CIEE College Study Abroad in Prague, Czech Republic

Why did you choose this program?

I choose this program because Prague is such an underrated city. Prague has all the perks of a large city. Prague has tons of activities to do, great restaurants, museums and theaters to visit, bustling nightlife, and a rich history to discover while still being very inexpensive and safe for travelers.

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

My program provider, CIEE, was very helpful in the process of applying and studying in Prague. Before getting to Prague CIEE had an online orientation about cultural norms, what to bring, where to eat, etc. I had several people I could email or call in case I had questions or concerns. While I was in Prague, the CIEE faculty greeted me and the other students at the airport and arranged transportation to our housing. CIEE had an onsite orientation where we got a tour of the neighborhood we were living in, a walking tour of the city, and they even took us to a phone store to get international data plans. Throughout the program, CIEE would have activities and excursions that we could participate in.

My university study abroad advisors helped me find the program and were helpful in making sure the credits could be transferable.I had to fill out the application on my own and complete all the necessary forms. I had to book my own flight and travel arrangements.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

I would recommend reading a little bit about Prague and figuring out what places you want to go to. Time goes by so fast so if you have a list of things you want to do, you'll get the most out of your experience.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

The average day would include waking up in the morning and taking public transportation to school (the building is older than the United States!). The school sits on top of a hill, giving you a fantastic view of the city. Then you are in class til the afternoon. After class, you'd walk to a lunch spot and then spend the rest of the afternoon going to museums, walking around parks, chilling in a café, or just exploring Prague. CIEE would usually schedule activities and excursions in the evening that was optional for students to go to. My favorite excursions were going to the ballet to watch Romeo and Juliet and peddle-boating on the Vltava.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My biggest fear was that studying abroad was not going to live up to my expectations and that I would be homesick. I can 100% tell you that studying abroad exceeded my expectations and I did not get homesick once. In fact, I was crying on the plane ride home because I was so sad to leave.

I overcame this by going out of my way to get to know everyone in my program and to say "yes" to every opportunity that came my way. No one wants to explore a new city by themself so by getting to know the people in my program and having shared experiences with them allowed me to build strong friendships with them. Through building strong friendships I was able to feel comfortable and never felt homesick. Whenever a friend asked me to go on an adventure with them I would always try to say yes! I was only there for a limited amount of time so by saying yes to every experience I was able to get the most out of my experience.