As the Spring 2022 Prague Now! crew reaches the end of their study abroad program, they each recorded a brief summary of their parting thoughts.
By Hannah Butts
After having studied abroad, I can say with confidence that I think every student who has the opportunity to do so, should. Being in Europe this semester has been so engaging, so enlightening and so thoroughly enjoyable. I made way more friends than I could have ever expected, and am so thankful that I had the chance to experience college life on a smaller campus than I’m used to in NYC. This has certainly been a refreshing semester, and if I could do it all again, I would take that opportunity in a heartbeat.
Something that our advisor Leah Gaffen said at a Prague Now meeting early on surprised me and has stuck with me ever since. She said she’s heard from past students that the culture shock returning home is often more apparent than upon arrival in Europe. By this, she meant that oftentimes, students have a harder time readjusting to life back at home after having been away for several months than when moving at the start of study abroad.
This is because our time away has changed us, and it’s changed us more than life at home has changed while we were gone. This does make me a little nervous to go back to the States, as I don’t know necessarily how easy or hard of a time I’ll have adjusting back to how I lived before. I know I’ll miss my time in Prague, but hopefully, the experiences I’ve had here will make me a better, more prepared, more organized student prepared for my last year at NYU.
By Chloe Hum
Studying abroad was not at all like I expected. When you talk to people about spending four months in Europe, usually the words “life-changing” and “once-in-a-lifetime experience” are thrown out there. I came to Prague expecting a maybe marginal version of Eat, Pray, Love, but I think it is safe to say I experienced nothing of the sort. However, when asked what I would do differently about this semester, I have to say there is nothing I would change. While there have most definitely been a plethora of ups and downs, Prague holds a special place in my heart– my solace and escape from the craziness of studying abroad.
Anyone who has spoken to me about going home knows that I am itching to go back. I miss the routine, the comfort, and the reliability. But, as the countdown to go back begins, I’m realizing just how necessary and “life-changing” these past four months have been. And while there were no epiphanies or sudden enlightenments, my experience in Europe has taught me more than I could ever have imagined. I won’t bore you with the excessive details but there is one thing I can say for sure. Prague and Europe, you will be missed, and I will definitely be back.
By Olympia Nelson
I didn’t want to expect anything from my study abroad experience because I knew that I’d be getting a surprise no matter what! Prague has treated me well and I’m so grateful to have been surrounded by such amazing staff, teachers and fellow students during my time in this beautiful city. I had fun every week at school meeting new people and making new friends. I’ve also developed great relationships with my professors here, which has made all the difference in my learning experience. The class sizes are small which really helps make the education more personal.
I’ve also made a lot of friends which has been relieving to me because I didn’t make many friends my first year in New York City. NYU is such a big school that you kind of get lost in the crowd and it’s hard to meet people, but I’ve found that the small community at NYU Prague has helped nurture genuine friendships that I will have forever.
Through my internship at NYU PragueNow I’ve made friendships too, and the process of learning how to be a blog writer has been super exciting to me because it’s been one of my dreams this past year.
All in all, I really wasn’t sure what to expect from NYU Prague, but this has been the best outcome I could have ever asked for. I am returning back home a better person; more educated and well rounded.
By Joanna Yip
To sum up my study away experience in a few short words is a hefty task. Studying abroad in Prague has been filled with some of the best experiences of my life. Between coming to Europe for the first time and by myself, experiencing Africa, skiing in the Swiss Alps, going on a solo-trip to Rome, and so much more – studying abroad has pushed me to the limits of my independence. I have learned so much about myself and the world we live in, and have gained a more worldly perspective which will inevitably follow me through my academic and professional aspirations.
I came here knowing I had limited time, which before I departed was a good thing since it meant I wouldn’t have to be away from home for too long. Now that I am departing Prague though, it doesn’t feel like it’s been enough time. There was so much I didn’t get to see – both in Europe and in Prague. If I could change one aspect about my semester I would have tried to organize my trips in the beginning of the semester to save time and money, and I would have chosen more destinations in Central and Eastern Europe.
In just four very quick months, I have grown such a soft spot for Prague. When I return to Europe one day, I will definitely make a visit to Prague – it is my home away from home on this continent. I managed to find comfort in a very new and different environment, and it encouraged me to have experiences I never would have had in the US. Coming to Prague was one of the best choices I have ever made, and I will forever be grateful for my study abroad experience.
By Andrés Quiroga-Elizondo
Coming to Prague, I was probably the most anxious I’ve been in a long time. I’m someone who is terribly afraid of uncertainty, and moving to study on the other side of the world was an idea that was chock-full of it.
I applied to study in Prague because everyone I knew that had studied abroad said it was a life-changing experience. And with NYU’s amazing study abroad program, I knew I couldn’t miss out on the opportunity. Nonetheless, I was scared out of my mind of starting over in a completely foreign country with people I’d never met.
However, after four incredibly eventful months, I can attest to the statement that studying abroad is life-changing. As hyperbolic as it may sound, it’s true. You are faced with people, places and experiences that are entirely different from what you’re used to. To say it doesn’t change you would simply be a lie.
For me, I made an extremely close group of friends with whom I got to experience a beautiful city and travel to countless others. We developed a routine that made us find comfort in the new and unknown, and having to break that routine after a whole semester has been one of the hardest things to do. And arguably, having to say goodbye to the people I so closely bonded with throughout this experience was even harder. Before arriving in Prague, the four months to come felt like a dauntingly long time. But after experiencing everything the city has to offer, I can only wish I’d had more time to savor it.
By Alessia Diez
I honestly didn’t expect to enjoy Prague as much as I did. I came here in January with no knowledge of Czech culture or language, not knowing anyone else who was coming, and an intense anxiety that I’d dislike the place I had committed the next four months of my undergraduate career to. I’m leaving here with a fierce appreciation for this sightly city, friends that I now can’t imagine life without, and a promise to myself to make it back here as soon as I can.
Coming to Prague means trading walks to W 4th St. for trams to Male Namesti 2, Trader Joes for Tesco, and anonymity for intimacy. (Seriously: NYU Prague is small, you’ll get to know practically everyone.) It’s a singular, tête-à-tête of an experience, one that I didn’t think I’d get to have when I decided to attend NYU.
If I could redo one aspect of my abroad semester, I’d have opted for more weekends in Prague. I think traveling basically every weekend made it a little hard to have a more solid relationship with Prague and a little too easy to stay in the “NYU bubble.”
My days here have always been numbered, but now that those numbers are single-digits, I’m finding it hard to accept that I have to say na shledanou (goodbye).