It's All a Learning Experience

PACKING AND TRAVELING:

Specifically, what kind of linens did you need to bring?

Linens are provided for you at the dorm.  I did however bring a smaller pillow from home just for comfort reasons. And I brought a towel because the ones they provide are very small.  I just made sure I brought a towel that I could leave, to create more room in my suitcase.

What are you glad you packed from home?

I packed for two seasons, which many people did not.  Doing so saved me money because I didn’t need to buy a new wardrobe.  I also packed a few pictures of my family and friends making my dorm feel more like home.

What do you wish you had left at home?

I brought two pairs of boots and I really wish I hadn’t.  The winter season isn’t around long by the time our group arrives.  I wish I would have only packed one black pair of boots to save me more room in my luggage going home. 

Do you have any travel tips to pass on (planning advice, safety considerations, guidebooks, train vs bus, etc)?

Whenever you go to book or plan a weekend or day trip, go to the Student Agency.  Anyone you ask will be able to give you directions to their building.  Going to them saves you a big headache of trying to figure out cheapest transportation and they are able to give you your ISIC student discount. 

What places would you advise future students to see and why?

In addition to the program trips we take, I would strongly advise that people visit Budapest, Hungry, Cinque Terre, Italy and La Spezia, Italy.  Also go and spend more time in Prague and do more than just the touristy things!  These are places I have traveled to and I loved every one of them!

SOCIAL LIFE:

How did you meet students from you host country?

This year most of the Nebraska students were put into a dorm with people trying to get their master or doctorate degree.  This made it really hard to meet people our age from the Czech Republic and other countries.  However, many students hang out every Wednesday night at a club called Belmondo.  Also ask to join the Erasmus Facebook page.  There they post different activities to get involved in.  

How did you like to spend your free time and why?

The free time I had before classes, I liked spending going to cafés or the park.  On free weekends I liked going on little trips to see more of Europe.

Is there anything you regret not doing more of in your free time?

I regret not finding what else there was to do in Olomouc and just exploring around in the city.

What opportunities for social, recreational and cultural events that the host university or program offered did you like best and why?

I was not aware of any events.

What piece of advice would you give to future students regarding their non-academic life while overseas?

Accept the fact that you are and will be tired a lot of the time and see as much as you can.  In the end, the type of experience you have depends on the effort you put into it. 

SCHOOL WORK:

How did your academic experience at Palacky differ from your US experiences concerning:

1)      Relations with professors/classroom instruction – The professors will use their full time and if they cancel they will reschedule. Otherwise the professors are still very helpful and nice.

2)      Grading – It’s the same.

3)      Study habits – Less studying, but you still need to if you want to keep your GPA.

4)      Library – I never used the Library and I’m not sure I could even tell you where it is.  If you are in need of a quiet and less distracting place to study, go to the UNI House right by your dorm. 

Also, what enabled/hindered your successful academic experience?

I still studied and got good grades.  Just don’t come with the expectation that this is just a vacation from school, it isn’t. 

MONEY & COMMUNICATIONS:

How much money in US currency would you recommend students have at their disposal for their whole time overseas?

I would bring $4,000 because I thought I could get by with $3,000 and that was not enough to get the full experience.

How much money did you have in foreign currency when you left for the program and was it enough?

I had around $100 but there are ATMs in the airport so bringing money with is not a necessity.

How did you manage your money (credit cards, traveler's checks, bank accounts, etc)?

I just brought my bank card.  Then I pulled out the maximum amount of money I could at one time to avoid further charges.  Also, many places don’t have credit card machines.

How and where did you access your money?

I went to any ATM, they are normally by the town squares.

How much money did you spend on the following:

Books- Textbooks are provided.  And I paid $10 for a book required.  

School supplies – I brought two notebooks and some pens from home.  This saved some money because you can’t really find the cheap $0.10 notebooks like we can at WalMart.

Food – I spent around $200 on groceries.  This is not counting eating out, and I’m not sure how much I spent on that.

Entertainment – In many towns and cities you can find a bunch of free things to do.  But in all of my travels I have probably spent around $100 but that’s really a rough estimate.

Local transportation – Tram passes are provided through the program unless you lose it.  Luckily I did not!

Travel – On program trips, we are required to pay for our food so I always budgeted $10 a meal just to be safe. 

Toiletries – Pack only travel size shampoo and conditioner and buy the empty bottles at Walmart or Target.  Then buy normal size when you get into Olomouc so you can refill bottles for trips.  I did not do this but I wish I would have.  Also just bring face wash from home, so you know what you’re getting. I spent around $20.

Airfare - $1,000 for the ticket over here and back and $500 for two other trips during my stay.

Laundry - $60 there are washers, and only washers, in the dorms but they are very bad washers and you still have to pay to use them.  I always took my clothes to a laundry mat that was right by the dorms (right by Day Break,) and it cost around $10 for washing, drying and laundry detergent was provided. 

How did you communicate with the US? What would you recommend to future students (eg: calling card, Skype, set up email account, etc).

I have an iPhone and I just turned off my roaming and data.  By doing that I was still able to iMessage and use my apps as long as I had Wi-Fi.  Many places have free Wi-Fi so I didn’t feel the need to buy a track phone.  In the dorms there is no Wi-Fi provided so download Connectify which is a free hotspot. 

OTHER COMMENTS/TIPS: Anything pertaining to your experience overseas not included above.

Bring an umbrella.

TOP ACTIVITIES YOU MUST DO:

1)      Free city tour of Prague.

2)      Climb up to the Prague Eifel Tower; it has the best view of the whole city.

3)      Go to Budapest, book through Student Agency.  Make sure to visit the Baths, the market, go on a free city tour, and go to the Alice in Wonderland café called Sirius.

4)      On Easter, go to a traditional Easter festival.  If you ask Jan or Martin they will be able to tell you the name of the small town that has a really good one. 

5)      May 1^st is a bank holiday and there is a festival in the town square.  There are a lot of shops set up and it’s the perfect place to get good souvenirs for yourself and others!

6)      I spent part of my spring break in La Spezia, Italy.  It’s by beaches and if you are wanting to go to a beach for spring break go here or any beach in Italy.

7)      Go to a restaurant/pub called Torture in Olomouc. Take the 2 tram to the stop called Udomo and Torture will be on the left side of the street. This place has really good spicy chips, which are basically homemade potato chips.

8)      When it’s nice out, take the 2 tram to the stop in front of Café 87 and across the street will be a crepe stand.  The Nutella and strawberry crepe is simply wonderful