What kind of linens did you bring?:
I did not bring any linens, blankets, pillows, etc. with me. The university will provide you with bed sheets, pillow, comforter and you are allowed to change them out once a week. Some people brought blankets from home though.
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What are you glad you brought from home?:
A reliable portable charger. This has come in handy more times than I can count. Many times you are out all day sightseeing and your phone will die. Also on trains and planes it is helpful to have something to recharge your device after listening to music or watching Netflix. Also bring a smaller duffle bag/backpack for weekend trips and spring break. Budget airlines such as EasyJet and RyanAir often times have strict rules about the size of your carry on bag. So having something other than a carry on suitcase saves money and time.
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What I wished I would have left at home?:
Don't bring more than one pair of heels and make them booties or something very casual. Some girls brought heels for going out in but nobody in Olomouc dresses up that much.
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What I wished I would have brought?:
Warmer clothes. I came into Europe expecting it to be relatively warm when I got here, that was not the case. It was still pretty chilly still about half way through the program. I wished I would have brought more variety of warmer clothing or layering pieces.
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What are some travel tips?:
Plan in advance, but don't come over with a set itinerary. You will meet people and most likely want to travel with them, so have ideas, but no concrete plans. When going to places like London, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, etc. those are considered Non-Shangan countries and this means they are not a part of the EU. When traveling there you MUST PRINT YOUR BOARDING PASS TO THESE COUNTRIES!!! This is because before going through security you must get your visa checked. This does not take long but it is an extra step. If you do not have your boarding pass printed you will be fined at the airport something like 25 Euros. Also give a little bit of extra time for these places as you must go through passport control as well. Trains and planes are faster than buses and, in my opinion, better because on weekend trips you do not have much time to travel. It is worth it to splurge on the transportation that takes the least time, because time is of the essence. It is also a good idea to bring travel sized portions of shower stuff and cosmetics, specifically for weekend trips, it saves room in your luggage.
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How did you meet other students?
Living in the dorms, you will meet tons of other Erasmus students. Don't be afraid to walk into their rooms and introduce yourself, these will be your friends for the next three months. Also go to the Erasmus events put on by the students, this is also a good way to meet them. Go to pubs or clubs on the nights designated for Erasmus, a ton of people go and it is a lot of fun. This is the best way to meet other students in my opinion. I met some really awesome friends in the dorms and they are looking to meet new people too!
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Honestly, I did not have much free time. You don't think you will be that busy but you actually are. Between laundry, classes, eating, going to the store, you keep yourself quite busy. When we did have free time, it was a lot of fun to hang out in the local coffee shops or hang out with the people in the dorm. Finding cute little shops was a good way to pass time as well, many of these are locally owned and have unique items. Try to go other places than just the malls, support local people and they enjoy talking to Erasmus students too.
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Is there anything you regret not doing in your free time?
Going out and exploring more of Olomouc. Usually, you will stay on the same strip of Olomouc, where the trams 2 & 7 run (the most common trams you will take to get around). This strip is great, however, there are other trams and I wished I would have taken those just for fun, to see where they go. We tend to forget there are other areas of the city besides the main strip and squares.
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What social, recreational, and cultural events did you like the best?
For social events, definitely check out the clubs on nights for Erasmus students. These are super fun and you meet so many people, both Erasmus and Czech. Most recreational events were put on my Erasmus students, sometimes there would be little concerts at pubs that were fun. Otherwise there are days where the students would go to the small lake not too far away and spend the day with each other. Just involve yourself!
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Any advice for future students regarding their non-academic life while abroad?
Be bold, and put yourself out there in order to make friends. They are all very friendly and outgoing. Travel to the places on the top of your list, you will not have time to see nearly everything so pick your favorites. Don't be afraid (on spring break and for after program traveling) to spend 3-4 days at the least in some countries. I traveled A LOT in very short bursts, which was great because I saw a lot, but I also didn't have as much time to see what the city fully offered. Some of the best times are sitting in a public area and immersing yourself in the culture around you. When you travel so much, you miss this part!
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How do academics differ between UNK and the host institution?
Class schedule is much different. Classes are from 3-6:30 P.M. on Monday-Thursday. Friday's classes are at 9:45 A.M.-1 P.M. Also you stay in one room the entire time, and professors just come and go. This is good because you spend lots of time with your classmates. Work wise, classes are less work and fairly easy, the only difficult one is Czech language. There is less time dedicated to classes for sure in Olomouc compared to UNK, although this is good because the main priority is traveling.
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Was grading different?
A lot was participation and effort and not missing class. However, there are midterms and final essays you must complete relating to course lectures.
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Were your study habits different?
I did not study as much as I do at UNK.
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Was the library different?
This was the first year that wifi was in the dorms, so I honestly did not go to the library once. We mostly preferred cafes or doing work in the dorms!
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Was computer access the same?
Wifi in the dorms was awesome and reliable! Easy to use.
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What enabled/hindered your success?
Collaborating with other students on Czech language. Going to cafes together to work on things. Help each other out, you're in this together! These people will feel like family by the end of the trip.
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How much money would you advise students to bring?
Bring however much you think you are going to spend, and add about $2,000 onto that. You will spend more than you think you will. Small things come up all the time that I did not budget for. Things such as adding luggage to flights, picking seats on flights, transportation tickets for all the cities' metros/buses (especially large ones), Ubers or taxis, attraction tickets, optional class field trips, etc. These things can be expensive and will add up quickly. Just be prepared to have reserve funds if your initial funds runs dry, which it will. I blew my budget like 2 months in. Also spring break will be EXPENSIVE so be ready, the Czech Republic is really cheap but don't think that everywhere is like that.
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How much host country currency did you take with you from the U.S.?
I did not take any, you can get some at the airport when you land. If you want to be prepared I would take like 2,000 CZK with you. This is like $80 in the United States.
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How did you manage your money (credit cards, bank accounts, cash)?
Make sure to bring a credit card with you just in case. I used my credit card mostly and then paid it off with my debit card, because my credit card did not have foreign transaction fees. Also make sure you choose a credit card that does not have foreign transaction fees, also DO NOT TAKE A DISCOVER CARD, they don't work anywhere. I used a Chase Sapphire and it was awesome for online banking and it had the touchless payment, which everywhere in Europe uses. I would get cash out in Czech crowns frequently to use to pay for food and things in shops mostly. When you withdraw money, make sure you do it in large amounts so fees don't rack up quickly. You could also do this for Euros because many places you may be traveling uses Euros. When visiting countries that have their own currency (like Budapest, Switzerland, Poland, etc.) I used my credit card, because it was a drag having so many different types of currencies in my wallet. However, you can use just cash or whatever you prefer.
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How did you communicate with the US?
A lot of people used the Vodaphone option, I just ran off wifi. The wifi option worked well for me because everywhere has wifi and it was cheaper this way. The only bad part of only using wifi is you cannot call people outside of Facetime, you can only send Imessages, and if you need to use the internet when in a pickle it doesnt work. Although you can always get the Vodaphone which worked well for everyone!
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Hopefully this helps future students embarking on this journey! Thanks for reading! :)