My Experience as an Exchange Student in Prague

After spending two semesters at Charles University in Prague, on the Erasmus + student exchange program, I wholeheartedly recommend all students to seize the opportunity and spend several months studying abroad. Student exchanges are an unforgettable experience that will broaden your horizons and enable you to learn first-hand what it looks like to live and study outside your country at minimal cost.

I will use this text to share my experience of the entire process of going on an exchange abroad. I hope that it will be helpful to those who want to apply for some of the exchange programs, but I also hope to encourage those who have not thought about exchanges to do so. 

University selection and application process

The first step is to research the opportunities for student exchanges at your faculty. In our country, Erasmus+ is currently the most popular exchange program and almost all faculties in Serbia participate in it. Through the Erasmus + program, students can spend a semester or two in one of the countries of the European Union. There is also the CEEPUS program for the countries of the region and Central European countries, as well as some other less popular programs. For the Erasmus+ program, there is a website mobion.bg.ac.rs you can use to research which universities there is an open call for, at least 6 months in advance.

At the Faculty of Political Sciences, where I study, we have a coordinator for exchange programs who helped me a lot with preparing the application and choosing the subjects that will be recognized as substitutes. Some faculties have Erasmus+ coordinators, but unfortunately not all of them do.

The application consists of motivation letter, “learning agreement,” transcript of grades, certificate of English language proficiency, professor’s recommendation, and some other documents. All that needs to be obtained on time, and something needs to be translated by a court interpreter. The application should be sent via the MobiON site, the instructions on the site are clear and the application is not overly complicated.

You will find out if you were accepted a few months before the start of the exchange. I was informed that at the beginning of November, and the semester started in mid February, so you will have enough time to prepare, get a visa and organize the trip. The whole process depends on the university and the country you are going to. In my case, they sent us documents from Charles University in time to get a Czech visa before traveling. Visas are required for stays in the European Union longer than 3 months for citizens of the Republic of Serbia.


Accommodation: apartment or dormitory?

Before you go on an exchange, you have to decide where you will live. The main question is: apartment or dormitory? When it comes to Prague, the rooms in the apartments were three to four times more expensive than the dormitory, so my friends from faculty and I decided to take the dormitory. This turned out to be a great decision, because the dormitory is irreplaceable when it comes to meeting new people and socializing with students from all over the world.

I met a lot of new people in the dorm, some of whom became my closest friends. I am still in contact with most of them, and we are planning a reunion in Prague this summer. Although living in an apartment is more comfortable, it cannot provide such an experience after all, so my recommendation is definitely a dormitory.

From preparing breakfast in the morning in the shared kitchen to partying in the rooms in the evening — dormitories are great accommodation when you go on an exchange. The bonus is that at most universities that have their own dormitories, exchange coordinators organize and book accommodation for you, so you don't have to go through the process of looking for accommodation. My friend from college and I were allowed to be in the room together, so there is that option if you go on an exchange with another or a friend.

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The application consists of motivation letter, “learning agreement,” transcript of grades, certificate of English language proficiency, professor’s recommendation, and some other documents. All that needs to be obtained on time, and something needs to be translated by a court interpreter. The application should be sent via the MobiON site, the instructions on the site are clear and the application is not overly complicated.

Studying: recognition of subjects and differences in systems

Speaking of studying itselft, it all depends on the faculty. I was very lucky with both faculties, because the FPN did not require the syllabuses of subjects in Prague to match to a large extent in order to recognize my grades and transfer the ECTS. However, some colleges are much stricter in this regard, so you may have to take subjects that you missed once you return from the exchange. The application also includes a document called the Learning Agreement in which you suggest which subjects from the receiving faculty would replace the subjects you are missing that semester at your faculty. However, some subjects may not be available once you arrive there, so you have a deadline to replace them, apply for others, and get approval from your college.

The teaching system is different to the one in our country. At the Faculty of Social Sciences of Charles University, lectures usually lasted an hour and a half, student participation was important and they were held in small groups. I especially liked that difference in relation to the lectures in our country, because it gives the professor more opportunities to communicate with students, and students can more easily get involved in the discussion. There were no practical classes in the sense in which they are organized in our country — lectures and practical classes were one and the same. Some lectures were held in blocks, but in any case, for all the obligations on a weekly basis, it took me less time than at my home faculty.

For most of the subjects, I wrote essays or seminar papers, which either carried a large part of the grade or were a substitute for the exam. I didn't spend days studying endless information from hundreds of pages for the exams, like I did for most exams in our country. I prepared  for the exams using notes from classes and texts we read before each lecture, so I basically prepared for the exam through continuous work throughout the semester. I must admit that it was difficult for me to get used to the way of working at my faculty again when I returned from the exchange, although there are professors here who implement this "Bologna" principle more than others.

On the other hand, although I liked the system at Charles University more, I got the impression that some "difficult" subjects from FPN really provided me with a broad education and knowledge in various fields that I applied in all lectures. That breadth and in-depth study of certain scientific fields is not a feature of the system in which I studied during those two semesters, the subjects are rather conceived as courses.

Student life in Prague

It is completely different to visit a city for a couple of days as a tourist and live in it. Student exchanges are great because they provide an opportunity to experience life in another city or country for a few months, with the costs covered.

The Erasmus+ scholarship I received in Prague was more than enough for all my living expenses. Two years ago, Serbia became a program country in the Erasmus+ framework, which unfortunately means that scholarships are now lower and for the Czech Republic amount to 470 euros per month. However, that is enough if you live in a dormitory and do not overdo it with Uber eats. Information on scholarships for different countries can also be found on the MobiON website.

Prague is a great city for students — it has everything students need and a student card offers a lot of different benefits. From discounts on food in many restaurants, all the way to cheaper transportation. Speaking of restaurants, I have to recommend Einstein pizzerias, which are located in several locations in Prague and whose owners, as we have heard, are from our region. Here you can get two meals for the price of one with a student card, and their food is great. We talked to the waiters several times in Serbian, and we also ate excellent ćevapi there.

Train and bus tickets with a student discount are very cheap, so you can travel to any place in the Czech Republic for a few euros (100-300 crowns). Of all the places we visited, I liked Češky Krumlov the most, a town in the north of 13,000 inhabitants, 3 hours away from Prague, where you get the impression that you travelled a couple of centuries to the past.

Unfortunately, during most of my stay in Prague, there were restrictions due to the corona virus, so I was not able to visit all the places I wanted. When it comes to museums, one you should definitely visit is the National Museum, whose magnificent building is located in the center of Prague. Clementinum is another of my favorite places — the view of the baroque library is like a movie scene, and when you climb the Astronomical tower you will have the whole of Prague at the palm of your hand. Žižkov Tower is one of the symbols of Prague, which can be seen from almost every part of the city. It is located in the neighborhood of the same name and the view from it is breathtaking.

When it comes to nightlife, Prague does not lag behind Belgrade. My favorite place to go out was the Lucerna Music Bar, which is located in the palace of the same name, which also contains a cinema and some shops. The whole club looks like a disco from the 80's, and many musicians and DJs often perform here. Of the alternative places, the most interesting is Vzorkovna or as it is popularly called - Dog bar. The districts of Holešovice, Vinohradi and Žižkov are also full of interesting places to go out, as well as to have breakfast and coffee.

As everything was closed due to the corona virus for a most of the time I was in Prague, we spent a lot of time walking around the city and visiting different parks. Prague is full of beautiful parks - Letna has a beautiful view of the city, as well as Rieger's Gardens (only from another hill).

I would need many more paragraphs to describe all the charms of Prague, so I here I will draw your attention back to the main point of the text — go on a student exchange for at least one semester, it is probably the best decision you can make. Not only will you meet many friends from different countries, but you will also gain an irreplaceable life experience, as well as the academic one. Prague is a great choice for exchange students, but I'm sure you'll have as good a time as I did wherever you go.