Damian
Paterson
If my experience is anything to go by the opportunity to study abroad is one to be jumped at. Especially somewhere which you might describe as perhaps not a mainstream location for an Erasmus exchange. Not a lot of people know much about the Czech Republic except that the beer is cheap, and that Prague is a beautiful city which through the nineties has emerged as one of the biggest tourist attractions within Europe. Yet the time I spent studying at Palacky University in Olomouc, a town in Moravia in the west of the country and 252 Km from Prague, offered so much more.
Olomouc
is a wonderful town with cobbled streets, magnificent buildings and rumbling
trams all centred around two main squares which act as the focal point for much
of its vibrant atmosphere. This is
especially in the summertime when the Czech national holidays come thick and
fast (university is closed on these days) and are all accompanied by outside
shows and concerts. Two things
dominate the town: firstly the presence of lots of conscripted soldiers many of
whom are barely out of school, and secondly lots of students. Few foreigners have yet discovered Olomouc as it remains off
the tourist track in favour of the close city of Brno. This actually makes it all the more special to be there as in
my opinion the place is considerably more enchanting than the industrial centre
that is Brno. There is more than
enough in Olomouc for you to do during your time living there including bars,
nightclubs, and two cinemas, and in my time here there were always things to do.
There is an excellent gym just outside the centre, a 50m indoor swimming
pool, and, for hot summer days and pre-exam relaxation, two mini golf courses
close to the halls of residence.
Palacky
University, the country’s second oldest behind Charles University in Prague,
is set in a number of buildings just off the main street, the most impressive of
which is the library set around a large courtyard. The university makes every effort to aid the overseas
students during their stays with a student committee to introduce them to the
social aspects of student life in Olomouc and to help you integrate with the
Czech students. The key I found
here was being assigned an English speaking buddy who you could call if you
needed help anywhere with problems which might require a Czech speaker.
This was a very reassuring safety net especially when trying to find your
feet in the early days when things might seem slightly daunting.
Integrating with the Czech students as a whole is very easy as you are in
classes with them and they all speak very good English.
The staff are very friendly and always keen to take their classes in the
pub over a beer (!) (something very much at the heart of the culture).
This makes for an excellent rapport between staff and students aided by
classes of around 20 with lessons geared towards lots of interaction, based
around interesting subject matter which you wouldn’t get the chance to study
at, and in a different teaching format to, Loughborough.
The
best thing about the programme offered to the Erasmus students on the Central
European Studies Program is the timetable, which leaves Friday to Monday free.
Most people use the long weekends to travel Eastern Europe and to visit
other parts of the Czech Republic. Most
travel is done by train which although slow is very punctual, frequent, and with
a junior railpass (available for less than 50p and an International Student
Card) very cheap - a return ticket from Olomouc to Prague was £4.
During my time there I was able to go to Croatia, Hungary, Austria,
Poland and Slovakia (twice for snowboarding and skiing) as well as Prague, Brno
and Cesky Krumlov within the Czech Republic itself.
These opportunities are undoubtedly one of the highlights of being abroad
and for me represent one of the best aspects of my time spent in the Czech
Republic and one of the best opportunities of the exchange.
These places contain so much of Europe’s history, and the chance to see
many of the places that are relevant to your studies during your stay is quite
exciting.
In
Olomouc you are accommodated in halls of residence about 10 minutes walk from
the university. Here you share an
apartment with two bedrooms and an ensuite bathroom facility.
The corridor that we lived on had people from many different countries
offering a really cosmopolitan mixture of cultures.
During our stay there were people from Spain, Portugal, France, USA,
Russia, Denmark, Holland, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia and even as far a field as
China, Japan and Australia. This
gives you the chance to build up friendships all over the world and adds a lot
to the overall experience. Together
of course with the many Czech and Slovak people whom you meet.
The halls themselves have a limited kitchen on each corridor and there
are a number of local supermarkets that have a range of food similar to UK.
There is also a student canteen available.
However with a number of very good and cheap restaurants including local,
Italian, Chinese and the inevitable McDonalds, many choose to eat out.
The accommodation is comfortable and your stay there can at times prove
quite amusing trying to use sign language to get keys for washing machines and
pay rent etc. This is where the
survival Czech classes, which are available, come in very handy.
Language is not a barrier for anyone to fear in an undertaking like this
as the simple truth is most young people here and in many other of the former
Eastern bloc countries all speak good English.
It was no surprise, given that the English do not place enough emphasis
on learning foreign languages, that the language used on our corridor was
predominantly English between all the nationalities.
The Czech language you inevitably pick up all helps with the experience
of living in a foreign environment though.
Although
in the winter months it did get cold at times, this is not a worry as the Czechs
are very keen on having their heating on permanently in every building so
certainly inside you can, if anything, be too hot. When the snow falls though it adds to the picturesque setting
of the town and led to many snowball fights.
Spring gives way to long summer nights amidst temperatures into the high
20s and it is at this time the tables and chairs appear in the squares outside
the bars and cafes where you can while away pleasant evenings sampling some of
the excellent (and very cheap) Czech wines and beers. This might seem the ideal trip away for a student as
everything the Czechs seem to do is dominated by their love of beer which
certainly lives up to its claim to be the best in the world, with its refreshing
taste of lager and its smoothness of bitter.
This makes it eminently drinkable. Try
the seven national spirits at your peril but it’s all part of this wonderfully
culturally enlightening experience.
Many
people still have the perception of Eastern Europe as locked in a communist type
era with dull buildings and empty shelves. Although 40 years of communism has left its mark, not least
on the outskirts of Olomouc with its tall smoke stacks, this is a vibrant town
with all the brand names you might be familiar with available at usually much
cheaper prices. Though some of the
youth appear to be struggling to move beyond the fashion and music of the ‘80s
and the mullet haircut still goes strong there is, in Olomouc, a very up-to-date
music and youth scene with mobile phones and Diesel clothes in strong evidence.
These contrasts make the experience what it is and whilst some may make
you cringe, it is difficult to imagine anyone not enjoying the experience that
Palacky and Olomouc offers.
Money
– cash machines readily available and take all standard ‘plastic’, but
some shops ‘cash only’.
Insurance
– overseas student insurance package recommended.
Contacting
home – Email access readily available; each apartment has a phone that takes
incoming calls.
Passport
photos – take at least four.
International
student card – essential; get it from STA before you go.
Flights
– many cheap options to and from UK.
Good
holiday option for parents!