Finding yourself in a city of a hundred spires
Dobrý den! This is ”hello” in Czech language. I have been using this word for greeting people in stores all around Prague for nine months so you can imagine how hard it was to come and start greeting again in my own language, and saying ”dober dan”.
Why did I go, and why Prague?
Being a part of the Erasmus exchange was always in my plan and in September I finally realized two of my biggest dreams. Firstly, I went to study and live abroad and the place I've done it, was Prague. In my opinion, everyone should go living abroad for at least three months and see the difference that the world has to offer beyond the borders of his/her own country.
I have loved Prague long before, I even visited it and my love for it was just growing stronger day after day. I don't think you can hear a bad thing about Prague. Maybe the worst thing is that it is crowded with tourists. But even in this fact you find a positive thing, which means that Prague really is a beautiful city and many people come to see it. One of the biggest reasons to choose Prague was the beauty of the city and the fact that the Czech Republic is a Slavic country. After coming back I can tell that Prague met all of my expectations, even the highest ones and I know my decision was right.
Faculty: VŠO
The school is located in the strict city centre, on a very busy street Spálená. You can find a big shopping mall just next to the building and the school is easily accessible with public transportation, by either metro or tram. All the tourist attractions and beautiful buildings are in walkable distance. It is officially called College of Business in Prague (Vysoká Škola Obchodni v Praze), and it offers five bachelor degree programmes and two master degree programmes.
The first day at the faculty, I was shocked. I expected many Erasmus students, but the reality was a bit different. I was the only one there and only two more students were coming to join me. I was a bit disappointed since I wanted to meet new people, but turned out to be just fine.
The professors at the faculty are all really knowledgeable and helpful. I cannot say any of the subjects were very hard, but they definitely gave the useful knowledge I can use later in my career.
Concerning the LA, firstly I had four subjects to transmit the credits, but due to changes in VŠO curriculum, in the end I had none. That could be the issue if I didn't choose just to accept the fact and enjoy all the new experiences.
Stereotypes, first impression and reality
Above all stereotypes about Czech Republic is, that they drink a lot of beer. And this one turned out to be really true. Cheap and delicious, drinkable beer is one of the Prague's biggest attributes. I would say my expectations about people were high and I was quite disappointed when I realized that Czech people are really cold and not so open to foreigners. You could feel that you moved further from the Balkan region, where everyone is really open and warm and you went north, to a land where people are not so welcoming. After a while, I met some locals and they turned out to be really friendly, they just needed a little bit more time to open themselves.
Local culture and habits
What can I tell you about the Czech culture? In nine months you can learn a lot about a country you are in, so believe me, if I wanted to tell you everything, I could spend days talking about it. Let’s just say some traditions are similar to the Slovenian ones, but some of them are quite different, for example for Easter, the Czech men spank girls with a tree branch for them to be nice during the whole year. I was surprised when one Czech guy came to our room and spanked us! But it’s the way they do it and it was nice to experience a little bit of their culture. Well, people from the University of Chemistry really did a great job presenting their country and making traditional dinner for Christmas and Easter.
What to do in Prague?
Yes, you got that right, Prague is a really boring city. Just kidding. Prague is a city where you can find something for everyone. If you like tourist activities, there are countless places to admire, numerous museums and galleries to get lost in, many parks to relax in and various activities in which you can engage.
Places that are worth visiting time and time again are the Prague castle, Charles Bridge (recommended at sunrise, after the party, otherwise it is packed with people), Vyšehrad, Petřin hill with the lookout tower, Letna park with the metronome, John Lennon's Wall, Žižkov district with the highest concentration of bars, Jewish quarter Josefov, Shooter's Island and of course the Old Town square and Wenceslav square with incredible street artists and stunning architecture.
They have rich theatre, classical music and opera scene, so missing this is almost a sin. You don't only get outstanding performance, but also have a chance to be amazed by interior of buildings.
As far as the events are concerned, there are various sport games to watch, the most famous one is ice hockey. Many weekends there are various food markets outdoor and you can get a taste even of Africa if you like.
Not far from Prague you can also find some relaxing places with lakes, I would definitely recommend Park Pruhonice, a little further you can discover the natural beauties of the Czech Republic such as Czech Switzerland, Třeboň ponds, Prachov Rock formations and admire beauties of other smaller cities such as Česky Krumlov, Karlovy Vary, Plzen, Kutna Hora and Česke Budejovice.
Culinary and student meals
Now let’s talk a little bit about cuisine. If you know that they love beer, you know everything. Don’t be surprised if not everyone loves beer, there are some girls that prefer wine, although I can say for myself that concerning wine, I prefer the Slovenian one. On every step you can find traditional Czech restaurants, offering ”svičkova”, which is a creamy sauce with beef steaks, bread dumplings, cranberry jam and whipped cream. I personally don’t like it, but many people love the taste of meat and sweetness mixed. Czech cuisine is full of oil and potatoes, has a Russian influence and is quite heavy so if you eat in Czech restaurants be prepared to have about an hour break if you don’t want to feel stomach ache. Unlike Slovenia, they don’t have any student discounts, no ”boni” unfortunately, but you could find some discounts with the ISIC card, and also in the area where we were living, a little bit outside of the city centre, it was possible to get the whole pizza for approximately 4€, which is still cheap. In my dorm there was also a cafeteria, which offered warm dishes, but for me unfortunately all tasted the same, so I wasn’t really a fan of it, and I rarely ate there.
I have loved Prague long before, I even visited it and my love for it was just growing stronger day after day. I don't think you can hear a bad thing about Prague. Maybe the worst thing is that it is crowded with tourists. But even in this fact you find a positive thing, which means that Prague really is a beautiful city and many people come to see it. One of the biggest reasons to choose Prague was the beauty of the city and the fact that the Czech Republic is a Slavic country. After coming back I can tell that Prague met all of my expectations, even the highest ones and I know my decision was right.
Faculty: VŠO
The school is located in the strict city centre, on a very busy street Spálená. You can find a big shopping mall just next to the building and the school is easily accessible with public transportation, by either metro or tram. All the tourist attractions and beautiful buildings are in walkable distance. It is officially called College of Business in Prague (Vysoká Škola Obchodni v Praze), and it offers five bachelor degree programmes and two master degree programmes.
The first day at the faculty, I was shocked. I expected many Erasmus students, but the reality was a bit different. I was the only one there and only two more students were coming to join me. I was a bit disappointed since I wanted to meet new people, but turned out to be just fine.
The professors at the faculty are all really knowledgeable and helpful. I cannot say any of the subjects were very hard, but they definitely gave the useful knowledge I can use later in my career.
Concerning the LA, firstly I had four subjects to transmit the credits, but due to changes in VŠO curriculum, in the end I had none. That could be the issue if I didn't choose just to accept the fact and enjoy all the new experiences.
Stereotypes, first impression and reality
Above all stereotypes about Czech Republic is, that they drink a lot of beer. And this one turned out to be really true. Cheap and delicious, drinkable beer is one of the Prague's biggest attributes. I would say my expectations about people were high and I was quite disappointed when I realized that Czech people are really cold and not so open to foreigners. You could feel that you moved further from the Balkan region, where everyone is really open and warm and you went north, to a land where people are not so welcoming. After a while, I met some locals and they turned out to be really friendly, they just needed a little bit more time to open themselves.
Local culture and habits
What can I tell you about the Czech culture? In nine months you can learn a lot about a country you are in, so believe me, if I wanted to tell you everything, I could spend days talking about it. Let’s just say some traditions are similar to the Slovenian ones, but some of them are quite different, for example for Easter, the Czech men spank girls with a tree branch for them to be nice during the whole year. I was surprised when one Czech guy came to our room and spanked us! But it’s the way they do it and it was nice to experience a little bit of their culture. Well, people from the University of Chemistry really did a great job presenting their country and making traditional dinner for Christmas and Easter.
What to do in Prague?
Yes, you got that right, Prague is a really boring city. Just kidding. Prague is a city where you can find something for everyone. If you like tourist activities, there are countless places to admire, numerous museums and galleries to get lost in, many parks to relax in and various activities in which you can engage.
Places that are worth visiting time and time again are the Prague castle, Charles Bridge (recommended at sunrise, after the party, otherwise it is packed with people), Vyšehrad, Petřin hill with the lookout tower, Letna park with the metronome, John Lennon's Wall, Žižkov district with the highest concentration of bars, Jewish quarter Josefov, Shooter's Island and of course the Old Town square and Wenceslav square with incredible street artists and stunning architecture.
They have rich theatre, classical music and opera scene, so missing this is almost a sin. You don't only get outstanding performance, but also have a chance to be amazed by interior of buildings.
As far as the events are concerned, there are various sport games to watch, the most famous one is ice hockey. Many weekends there are various food markets outdoor and you can get a taste even of Africa if you like.
Not far from Prague you can also find some relaxing places with lakes, I would definitely recommend Park Pruhonice, a little further you can discover the natural beauties of the Czech Republic such as Czech Switzerland, Třeboň ponds, Prachov Rock formations and admire beauties of other smaller cities such as Česky Krumlov, Karlovy Vary, Plzen, Kutna Hora and Česke Budejovice.
Culinary and student meals
Now let’s talk a little bit about cuisine. If you know that they love beer, you know everything. Don’t be surprised if not everyone loves beer, there are some girls that prefer wine, although I can say for myself that concerning wine, I prefer the Slovenian one. On every step you can find traditional Czech restaurants, offering ”svičkova”, which is a creamy sauce with beef steaks, bread dumplings, cranberry jam and whipped cream. I personally don’t like it, but many people love the taste of meat and sweetness mixed. Czech cuisine is full of oil and potatoes, has a Russian influence and is quite heavy so if you eat in Czech restaurants be prepared to have about an hour break if you don’t want to feel stomach ache. Unlike Slovenia, they don’t have any student discounts, no ”boni” unfortunately, but you could find some discounts with the ISIC card, and also in the area where we were living, a little bit outside of the city centre, it was possible to get the whole pizza for approximately 4€, which is still cheap. In my dorm there was also a cafeteria, which offered warm dishes, but for me unfortunately all tasted the same, so I wasn’t really a fan of it, and I rarely ate there.
Accommodation
I was living in a dorm of the University of Chemistry. I shared a room with a girl and an apartment with two other girls. The rooms were spacious and getting used to living there was quite easy. My dorm was located a little bit away from the city centre but you can get used even to that.
Most of the dorms are at campuses, so that means you have also bars and some little stores called ''Večerka'' in the vicinity.
If you are looking for private accommodation, be prepared to spend a lot of time for searching and money for living there.
Nightlife
Life at night? Prague doesn't go to sleep. Nightclubs are a must here. Usually you drink before you go out drinking and since in Prague you have only a few parks where you can drink outdoor, we usually drank in the dorm and then moved to the city centre and go to the club. Sometimes we went to some bar (as there are many of them, the most famous being Popocafepetl) or maybe to one of the beer gardens that opened in spring, and then again went on to the club.
You can find any music taste, from commercial music in clubs at Wenceslav square to Drum'n'bass in Cross Club (my favourite), or techno in Cafe Neustadt and even rock music in Wagon.
As in a normal capital, you find many concerts there, but I have to admit that sometimes the atmosphere just wasn't the way it should be.
I was living in a dorm of the University of Chemistry. I shared a room with a girl and an apartment with two other girls. The rooms were spacious and getting used to living there was quite easy. My dorm was located a little bit away from the city centre but you can get used even to that.
Most of the dorms are at campuses, so that means you have also bars and some little stores called ''Večerka'' in the vicinity.
If you are looking for private accommodation, be prepared to spend a lot of time for searching and money for living there.
Nightlife
Life at night? Prague doesn't go to sleep. Nightclubs are a must here. Usually you drink before you go out drinking and since in Prague you have only a few parks where you can drink outdoor, we usually drank in the dorm and then moved to the city centre and go to the club. Sometimes we went to some bar (as there are many of them, the most famous being Popocafepetl) or maybe to one of the beer gardens that opened in spring, and then again went on to the club.
You can find any music taste, from commercial music in clubs at Wenceslav square to Drum'n'bass in Cross Club (my favourite), or techno in Cafe Neustadt and even rock music in Wagon.
As in a normal capital, you find many concerts there, but I have to admit that sometimes the atmosphere just wasn't the way it should be.
Transport
Prague's public transport is the easiest thing you can imagine. It has only three metro lines, but they get you basically everywhere. The tramlines are everywhere and if not, you have buses. My normal way to the city centre included bus, metro and then sometimes also trams and it wasn't a problem with catching any of them. I was really surprised when I saw the prices for the monthly ticket, it was approximately 10€ for a student and around 25€ for an adult.
It was also easy getting out of Prague, lots of connections with buses (one amazing bus company – Student agency – cheap, comfortable, widely covers Europe, has a screen with movies and series for every passenger, warm drinks included in the price), regular trains (Česke drahy) and low cost airlines from Prague airport (which is still in the public transport zone).
Prague's public transport is the easiest thing you can imagine. It has only three metro lines, but they get you basically everywhere. The tramlines are everywhere and if not, you have buses. My normal way to the city centre included bus, metro and then sometimes also trams and it wasn't a problem with catching any of them. I was really surprised when I saw the prices for the monthly ticket, it was approximately 10€ for a student and around 25€ for an adult.
It was also easy getting out of Prague, lots of connections with buses (one amazing bus company – Student agency – cheap, comfortable, widely covers Europe, has a screen with movies and series for every passenger, warm drinks included in the price), regular trains (Česke drahy) and low cost airlines from Prague airport (which is still in the public transport zone).
Costs
Living in Prague is quite cheap, my dorm cost 3000czk, so around 120€/month, monthly transportation ticket 250czk, which is around 10€, food and living expenses were up to 200€, so I can say that my Erasmus dotation covered all the costs.
Living in Prague is quite cheap, my dorm cost 3000czk, so around 120€/month, monthly transportation ticket 250czk, which is around 10€, food and living expenses were up to 200€, so I can say that my Erasmus dotation covered all the costs.
Pros and cons
Living abroad has many positive sides, and one out of many is of course that you meet a lot of people. A lot of new eyes, a lot of different views on the world, a lot of different nationalities and unknown cultures. You can only grow and gain new knowledge, about yourself and about other people. You get a whole new perspective on your life and it may give you some answers on questions that you didn't even know they existed. Not to get too spiritual, you definitely enjoy your time abroad and it gives also the opportunity to travel. For cons, I will only say leaving the paradise and coming back to reality.
Living abroad has many positive sides, and one out of many is of course that you meet a lot of people. A lot of new eyes, a lot of different views on the world, a lot of different nationalities and unknown cultures. You can only grow and gain new knowledge, about yourself and about other people. You get a whole new perspective on your life and it may give you some answers on questions that you didn't even know they existed. Not to get too spiritual, you definitely enjoy your time abroad and it gives also the opportunity to travel. For cons, I will only say leaving the paradise and coming back to reality.
Other
I could write about many things here, but I think it is better to conclude with the thought: ONCE Erasmus, ALWAYS Erasmus.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me, it would be my pleasure to help you out!
Nika Picelj (nika.picelj@gmail.com)
I could write about many things here, but I think it is better to conclude with the thought: ONCE Erasmus, ALWAYS Erasmus.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me, it would be my pleasure to help you out!
Nika Picelj (nika.picelj@gmail.com)
