Semester abroad at Charles University Prague in WS 17/18
Prague... When I first read through the partner universities, this city failed me. Too close and well-known. After a closer look at the courses offered, I finally decided to study abroad in the Czech Republic and did not regret it. The decisive factors were the numerous courses offered in the geosciences, biology and, in part, chemistry and geography in English. This made it relatively easy for me to pick out interesting modules that I could have credited to me in Jena in consultation with Mr. Merten. After some back and forth during the first weeks in Prague - some modules didn't take place, others appeared again - I finally decided on 8 modules over 33 ECTS. I recommend everyone to simply browse through the pages of Charles University. Due to the high number of students from abroad, some modules are only offered in English for them. In these modules I had the feeling that the level is somewhat lower than in Germany. Overall, however, it always depends on the professors and I also had very good lectures. During my time I lived in the dormitory Vetrnik. If you don't have high expectations, it is definitely recommended. The double rooms take some getting used to, but there are always people from many parts of the world and there is always something going on. The prices are moderate, as in all of Prague, although the city is more expensive than the surrounding area (e.g. 110 €/month for the dormitory, 50 € semester ticket, 1.50 € half liter of beer).
In my opinion, life in Prague has all the amenities of a big city to offer. You can party every day with the numerous Spaniards, there are many good and affordable bars and restaurants, there are great plays performed, you can walk along the Vltava River or through the historic city, there are many parks in the area and and and... Everyone can find something to his taste.
Furthermore, Prague is quite central and you can do many weekend trips. For example, we went hiking in Bohemian Paradise and Bohemian Switzerland or visited Krakow, Budapest, Pilsen, Ostrava, Olomouc and Kutna Hora, among others.
Another advantage of the semester in Prague is that the semester runs from the end of September to mid-February, which means that you can still take the internships in Limnology 2 and Bio-Geo Interactions 2 in Jena, as well as having time for the six-week professional internship after the semester. Overall, the application process in both Jena and Prague did not require much organizational effort. Of course I can tell you a lot more and I would be very happy to answer any further questions. To do so, simply get in touch with Mr. Merten.
Kontakt: via Dirk.Merten@uni-jena.de