Packing was probably the most difficult thing for me. I always OVER pack! However, I actually did really good for this trip. I brought along one towel, plenty of leggings, a few t-shirts, two pairs of jeans, two hoodies, one long sweater, two basic sweaters, two long sleeve shirts, seven dressy shirts, plenty of socks, undies and bras, two skirts, three dresses and two cardigans. I also brought along three coats and lots of scarfs. I liked having my three coats because I wore them all, but one or two would get anyone along just fine. I didn't use many of my scarfs either, but I'm not much of a scarf person so that probably had to do with it. I brought two pairs of boots (black and cognac), two pairs of athletic shoes, and two pairs of sandals. I think this was the perfect combination. However, I would recommend bringing along some casual shoes as well, such as canvas or some converse or something like that.
I also packed basic hygiene stuff such as shampoo (2-in-1), two bars of soap, one bottle of hairspray, deodorant, lotion, face cream, perfume, hair serum, hair gel, toothbrush and toothpaste. Also, since I'm a girl I brought along those basic things you need for that time of the month. However, I found that I could have bought all these things here at Globus. If you're not too picky with your brands, you can find them for the same price as over there or even cheaper. I wish I would have just bought that stuff here and I would have saved myself some room and weight in my suitcase to bring along some other stuff, like more spring clothing which I rarely brought any of because I thought it was going to be super cold the whole time.
I also brought along a cheap straightener, hair dryer, and curling iron. I ordered my converters through Ebay. I got two different types, and got two of each type. It was actually the cheapest way to go about it and none of my things ever blew out.
Traveling
I became super good at finding the best deals when it came to traveling. Here's my best advice: Google is your best friend. Seriously, it is, especially in Incognito mode. I would just type in, "cheap flights around Europe," or "cheap trains around Europe," and it would always give me some good links. My favorite one for flights is Momondo.com. I also like Wizzair.com. However, please note that you have to read exactly how each airline works. Some require you to check in online two hours prior to your flight otherwise you will be fined. Others, allow only a small carry on for free. And when I say small, I mean small. If your bag doesn't fit their proportions, you will get charged a fine. I just traveled with a normal school backpack to keep it safe. You will get really good at packing, trust me.
As far as trains go, Rail Europe is pretty good. Many countries offer their own train lines, such as TrenItalia for Italy and those are typically pretty good as well. For buses I recommend Student Agency. You can either visit their website at studentagency.cz or stop by their office. I would stop by their office because it's much easier and quicker that way. Plus, with your ISIC cards that you will receive, you will be able to get your ticket at a discounted price.
If you are going to be traveling a far distance, I recommend flying. If it's a distance that's not too far but not too close I would do either a train or a plane. It just depends on how much time you're willing to spend on the road rather than enjoying the place you're visiting. If you're traveling a shorter distance, such as a neighboring country to the Czech Republic, I would definitely look into a bus since it's cheaper. However, if you want it to be faster, look into train options.
Social Life
The first students I met when I arrived to Olomouc were my flat mates. I was very fortunate to be placed in a flat full of friendly girls. As soon as we arrived, they all came out of their rooms to introduce themselves. I thought that was really nice. It was welcoming.
Belmondo was another place where I met a lot of students. Each Wednesday at the Erasmus parties it was a new opportunity to meet different people and learn about their cultures.
There was also an Erasmus Facebook page that I joined and it was really cool because all the Erasmus students would always post up their future plans and invite anyone to tag along. That was another great way to meet new people.
We also had some event put together by the faculty such as a "history club meeting" i believe it was I attended one time. We had wine and muffins and got to interact with Czech students, not just Erasmus students. At the very beginning, we also got the opportunity to go visit a cave with the Erasmus students and that was fun as well.
I definitely recommend taking any opportunity to interact with new students. They actually really enjoy meeting American students because they find the differences in culture so interesting.
During my free time in Olomouc, I really enjoyed running in some beautiful trails close to Neredin as well as going to the parks. The parks in Olomouc, and anywhere in Europe for that matter, are absolutely beautiful.
However, when I had a lot of free time, say a long weekend, I spent my time traveling. If there is one thing I encourage everyone to do, it is to travel! Trust me, you will learn so much and meet so many different people. I used to be really bad with directions before coming to Europe, now I'm amazing at it. I even learned how to read maps, and I really sucked at that before. I can now approach people without hesitation to ask for help, and I've learned how to strike up a conversation with a random person. You just pick up so many things from traveling, that all the exhaustion and expenses from it, are completely worth it.
School Work
School work is definitely WAY different than school work in the US. Well, at least for us it was. The only stable classes we had were our Czezh class and the class Kami (our professor who brought us) taught. Probably because of that reason too, they were my favorite classes. Czech was super fun! Katka (the professor) is such a sweet lady and very funny. She makes the class very interactive and is always thinking of fun games to help us learn. I will definitely miss her. We rarely had any homework in her class, and when we did, it was pretty easy and only took about five minutes.
Kami's class was more difficult. Her lectures were in depth and extremely interesting. We had her every Tuesday, and each Tuesday we would take a quiz on the material we had learned the previous week. Although the quizzes were not too difficult if you studied, there was a couple that did require a little more effort than the rest. That was probably the only times I felt like I was taking a course back in the US. Regardless, the material we learned tied directly to the things we were seeing in Europe, so I was really grateful for her class because I learned so much.
Of course, keeping a blog was another class and I actually really liked blogging. It was nice to see that people were actually keeping up with me and reading everything I had been up to in Europe. Made me feel somewhat special in a way.
Other than those classes, we just sat through many different lectures given by various professors. Most of them were very interesting and all the professors were very cool. There was just one professor who was very monotone and keeping up with him was very difficult. However, other than that, I also learned a lot from all these lectures.
I never had to use the library because I brought my own laptop and printing anything was never required. I strongly encourage students to bring their own laptops because it will just make your life so much easier.
Money
So, for the money I did something many people found somewhat risky. I brought $2500 in cash with me. I didn't want to pay all the ATM fines for withdrawing, so I just brought raw cash with me. It actually worked out well, because I was able to convert in Olomouc to any currency I needed and with no fines. The one thing I do warn you about is, don't exchange any money at the airport! You will not get your money's worth there. I did it, and I regret it. Make sure to convert some money before departing from the US. I know the WellsFargo in Omaha can usually order some crowns in. I would say about $50 or so to start you off. Then, you can convert more either in Prague or Olomouc but I really liked converting in Olomouc. I always felt like I got the most for my money.
Also, I'm a credit card type of person, so I did bring with me three credit cards that I did use quite a bit. However, the reason I brought these specific credit cards is because they have no interest rates for more than a year so I have plenty of time to pay it off. Credit cards are indeed a danger, so you must be careful with them. Also, you must remember to contact all your credit card companies, bank, etc to inform them you will be in Europe that way you don't have any problems due to security reasons. I contacted my companies like a week before coming.
The one thing I spent the most on was definitely traveling. I did A LOT of traveling while I was here, but it was all worth it. I'm gonna estimate and say I spent about $1500 on all my trips, including airfare, hostels, and any other transportation.
On food I probably spent about $600-$700. That also probably includes drinks. I did a lot of grocery shopping at Billa and Globus so I didn't eat out all the time. I honestly think that's the best way to go so that way you can spend your money on other things, such a traveling and eating out there. =)
On entertainment I probably spent about $200. That's mostly just the times I went out to the clubs, bars or pubs. Like I said, my entertainment was traveling.
Local transportation was free because UNK pays for a tram pass for the whole time you are here.
I washed my clothes by hand while in the shower, so I didn't have to pay for laundry. All I paid for was the bar of soap for my clothes and I bought like three of those and they were one dollar each so I spent about $3 on that.
No books were necessary for our classes, except for Kami's class and I ordered that book on Ebay for $5.
Communication
I communicated with everyone through Facebook! Do not buy a SIM card, you will not need it! I bought one, and broke my phone, so that was a total waste of money. Plus, if you have an IPhone, you can do face-time anywhere there is WiFi. And if not, you can Facebook call pretty much anyone who has a smartphone - which is everyone nowadays. WiFi is pretty much available everywhere, so communication was never an issue.
Must-Do Activities
- TRAVEL - I cannot emphasize this enough. Seriously, get to know Europe. However, don't come with a specific, detailed itinerary. Keep an open mind and visit places you would have never imagined visiting. You might be pleasantly surprised.
- Explore Olomouc - Olomouc is beautiful! Explore it. Grab a buddy, or go by yourself, and find a trail and just follow it. It will lead you to amazing places and it's a great way to relax and clear your mind.
- Dedicate some time to yourself - things will get a little crazy and you will be spending a lot of time with your classmates, traveling buddies, friends, and people in general. It will be a different atmosphere, away from home and your comfort things. It's okay to get a little frustrated, annoyed, and overwhelmed at some point. Just spend some time with yourself and disengage for a while. It will make all the difference.
- Eat a Kebab - Kebabs in Europe are AMAZING! There's a Kebab place right by Varna Republic, get a Kebab there. Super delicious and cheap! If you like spicy food, Poland has the best spicy Kebabs.
- Belmondo Erasmus Parties - You cannot miss these! At least go to one. Trust me, you will meet lots of cool people and have good time.
There will be an American night at Belmondo. Bring something to wear for that night. Get creative with it.
Bring a couple little photos of yourself - size of your passport one. You will need one for your tram pass and one for your ISIC card.
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