Nearing the End

This is a lot about my own thoughts and advice to future students! Might not be as exciting as some of my other blogs (since I am sure those are riveting for you!)  but if you wanted to know my thoughts this is the blog for you… if you do not and just want to hear about my last travelling adventures I would wait and read my last blog post after I get back to the states!!! I just got back from an amazing weekend in London (hard to leave that place), and this weekend I am heading to Budapest with some friends! After that we have our last field trip as a group where we explore the Bohemia region. I will then go straight from there to meet my parents and James in Prague where we will go from there to Rome, Nice, and Paris!! After all that travelling I will hop a plane and come back to Kearney!

PACKING AND TRAVELING:

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

You do not really need to bring any of your own, unless you would feel more comfortable. The university housing provided us bed sheets, comforter, pillow, and a pillow case. If you want any of your own you can bring them but I wouldn’t recommend it!

What are you glad you packed from home?

I am very glad I brought my own towel and I think I packed my clothes pretty well. The weather here is unpredictable, a lot like Nebraska, so you need to bring a little of everything. Also, when packing clothes bring stuff you can wear many ways or can be worn for any weather! T-shirts, scarves, leggings, and a jacket have been my go to outfits to pack when we go on our little adventures.

What do you wish you had left at home?

I brought a fancy outfit as a just in case outfit and I did not need it. Also, I brought more shoes than I needed to. You need a good pair of walking shoes and then a pair of cute shoes you can wear out, other than that I wouldn’t bring much more.  Tip: pack your bag with everything you think you want/need, then unpack your bag and cut stuff out, do that again. You will realize there are things you do not need that are just taking up a lot of room. Pack light. You won’t regret it.

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

Just plan out where you want to go and make sure you screen shot your directions. Wifi is hard to come about and if you do not have a data plan here (most of us didn’t) than you will NEED to screen shot them. Also, just do your research. It saves you money and stress, look for cheap flights and keep an eye on them.

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

I am completely in love with Italy. We were able to go there on spring break for the whole week and I would recommend that for any student. Also, take advantage of any weekend or free day you have in Olomouc and go explore. We took a bus up to a nearby town and found some cool woods and churches! It was cheap and a good way to see how people actually live!

SOCIAL LIFE:

How did you meet students from you host country?

You just have to be bold and join in. I met friends from my flat-mate who introduced me to some of her friends who I talk to and hang out with still. Also, I made random friends in the union who I can stop and talk with whenever I want and who have great advice on their home cities, in case you were thinking of making a trip there!

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

I spent my free time with friends, going to the bars or out to eat. We played basketball and explore the many cafes that Olomouc has to offer.

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

Not really! I am happy with how I spent my time.

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

We met a bunch of students through our professor because he invited us to join his club’s meeting and they just sat around and talked to us and drank wine! So I really enjoyed that. Also, Olomouc has many different festivals that you have to go to! (Well you are not forced but you will regret it) The May Day festival was by far my favorite. They celebrate way different here than we do in the States. It is called the Burning Witch Festival! Also, one of the clubs here hosts different country nights and each country puts on a show and picks the drink for that night. America night was super fun and it’s a good way to meet other people by going to their parties as well.

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

Be bold and be NICE. That sounds like common sense but it is not. People live differently than we do in America and you have to respect that. You cannot be loud and obnoxious. They do not think it is funny, usually, and you just need to be polite. Also, step out of the American group. Being in a big pack is very intimidating to people. You will go back to Kearney and the United States with your study abroad group… you do not need to spend only your time with them. There are so many new people out there to meet; my only regret is I didn’t get to meet even more people!

 

SCHOOL WORK:

How did your academic experience at Palacky differ from your US experiences concerning 1) Relations with professors/classroom instruction. 2) Grading. 3) Study habits. 4) Library. Also, what enabled/hindered your successful academic experience?

It is very different than in the USA. At least for our trip it was. We had a different lecturer every day talking about different things. This made it hard to form a relation with any of the teachers besides our two main Czech professors who travel with us. We had to take notes on it and we are turning in those notebooks at the end. For our Czech class and our UNK professor class, that is very similar to classes in the USA. We have those at the same time every week and have quizzes. I study for them but I do not go to the library here because it is very far away from my dorm. There is no real “campus” here, just a bunch of buildings in a city, very different than UNK.

MONEY & COMMUNICATIONS:

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

I would say you will want around $3,000 for travelling and food purposes.

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

I had none. I took over cash and just exchanged it in Prague when I got there. For all other money I just withdrew from the ATMs.

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

I had my debit card and just withdrew money at ATMs from that.

How and where did you access your money?

There are ATMs everywhere and that is how I got my money out. I also do online banking to make sure I had enough in my account.

How much money did you spend on books, school supplies, food, entertainment, local transportation, travel, toiletries, airfare, laundry?

I am not completely sure but I would say I have spent at this point around $3,000 total. But that includes travelling A LOT. I did extra trips (paid for by myself) to Rome, Pisa, Cinque Terre, London, and Budapest.

How did you communicate with the US?

I FaceTimed my parents and friends, and communicated a lot through Facebook.

What would you recommend to future students (eg: calling card, Skype, set up email account, etc)?

I never switched my cell service to international and I was fine. You just use wifi when you need to communicate and you become self-sufficient when you don’t! I personally did not think it was that big of a deal not to have a phone here and as far as I know only one person out of the 24 of us switched their SIM card over.

Extra Thoughts/Tips/Advice:

1)    I was led to believe that it would rain a TON over here and from past experiences it sounds like it did. However, for my trip here it barely rained at all. No more than any other place and it was hot a lot. I think that makes it hard to give advice for things to pack because it snowed a ton for the 2013 group and it did not snow once for us. So, you just need to pack a little of each kind of clothing.

2)    Make sure to slow down and enjoy your time here. People get so caught up in being here and being there that they do not take the time to enjoy that they are in Europe! Especially on your side trips that you choose to take, it is your money, your time, and your trip. Do what you want when you want and just take some time to relax.

3)    In Prague climb the big hill and get an overview of the city. You can go to Petrin Tower if you want but I didn’t and still had some amazing pictures. It is quite the climb but worth it. Once you get to the top take your time coming back down, enjoy the view and drink some pivo (beer).

4)    In Olomouc, GO TO THE CREPE STAND. It is the best thing to ever be invented. I love crepes and I am sure you will too!

5)    Take time to get to know the two professors that travel with you. They aren’t as scary as you would think J They have a lot of great travel advice so just ask! They love to talk and are super helpful. It is also just good to have two adults who speak Czech fluently and can help you out if you need it!

6)    Take time to yourself. This trip is a great chance to grow as a person. Do not get caught up in always having to be with people. Don’t get me wrong, be social of course, but you can take an afternoon to go for a walk, or to a café by yourself and just take some time to collect your thoughts.

7)    Eat lots of gelato in Italy when you go. It is so much better than any gelato anywhere else! It is creamy and just completely amazing.

8)    Get a souvenir from every place you go. It doesn’t have to be big or expensive but get something! Even if it’s just a post card or a key chain. Also, if you see something and you think you really want it but you want to think about it more. You will probably end up not getting it. It’s hard to leave a store and come back because you do not have that much time. If you think you will regret not getting it then you need to just get it.

9)    Step out of your comfort zone and try new things. Do not just eat at McDonalds and not try new food. You have to try things. If you are unsure about something split it with a friend and try it. I have had some weird food that turned out to be delicious! And I have ordered things that looked super yummy that were not what I was expecting and I did not enjoy them! But you will never regret trying something because at least you can say you tried!

10) HAVE FUN!!! Seems obvious but it needs to be said. Do NOT get caught up in any drama, be nice to everyone, and make some memories! This is an experience of a lifetime and you don’t want those memories tainted by drama and sadness. Let the little things go. Remember where you are, it is EUROPE!!!!!

Wow, that was super long so if you finished the whole post I am impressed! I have completely loved my time here and I am not even close to being ready to leave! I will finish my blogging experience when I am heading back to the States. Despite my love for Europe I miss you all and cannot wait to see each and every one of you when I am back!