning experience. But I didn't incorporate anything into my film that I learned in class because I basically learned nothing. Let me rephrase that. I was taught nothing.

The rest of my study abroad experience also less than ideal. I felt alone and depressed most of the time. It's hard for introverts like me to make friends quickly, which is exactly what you need to do when you study abroad. It was hard to be in a room with people for more than a short time without feeling like no one wanted me there. I'm not saying that no one wanted me there. That's just how your brain works when you're shy and socially anxious.

The point here isn't that my program sucked or that the people were terrible. CET tried their best to make everyone feel comfortable, and they organized plenty of fun events. As for the people, everyone I met was wonderfully nice and welcoming. The problem was my having trouble feeling comfortable around new people. Now, you might be thinking, "If you're so shy and introverted, why the heck did you do the program?" That's a very good point, and it brings me to why I wrote this review.

Chances are, if you ask someone who studied abroad how it was, they'll say it was great. Maybe even life changing. But there's a small chance (judging by my program, about 1 in 50) that they had a pretty miserable time. And if that's the case, they'll probably still smile and say it was fine. Because the people who don't enjoy studying abroad are the same ones who don't like to speak up. I heard so many positive stories from people that I honestly thought studying abroad was this magical experience that couldn't possibly go wrong. The fact is that it can go wrong, and people should be aware of that when deciding whether to do it. If there's anything you should take away from my review, it's this: there are a lot of people who should study abroad, but there's a chance you are not one of them.

Prague is an absolutely great place to live. As a history buff, I loved exploring different areas of the city and examining the art and architecture. I remember when studying abroad, I made an effort to find two to three new places on my own each week and to fully take in my surroundings. I would find various cemeteries, old churches, cathedrals, gardens, etc., and simply wander and absorb everything I could. I can't recommend studying in Prague more highly - it was an irreplaceable experience.