Maria Jägerborg: Czech University of Life Science - Czech Republic

I found the research done at the forest ecology department inspiring, I appreciated the possibility to get to know the capital Prague and I had already made some friends at the university, and so I decided to return. It has been a really good year, even though the summer semester turned out rather different from expected due to the corona virus.

Through friends I made the first time in Prague, I found a shared flat. Without contacts it can be rather difficult to find accommodation for a short time and a good price in Prague. The housing situation in Prague is like every bigger city (at least before the covid-19 situation); lack of places to live and escalating prices. This situation has created a high demand on the only cheap option; the student dormitory. Students from rich countries such as Sweden should not expect to receive accommodation in the dorms since students from countries with a different socio-economic situation will be prioritized. Therefor I recommend students who are going here to really put some effort into finding accommodation in time and to expect at least similar rents as they would pay at home if one wants to live in a private room. Otherwise I can recommend sharing rooms, it is really the standard among students here both in apartments and dormitories.

The Erasmus Coordinators here are really helpful

I found it rather easy to find courses, since there are both old course catalogues to look at and a search platform where there are possibilities to read course descriptions. I appreciated the possibility to choose courses freely from all faculties and studied a very wide spectrum of subjects. It is good to look through the course catalogues beforehand and to have an overview what courses might be relevant. But don’t get too attached to your course selection! I have experienced that several of my original choice of courses were not given and even more importantly is that courses might overlap in scheduled time. Therefore, you should be prepared to make changes in your course selection in the beginning of the semester. The Erasmus coordinators here are really helpful, even if they might be abit overwhelmed from time to time when there are many requests from students. So, my best advice is to be relaxed and be prepared to solve course related things in the start of the semester. As an exchange student you are very well taken care of and you don’t have to bother with a lot of administrative things yourself.

Czech Republic also has other beautiful places and forests to visit

I like the university and the courses have been varying in quality but overall am I satisfied. The courses I have studied which I enjoyed the most are the language courses in Czech language, Agroforestry, Programming in R, law in EU and conservation policy. I feel that they contributed to my education and were in my interest area. I usually had at least one lesson every day, but the schedule absolutely allowed time to experience more than the classroom. I have got to know Prague, which is a cool city! Czech Republic also has other beautiful places and forests to visit. As a Swedish student, who mostly been living in the north, I have appreciated the broadleaved forests with oak and beech and to learn more about the ecology and management of these forests. If you are thinking about going to Prague, I can recommend you do it! Keep an open mind and try to enjoy things as they are.

One of the things which I decided to do when I went here was to try to learn some Czech. I had never thought I would begin learning a new language as an adult, but I got really inspired even if it also is a war trying to pronounce those Slavic words correctly. A last thing I found out, was that exchange studies gives a possibility to receive connections with the university and that there are options to apply for Ph.D.studies abroad. Going on exchange studies can be a break from your regular studies and an opportunity to travel and meet new people. But if you are interested you can also build connections and get involved in scientific projects abroad. I hope this was helpful, and that you who reads this will consider a visit to Czech university of life science in Prague. Tak čau!