Packing and Traveling
-What are you glad you packed from home?
I bought a full-sized towel at Globus upon arrival, otherwise bedsheets and a small towel were provided. I recommend grocery shopping at Billa instead of Globus because it is near the tram stop by our classes and requires a lot less of a trek.
Razors, Dayquil/Nyquil, Aleve, Lotion, Shampoo, Conditioner, Sunglasses, Retainer, Phone charger, Fitbit charger, Laptop and charger, Chacos, Tennis shoes I was comfortable leaving behind, a coat I was comfortable leaving behind, sweatshirts
-What do you wish you had left at home?
Large suitcase (I have a large backpack I should’ve stuck to instead)
-Do you have any travel tips to pass on (planning advice, safety considerations, guidebooks, train vs. bus, etc.)?
Packing cubes are awesome!
Hostel world is a must app for booking cheap accommodations.
I liked Skyscanner for flights, sometimes we would get together in groups and someone would price check google flights, someone student universe, someone Skyscanner, someone Omio to get the cheapest flights.
DO NOT SPEND $1000+ for your flight, shop around, you don’t need to fly in to the Czech Republic just get the cheapest flight to the continent. For us that was a $450 round trip ticket from Denver to London. I wouldn’t spend more than $700.
-What places would you advise future students to see and why?
One of my favorite weekend trips was renting a car and going to Austria. I loved this trip because I got to see the Alps Mountain range! We also went to Hallstatt, a cute town centered between a lake and mountains. I would recommend this trip because it allowed time to be outside and hiking instead of only in cities.
I also would recommend Amsterdam, Sicily, and Switzerland.
*Disclaimer* Switzerland is very expensive
Social Life
-How did you meet students from your host country?
The Nebraska students all lived together in the same dorm building for the first time which was super convenient.
-How did you like to spend your free time and why? Is there anything you regret not doing more of in your free time?
I spent almost all of my free time hanging out with my friends because I knew it would go by fast and that would be what I missed the most. I regret never going to the zoo in Olomouc! Bowling in the large mall was really affordable, so we took advantage of that often.
-What opportunities for social, recreational, and cultural events that the host university or program offered did you like best? Why?
I loved all of our field trips, and the opportunity to go paintballing! I was afraid to go paintballing at first, however, the fun outweighed the pain by a long shot (pun intended)!
-What piece of advice would you give future students regarding their non-academic life while abroad?
On free weekends there really is no wrong answer whether to stay in Olomouc or go on a weekend trip. We went to Prague for a weekend to save money!
School Work
-How did your academic experience abroad differ from your U.S. experiences concerning?
It basically felt like we were enrolled in 2 classes. One class was made up of lectures with different professors almost every time and the other class is Czech Language! Monday-Thursday we generally had class 3-6. On Friday’s class was usually 9:45am-11:30ish.
-Relations with professors/classroom instruction?
Most of our classes were lecture rather than discussion based. Our professors were all interested in us as people and what we had going on. The professors stated over and over again that they really enjoyed being invited to lecture for our group!
-Grading?
Grades haven’t been finalized yet, but it’s different because there aren’t continuous updates throughout the semester, just your final grades at the end.
-Study habits?
A lot less time was spent outside of class studying and more time was spent learning through experiences!
-Library?
The only time I saw the library was from the outside during our welcome tour.
-Computer access?
We had strong reliable Wi-Fi in our dorms. A laptop is a must for the blogs.
-What enabled/hindered your successful academic experience?
The best way to succeed is to show up every day with a good attitude and make time for the minimal assignments.
Money and Communications
-How much money in U.S. currency would you recommend students have at their disposal for their whole time abroad?
$5,000 other than plane ticket to Europe and back is pretty comfortable, some people were fine with $4,000 while one girl is on track to spend over $10,000. It really all depends on how much you plan to shop and spend on luxuries!
-How much money did you have in foreign currency when you left for your program? Was it enough?
I did not bring any host country currency, but it is not a big deal either way. The biggest thing to do is shop around for the ATM with the best exchange rate. You should also be aware of your bank’s foreign ATM fees and foreign transaction fees. The higher those are, the more cash you’d be better off bringing with you. If I could go back, I would have probably brought $500+ in cash.
-How did you manage your money (credit cards, traveler’s checks, bank accounts etc.)? How and where did you access your money?
To measure where I was at financially, I would often calculate how much money I had in my bank account and in Venmo and then subtract what I had on my credit cards. I brought 2 credit cards, a VISA and a Discover. VISA is much more widely accepted. I would recommend getting a VISA card that doesn’t charge for foreign transaction fees. As a group we were constantly paying for things for each other and then paying each other back for convenience, and some restaurants won’t split up checks. I advise doing that but keeping track of how much you lend/borrow.
How much money did you spend on:
Books? $0.00
School supplies? $0.00
Food? I don’t have an exact number; however, this was a major expense for sure. Meals in the Czech Republic typically ranged from $5-12 a piece. I also opted to buy groceries for some of the meals, this did not make the food particularly cheaper, however, it did provide convenience.
Entertainment? I went bowling a few times and to a movie! $50.00 max
Local transportation? Our tram pass was included! $0.00
Travel? This was another bulk expense! I spent $100-$350 on weekend trips and approx. $650 on my spring break.
Personal items (toiletries)? I brought most of what I would need with me! We had to buy our own toilet paper as a flat. $10.00
Postage? $0.00
Airfare? I included this in my weekend trips/spring break price estimates!
Laundry? Laundry cost $8.00 to wash and dry each time. Saving money was possible by combining with another person. $30.00
-How did you communicate with the U.S.? What would you recommend to future students (e.g. calling card, set up e-mail account and where, etc.)?
I used Facebook Messenger, Snap Chat, Facetime, and iMessage.
Top 10 Must-Do Activities
- Holy Hill at Sunset
Take any numbered tram and get off at the train station. Then, get on bus 11 and ride it the rest of the way there. Holy hill is a hill behind a church that overlooks the city. Unfortunately, I went on an overcast day, but catching sunset there with some wine is still a must.
- Olomouc Zoo
Unfortunately, I never made it to the zoo. Apparently, there are baby goats starting in April, I wish I would have made it and I recommend trying to go!
- Paintballing
I can’t stress enough how afraid I was to go paintballing. I remember lying in bed that morning and I still hadn’t decided. Ultimately, I decided to go, and we all loved it!
- Bowling
Ride tram number 7 until you reach the big mall. Upstairs in the big mall there is a bowling alley and movie theatre. The bowling is super cheap, $2 a person for the lane and shoe rental. I recommend their pink gin and tonics.
- Oxygen Bar
Another place I never made it too. Unfortunately, we didn’t discover this place until we were on a walk on our last night! It is a bucket list experience for me for sure.
- Walk to the Lake
There is a lake an hour and a half walk from the dorms. On a nice sunny day, throw on your swimsuit and walk to Podebrady lake for swimming and sunbathing.
- Peaky Blinders Bar
While we were over here, my group of friends decided to watch Peaky Blinders, a show on Netflix. Then, we discovered a Peaky Blinder’s themed bar in Olomouc, a block away from the lower square!
- Eat Local Cuisine
Goulash, Sirloin, Bread Dumplings, Kebabs, Schnitzel, Croquettes, Beer, Ice cream and Hot Raspberries, Fried Cheese, Crepes
Never miss an opportunity to eat something that you can’t get at home!
- Make friends with students from other countries
If you go out to the Erasmus clubs, you will have the opportunity to meet tons of non-American students. This trip would not be the same if I wouldn’t have met Orhan, from Turkey, and Fabri, from Italy.
- Cherish your fellow Nebraska students
Do not waste any time on petty drama! You only have 3 months with these people, and they will quickly become your best friends!
Traveling Rays 