Czech Republic – Amy
Student: Amy
Course: Bachelor of Law/International Studies
Program: Short-term exchange 2025
Studying at Masaryk University in Brno was single-handedly the best experience of my life. The people that I met during the course became a second family, and Brno truly began to feel like home after the three weeks were up. It was such a cozy city and I couldn't recommend it more (definitely try the beef goulash if you go!). There weren't many lows at all during the program – a lack of resting time, but I think this was honestly a highlight in the end anyway!
Describe a normal day in your life overseas: your university, your work placement or your study tour?
Days were incredibly varied when I was overseas, but they still had structure. In the mornings we had classes from 9.30am–12.45pm, and these ran every day throughout the week. In the afternoons, we always had a fun social activity or site visit. These varied a lot, with my favourites including curling, wine tasting, traditional folklore dancing, and ice skating. How you spent the rest of the time was completely up to you, with most of us using any free time to work on assignments, go out for food, or just exploring the city!
We were incredibly lucky in that our weekends included excursions to 3 major European cities – Prague, Vienna and Budapest. We would all get a bus to the city, before engaging in site visits to various organisations, such as Amnesty International, OSCE, Parliament, and Radio Free Europe. We also always got the option of going on a tour of the city, which I would definitely recommend as you got insight into all of the amazing landmarks. At night, we always explored the nightlife which was constantly buzzing and heaps of fun – so worth it!
What's the best/most memorable thing you ate?
I have come away from my trip with a new favourite food – goulash (a kind of meat stew with bread dumplings). It is super common all-over Eastern Europe and definitely a must-try, especially in winter! In Brno, you can get goulash at the Lokal and they give you unlimited dumplings – would definitely recommend this.
Was there some aspect of your trip that was different to your expectations?
Overall, the entire trip exceeded my expectations. I think the main aspect that actually differed though was the variety of stages of education that the people in my program were in. There were some individuals in their 30s and 40s pursuing masters/doctorate qualifications, there were some simply doing a fun elective for a change, some nearing the end of their Bachelor's Degree, and there were others similar to me that were in the mid-early stages of their degree related to the unit we were studying. It was super interesting to learn about everyone's different reasons for being there, as well as about the difference in education systems between countries.
What's your one piece of advice for a student who is preparing to study abroad? How should they prepare?
My big piece of advice is to drop all pre-conceived ideas, expectations, and notions of what you want the program to be. Go in with a completely open mind and blank slate. Talk to people you normally wouldn't and let people's ideas challenge your own. Your experience will be incredible if you immerse yourself within it and completely open yourself up to the way that it will change you for the better. I know it is scary going into a new country and new school with no familiar faces, but everyone there is in the same boat as you. Just let go and have fun! I promise you it will truly be a joyful and worthwhile experience, and the growth you will see in yourself at the end is so fulfilling.
What is the one big thing you will always remember from your experience? Or one big lesson that you learnt?
One big thing I will take away from this experience is the warmth I felt from the group I studied with. I have never felt so comfortable with a group of people so quickly, and it was refreshing to have everyone so open and eager to chat and get to know one another. Despite everyone being at different stages in life and studying entirely different things, we all closely bonded in the three weeks that we spent together. I will always cherish the memories of the time we all spent together, on our weekend trips, on nights out, back at our apartment, sightseeing, walking to class, and even just grocery shopping. All of the mundane things were amplified just by doing them alongside these people. I couldn't be more grateful!