Student Summary – Prague, Czech Republic

Sierra Staatz, chemical engineering

Feb. 7, 2020 – June 8, 2020

Why did you choose this location?

I chose Czech Technical University because I wanted a unique experience that wasn't too difficult to get set up. I knew upperclassmen who went there that guided me. Also, I wanted to go to Europe. Since the Czech Republic is in a central location, it's easy to travel the continent on the weekends. I also really wanted an experience where I was surrounded by a different language but could still learn in English. Prague was the perfect match for such a situation.

Did you live on campus, off campus or with a host family? What advice can you give for choosing where to live?

I lived on campus in the dorms. However, the set-up is different from K-State because on-campus and the city are more mixed in together; for example, I lived above a preschool and I could see their playground outside my window! It was a good option because it was both apartment styled with a kitchen, but dining halls were available if I didn't feel like cooking. It was also great being so close to NTK, the largest library in the Czech Republic!

What courses/subjects did you study?

Since CTU is a technical university, I was able to fulfill all the technical electives necessary for my degree as well as some humanities courses. The classes I took transferred over as Engineering Physics II, Environmental Engineering, Circuits & Controls, and humanities & social science courses!

Please list some of the special activities, events and/or travel experiences that you had.

There were lots of wonderful activities both in Prague and within the University! CTU has a very strong student group of Czech students that are focused on giving international students an enjoyable experience. This included get-togethers, scavenger hunts, and trips throughout the country! Having such a good program of students helping me as an international student was crucial to making the experience smooth and exciting!

What advice can you give to someone considering your study abroad location and/or a study abroad experience?

My biggest line of advice is: find someone in your major that has studied abroad. It is likely your academic advisor or other upperclassmen would know if a student travelled where you would like to study. I knew upperclassmen in my department who studied at Czech Technical University, and all of their advice was extremely helpful to making the right decisions, from what dorm to live it to which restaurants to go to!