AIFS Abroad: Study Abroad in Czech Republic

I previously traveled to Prague before I decided this was the location I wanted to study abroad; after my first visit I thought "Whoa, this place is beautiful. I need to live here". Living in the Czech Republic was vastly different than briefly visiting for a couple of days. Those in charge of the program usually warn students of culture shock; I strongly believed that I would never be affected by this and was confident that I could transition into a new environment easily. Honestly, it was hard. The Czech people are very, very different than Americans. Small luxuries that I was very used to from living in the US were not available, which was apparent in our housing (although we were in the nicest student dorms available). Throughout this process, the members of the AIFS staff were unbelievable. They served as a resource to help us transition into this new environment, we could talk to them about any and all problems, ask them for good restaurants and local hangouts, get book suggestions, among many others things. I believe that my study abroad experience could not have been better through any other program, AIFS made me feel comfortable, organized the best housing and amenities available, and were generally a positive and cheerful group to be around. I would not have chosen to do study abroad any other way!

The AIFS Program in Prague is absolutely wonderful. The staff is always available for concerns and questions, and makes the students feel like family. AIFS also offers lots of cultural events and excursions, as well as several fantastic weekend trips. I have nothing to complain about. The program completely blew away my expectations! I would 100% recommend it to anyone looking to study abroad.

Prague is the most incredible city. I loved that it was culturally different from home, but AIFS staff helped make me feel more comfortable. It is an all inclusive program, which means that you don't have to worry about housing, meals, transportation, and more. While there are some additional fees for optional trips, it's great that they offer those in addition to other cultural activities, like cooking classes and hiking trips. I would 1000% go back to Prague and I would most definitely use AIFS again.

I had the time of my life! AIFS Programs are all inclusive which make taking international trips so easy! The program includes a number of international excursions that you take with the students and staff in your program. They also offer a flight package which makes it so easy door to door. Their on site staff is amazing and provide support whenever necessary. I didn't feel like they were babysitting me, but they were a quick metro ride away for questions. Aside from the international trips, they took us on plenty of outings and tours, too!
I went to classes in the heart of Prague. I saw the Prague castle every day, and walked through the historic Old Time Square more times than I can count. I lived in the fairytale city of Europe and I miss it every day now that I am back. I would highly recommend this program to anyone.

My experience studying abroad in Prague far surpassed all of my expectations and I can easily say that those have been the best four months of my life. Prague is truly a magical city that looks like it is straight out of a fairytale. I could not have been happier with my decision to study in Prague through AIFS. The opportunities that AIFS provides you with allow you to fully immerse yourself into the rich culture and history of Prague.

I can’t say enough about how amazing this program is. AIFS offers so much for you to take advantage of during your time abroad. It was the perfect balance of freedom and structure. You could choose what you wanted to participate in, but the program directors were always available for any advice or help when needed. They planned cultural events to ballets and the sympathy, outings to historical cafes, tickets to sporting events, and weekly walks through different neighborhoods in Prague lead by Zdenek – or Z – who knows everything you could ever want to know about every European city. All of these activities were included in the program fee and you could go to as many or as little you want. These options enriched my experience by allowing me to fully appreciate the rich culture in Prague.

AIFS also offers a lot of weekend trips and excursions. There is an option to have AIFS organize your flights to and from Europe, with a stopover in London and Munich before arriving in Prague. This prevented much of the pre-departure stress and was a great way to get to know the people on my program. We also traveled all around the Czech Republic, went to Krakow in Poland, Vienna and Salzburg in Austria, and Berlin in Germany. The program directors came on the weekend trips and organized tours and activities for us. Go on as many of these trips as you can! They are so educational and fun and you’ll get to know the people on your program much faster on these trips.

Thanks to AIFS and the people I met I had the time of my life in Prague. I left a piece of my heart in Prague and I would give anything to go back and relive my experiences there. At the end of the semester I had 30 new best friends and we still keep in touch and have already made trips across the US to visit each other. If you’re at all considering studying abroad, just GO. Studying abroad with AIFS was the best decision I’ve ever made and the experiences I had have shaped me into the person I am today.

I am literally obsessed with Prague. The minute our plane took off to head back to the United States, I knew I was in trouble. It was everything I could do to keep the tears back. I was devastated to leave the city that I had so deeply fallen in love with. To me, it was the most perfect place in the world—its graffitied buildings, the lack of a jar of maple syrup for less than $15, even the placid (sometimes read as unhappy) faces of the local Czech people. Prague is filled with a million paradoxes (Kafka, anyone?) that should make it unbearable but instead you become obsessed with the crooked streets, colored facades and fried cheese sandwiches. You can’t leave—not really, because you go back every hour in your mind. I made friends who (two years later) I still laugh with over Skype, miss the smooth cobblestones, wrote my senior dissertation on a book from one of my classes, and even miss the bitter wind that whips through the underground metro station during winter. DID I MENTION THIS IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CITY IN EUROPE?

The AIFS program staff at the Prague are beyond amazing. I came into the office about a month into my time in Prague with tears running down my face, clutching my crashed computer, taking all my photos, memories and means of communication with anyone outside of Prague. I was instantly hugged by Zdenek- or ‘Z’ as we so lovingly refer to him- and he told me to save my tears for a time when I really needed them. I will never forget the kindness the entire office showed me on that day. And as for my computer, Barbora (another amazing program assistant) had her boyfriend RECOVER all my documents, photos and music and reinstall a new hard drive for less than 200 dollars. (I still use the computer to this day).

The weekly city tours, café visits, museum excursions and planned trips to Vienna and Krakow (and Auschwitz) were absolutely unforgettable. I’m pretty sure Z knows everything about every European country, kingdom and royal family ever. I feel confident that I can take my parents back (this summer!) and regurgitate some smidgens of the history I learned from Z.

I can’t say enough how amazing this program is, and how having a supportive staff and office to come home to makes it that much easier to step out of your comfort zone and immerse yourself in all the Prague, and the Czech Republic and Europe has to offer.

This program gets a bazillion out of 10. Please go. You will regret it every single day if you do—I’m off to daydream of my home.

Prague will always be my home.

AIFS in Prague was a tremendous experience. The staff were so helpful and supportive--from the minute we got picked up at the London airport to the minute we departed. They made adapting to a new language, new city, and new way of living stress-free.

Prague is the most beautiful city in the world--to walk through its streets is to be walking in the midst of history and beauty. You will have tons of opportunities to explore this city on your own and with the AIFS group. You'll also have the opportunity to explore other cities in neighboring countries--which you should do! One of the perks of studying in Prague is that it is so centralized. You can access so many other places easily. I particularly enjoyed the trips to Poland and Vienna.

For history buffs, studying in Prague is like heaven. Instead of sitting behind a desk, learning from a book--the history courses take you out into the city, to where events actually occurred. It's the best way to learn history, and I'm thankful for the opportunity.

There will be challenges, as there are in any new experiences--but you will learn and grow so much in Prague, as you really step out and engage in adventure. Things will be brand-new for the first month or so, and then you'll be settling into your new routine. Prague finally felt like "home" to me after about two months--I was sitting on the subway with my laundry shoved in my suitcase, on the way to the laundromat. And in that moment, it clicked. I had done it! I had traveled to a new country, adapted to a new way of living, navigated a new public transit system, and managed to live "normally" all at the same time. It was really empowering!

Studying abroad will change your life--and studying in Prague will enable you to change your life in a beautiful, vibrant, cosmopolitan, old-world city.

I knew I always wanted to study abroad when I entered college but where to go and which program to study with were the problems? Then AIFS's program in Prague clicked, with all of the opportunities, its location and offerings. The language barrier was a little frightening upon stepping off of the plane; luckily you learn a few phrases that can get you around and you will be able to recognize your favorite foods on Czech menus. AIFS made studying abroad easy, especially while being abroad. It goes by fast- too fast. But it was one of the absolute best experiences of my life and would not change a thing!