This article comes from the Global Desk, a collaboration between The Gazelle, WSN and On Century Avenue. Read more by searching ‘global.’ As NYU Shanghai’s sophomores patiently wait for their study abroad application decisions, several have already started researching about life in their location of interest. OCA got an opportunity to talk to Jennifer Lu, a junior majoring in Media, Culture and Communication (MCC) in New York, to get an insider’s view of NYU Prague and life in the Czech Republic. Jennifer studied at NYU Prague in the spring semester of her sophomore year, and is currently spending the fall semester of her junior year at NYU Shanghai. Like many of NYU Shanghai’s sophomores applying to study abroad at Prague next year, Jennifer says she picked Prague because of the opportunity it presented, unique in the Global Network. “I wanted to go someplace that was more unconventional than the typical Western city study abroad site, someplace out of my comfort zone. My program requires me to study at either Paris or Prague in my sophomore year, and because I knew I’d visit Paris someday no matter what, I picked Prague. There was just so much about the Czech culture that I had not known about, and I wanted to see what it would be like to live in Century Europe for a semester with NYU’s support at the same time. It was also slightly influenced by stories I’d heard – all the upperclassmen who had studied at Prague before me always came back with such glowing stories and adventurous tales that I just had to go see for myself what was so mystical about this city.” ---- The Campus and Academics Located in the heart of the city, the NYU Prague academic center is made up of two buildings conveniently located in Male Namesti, or “Small Square”, right next to the famous Starmestske Namesti, or “Old Town Square”, where there are popular landmarks like the Astronomical Clock Tower and some of the best examples of Prague-esque architecture. Classes take place in the two buildings, as well as school activities like Student Government and the student run online magazine called “Prague Wandering.” There is also a small library, a student lounge area, a computer lab and piano rooms on campus. Situated in a prime location of the city and between two other famous parts of town called Wenceslas Square and the Charles Bridge, the area is a perfect combination of Czech culture and tourist spots; you can easily get a traditional Czech meal but also satisfy your cravings for food such as bagels, burgers and Starbucks. It is a scenic area, and just the route to school allows you to interact with as many local Czechs as possible and pass beautiful landmarks. Regarding academics, NYU Prague offers more courses than any other Global Network location, giving a perfect combination of classes offered elsewhere and those you can only take in Prague. There are several classes that allow you to truly immerse into the Czech culture, such as a Czech language course and classes on resistance to totalitarianism throughout Central Europe. Because NYU Prague offers classes serving such a wide variety of interests, you are sure to find a lot of diversity in the student population. In addition to Czech, one can also take classes in other languages such as Russian and German, but Jennifer’s view is that her Czech class paid off the most because it allowed getting around town more easily and conversing with store owners and waiter, a crucial element to the study abroad experience – and of course, who doesn’t like being able to say a couple of phrases in a completely new language, dobry? (right?) For course recommendations, Jennifer suggested Czech Elementary I with Ilona Sarsonova, as well as Modern Dissent with Jan Urban: “Jan was an important player in the Resistance movement during the overthrow of Communism in the Czech Republic, and his class really challenges you to think outside the box. Other professors at NYU Prague are like Jan too, in the sense that they are highly respected and professionals in their field; Jiri Pehe, the director of NYU Prague, was in fact Chief Political Advisor to Vaclav Havel.” Other interesting classes Jennifer recommends are Czech Architecture and Advertising and Society. Cuisine The food situation in Prague is easier than you might think – while there are a lot of restaurants that serve Czech cuisine, it is not hard to find Western food, and Halal and vegetarian options are also abundant. Czech food consists of a lot of meat and is very filling: a typical dish would be roasted pork or brisket coated with cranberry sauce and whipped cream and served with potatoes or bread dumplings, in goulash. And of course, you can’t forget the beer, which is cheaper than water! Recommended places for refreshing beers include Staropramen and Pilsner that will tickle your taste buds. Fried cheese is also very popular, as well as a traditional snack called trdelnik, which is a cylindrical donut you can typically find on the streets. Great places to go for Czech cuisine are U Parlamentu and Kolkovna, the latter also serving the best ribs and chicken noodle soup. For other Western food, Bohemia Bagel and Café Louvre are the spots to hit up. There are also many vegetarian restaurants; Jennifer especially recommends her favorite, Maitrea. Also, halal food can be found at every corner. While there isn’t too much Chinese food in Prague, cravings can be satisfied at Restaurant Peking; Vietnamese food is the most popular Asian cuisine in Prague due to the large migrant population. Cooking in the dorms is also a viable option, as groceries can easily be bought at Billa or Tesco and the dorm kitchens are huge and equipped with pots, pans, plates, utensils, and dishwashers – it’s a shame to not put them to use! Culture For those studying abroad during the Fall semester, get ready to experience a festive Christmas, one of Prague’s biggest celebrations, with many stands set up in Old Town Square that sell traditional Czech food like sausages, trdlnks and mulled wine. For those studying abroad in the Spring semester, Easter also sees several grand celebrations, with abundant stands selling snacks and several stations selling eggs for children to paint and design. Music is a big part of the Czech culture, so the Narodn Divadlo (National Theatre) is a must-visit for cultural events like operas. While there aren’t many museums, galleries or cultural hotspots, as there are in Shanghai, there are historical sites such as Wenceslas Square, where the student revolutions and overthrow of Communism took place in 1989, and Prague Castle, the site of defenestration. Prague’s main attractions can probably be seen and visited in two or three days, but it takes multiple visits to fully appreciate them. For example, the Charles Bridge can’t be walked across only once; take a stroll regularly after class! The Astronomical Clock Tower in Old Town Square is also a sight you get to see every day on your way to class. There is also a great marketplace behind the academic building where you can pick up souvenirs such as leather bookmarks with Prague’s main attractions designed on them and wooden clocks shaped like the clock tower, as well as fresh fruit like oranges and strawberries. The Prague Castle and Old Cemetery in the Jewish Quarter of Prague are also must-visits, including Letna Park which is a great place to for a run, a drink in the beer gardens, or one of the best views of the Vltava River and Old Town Square. Jennifer also suggests going to Petrin Hill: “but at the very end of the semester, you can climb a structure that resembles a mini Eiffel Tower that oversees all of Prague, and you will be able to point out places where you made memories, so it’s not just a priceless view.” A picnic at Petrin Hill or Letna Park is also a good idea for a warm day, and there are many great cafes, as well as the Prague public library, if you need a place to study. Nightlife Bars, pubs, and microbreweries are an essential part of Prague’s nightlife – one of the most famous ones is U Vejvodu. You can have a very relaxed night having a few beers in an environment that most locals describe as “authentic Czech”, with beer being brewed in the background and sausages being served as finger food. There are also many Irish pubs in town, like Dubliners and James Joyce. It is common to spend two to three hours at a bar and then hit up some clubs for a night of dancing; recommended places include Lucerna for 80s and 90s music, Retro for electronic music and Radost for hip-hop from the hours of 1 to 4 am. There is a reason why Prague is called the party spot in Europe – your night might start at 10 or 11 pm and you can find things to do till 5:30 am when the tram starts up again, and you can watch the sunrise on your way back home. People in General Czech people are generally quiet and reserved, but are also not afraid to stare, especially at foreigners, so it will be common for you to experience a local staring at you the entire duration of a tram ride; it is important to understand is that they are not staring out of curiosity of judgment. If you see a local Czech on the street, chances are he or she will probably not greet you or even smile or wave, everyone usually just keeps to themselves. This is not to say that they are not friendly; once you get to know them, they open up and can be very animated. Transport and travelling to other countries Trams are the best form of transportation in Prague. NYU Prague provides everyone with an Open Card, a transportation card you take with you every time you ride a tram, metro, or bus, and this card doesn’t have to swiped anywhere but is based on the honor system. Students generally take the tram or metro to class because the residence halls are all 20-30 minutes away from Old Town Square and the academic center. Because Czech Republic is right in the center of Europe, travelling to other countries is very cheap and easy. Flying from Prague to cities in Western Europe like Madrid, London and Paris usually costs between $150 to $250, but keep in mind that these are on cheap airlines such as Ryanair and Easyjet that only allow one piece of carry-on, comparable to China’s Spring Airlines. Missing a flight means waiting till the next day to catch the next flight, as they do not give refunds. Taking the bus and train is also an option for traveling: you can take a 5 hour bus to Berlin and an 8 hour bus to Budapest, as well as a 5 hour train ride Krakow in Poland. The buses and trains are cheap too, a roundtrip ticket generally costing no more than $70. Jennifer recommends checking out more unconventional cities because there is a larger chance you’d be working or doing business in the future in London as opposed to Krakow or Budapest. NYU Prague also organizes field trips, both day and overnight, almost every weekend. Trips vary from a music themed trip to Vienna to a volunteer trip in which you can stay overnight at a local Czech family’s home. When travelling, remember to travel light, and bring only one or two scarves to layer on top of a solid shirt or two. ------- Study abroad can be a daunting thought when you are worried about paperwork, making new friends, and experience an entirely new culture. Jennifer says the best part about going to Prague was that she didn’t know anyone else who was also going. “It was strange and a bit unsettling going from the Square, where there are over 53,000 students, to a small community in Prague of under 300, but because everyone was it the same boat, we all wanted to get to know each other because after all, we’d be living together, traveling together, and exploring a completely new environment together.” At Prague, you will get to meet people from all of the other schools and departments of NYU, and it won’t take long for everyone to become a tightly knit community. There will be certain local things you will experience only at Prague, such as the tram rides past the Prague Castle on the way to class, Bohemia Bagel when you are tired of Czech food, smazeny syr (fried cheese) every day, and how cheap the city – the combination of these things promises to make Prague an unforgettable experience. On living in Prague in general, Jennifer says, “Don’t be afraid to learn a new culture and people. Learn a new language, couch surf, make friends with locals; these years will be the best time not only to discover about other places and people but most importantly, about yourself.” On Century Avenue would like to thank Jennifer Lu for taking time to answer our questions and providing an insightful perspective on life in NYU Prague, and wishes her the best in all her future endeavors. This article was written by Lathika Mouli. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: Michelle (praguehappenings.tumblr.com)