Czech Republic – Kristen
Student: Kristen
Course: Bachelor of International Studies
Program: Short-term exchange T2 2025
Describe the city you were living in: the landscape, the culture, the weather etc.
Brno is an incredible city in the Moravian part of Czechia. As with most cities in Europe, Brno has a rich cultural history and incredible food, weather, and people.
Describe a normal day in your life overseas: your university, your work placement or your study tour?
The three week course at Masaryk University was jam-packed. A usual day would entail waking up with my roommate, going to have breakfast and travelling into Brno city via tram (which are more on time than Melbourne!). We would take part in a three hour lecture and spend the evening either doing group assignments or readings. The student team at Masaryk also ensured that we had plenty of cultural experiences, providing fun activities from boat rides, dancing classes, wine tours and more!
How did you spend your weekends?
Each weekend we visited Prague, Budapest and finished up in Vienna. There was plenty to do and quite a bit of free time in the cities so we spent it forging friendships and exploring.
How did you make friends and what sort of things did you do together?
I had an incredible group of about 16 people, from all different backgrounds and experiences, who I learned a lot from. The course-work was incredibly interesting and while it was intense, there was a strong sense of satisfaction at the end, and a lot of tears saying goodbye to friends from all over the globe. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
How did you decide which study abroad opportunity to do?
I am studying a Bachelor of International Studies and focusing on International Politics, so the three week course on International Security fit perfectly with my regular studies.
What was something that challenged you?
A highlight was the incredible people I was with. I love every one of them and will have lifelong friends. It was in a beautiful country and had the most incredible experience.
A lowlight was that there was a LOT of work packed into three weeks! It definitely could have been longer than three weeks, but I provided that feedback back to Masaryk. I wish I could do it all over again.
What's your one piece of advice for a student who is preparing to study abroad? How should they prepare?
My biggest piece of advice for anyone planning to study abroad would be to go in with an open mind - let go of pre-conceived ideas about what your host country will be like and dive right into the culture. Eat the food, drink the green beer (like in Czechia!) and take the opportunity to meet different people and learn from them.
What is the one big thing you will always remember from your experience? Or one big lesson that you learnt?
This will be the biggest thing that I take away from my course – I currently study part time as I work full time, and it was incredible to take a break and immerse myself in this experience.
How did you finance your trip? How much did your trip cost?
I funded the trip via the OS-HELP loan, which covered everything – Czechia is a reasonably priced country (for Europe) so all in all, including flights, spending money and the course program, cost around $8000 (the amount for the OS-HELP loan).
How will your trip add value to your studies ie. Did you gain credit? Was it to increase your employability?
The experience not only added value through giving me more content knowledge, but also through learning from others and how to study in a place that is completely different from my own. I highly suggest going to Masaryk University!