Erasmus Experience in Prague, Czech Republic by Marion

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Why did you choose to go to Prague, Czech Republic?

Because of the courses, the city (I've always wanted to go to Prague), and also because it's a cheap country.

How long is the scholarship? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

My scholarship is a semester (so 4 months and a half). I received approximately 250 euro/month.

What is the student lifestyle like in Prague?

Student life is amazing! There are always some activities organised by the Erasmus team, there are also lots of international students from all over the world, so it's very easy to meet new people.

Would you recommend the city and the University of Prague to other students?

I would definitely recommend the city but not the university. I'm studying at Metropolitan University Prague, and I'm very disappointed. The level of the courses are much more lower than at my home university, I don't think we learnt a lot of things; all the teachers gave us readings to do for each lesson, and this is what you have for studying. During the lessons, the tutor don't even talk about the readings, they don't explain the readings, so it's very hard to know what to study for the exams, and we don't really have some support.

What is the food like?

The food is not good at all. It's like cantine food.

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Prague?

It's really hard to find an accommodation in Prague. I've been looking for more than 2 months. The thing is that there is no website (the only one that exists it has rooms that are very expensive, and you have to pay very high agency fees). The best thing to do is to look on the Facebook group, but you have to be lucky, because there are a lot of people looking for an accommodation, and sometimes the publisher don't even answer you. I’ve sent like 60 messages before finding a place to live.

How much does it cost to live in Prague?

I would say 300 euro/month without the rent. The thing is that when you are on an Erasmus exchange you spend much more money than if you were in your home country, because you go out more, there are a lot of activities organised with the other Erasmus students, and these students are like your family abroad so it's very important to have strong ties with them.

Is the language easy to get to grips with? Are there language courses available at the University?

I don't learn Czech because it's too complicated to learn it in a few months. All of my courses are in English, most of the teachers speak a very good English, but when they have the czech accent, then you have to get used to it, because at the beginning it was like if I was a beginner in English (it was really hard to understand them).

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Prague from your city?

Plane is definitely the most easiest and economical way to travel!

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Prague?

James Dean club, U sudu (to have some drinks) and Chapeau rouge.

And for eating? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Prague?

I don't remember the name, but if you type on Google "the best goulash in Prague" you will find some good restaurants because there are some good references in most of the sites. The goulash is good but not as good as the Hungarian one.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

The Castle, Old town square, Mala strana, Charles Bridge, Wenceslas square and Namesti Republiky.