Written by Charlotte Dixon, (Pomona College), CET Prague, Fall 2026
What to Pack (and What I Forgot)
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t forget a few things at home. Packing for an entire semester abroad can be overwhelming and a little bit stressful. Luckily, CET offers some packing tips on the website. In addition to those, here are a couple of things to do before you leave!
- Czech cash: Most places in Prague accept credit cards as payment, but there are a fair few that are cash-only, so it’s definitely helpful to arrive with some cash on hand. For the most part, you can order currency online from your American bank and have it delivered before you leave. I ordered $200 (~4,000 Kc) before I left and felt that was a good amount to start.
- A deck of cards: Playing cards while sitting and having a drink at a local bar, or while hanging out between classes in the CET lounge is a great way to spend time with classmates and meet new people! I would also recommend learning a few card games (my roommates and I are big fans of cambio!) before arriving in Prague.
- Learn a few Czech phrases: The Czech language is quite difficult to learn from scratch, but it can be useful to know a few phrases upon arrival. I spent about one week doing Duolingo Czech before arriving in Prague and found it really helpful for those first few days before Czech classes began (and you can get 1 week of SuperDuolingo for free!)
First Days, First Clues
Upon arrival in Prague, there are a couple of days of orientation before classes start on Monday. On our final day of orientation, all the CET students met at school for a mystery activity… a scavenger hunt! CET split us into groups of five with a list of iconic Prague sites. Luckily, it was the perfect summer day in Prague to explore and get the lay of the land.
After crossing the Charles Bridge, my scavenger hunt group stumbled upon my favorite stop of the day: Vojanovy Sady. This small garden complex is home to a flock of peacocks, including baby peachicks! Along the paths of the garden are fruit trees with apples, pears, crabapples, plums, and figs that can be eaten off the trees. The scavenger hunt signaled the last day of orientation because on Monday, Czech intensive classes began.
Learning to Speak in a Week
For the first week, CET students take one week of Czech intensive. Each day, we had four hours of Czech class as a comprehensive introduction to the language. Within the first week, we learned how to introduce ourselves, ask basic questions, order food at a restaurant, and give and receive directions. Our professor even walked us around Prague 1, stopping outside restaurants to have us translate the menu.
Because most of my Czech intensive classes took place in the mornings, I had plenty of time in the afternoon to explore Prague. On the last day of Czech intensive, to practice our new vocabulary, our professor took us to a local Czech restaurant to order food in Czech.
I ordered the goulash, which comes with traditional Czech dumplings! Our field trip was a great opportunity to practice our Czech, experience Czech culture, and to talk to our professor about Czech life.
Back to School
The following week, our full course load began. Most students take five courses at CET: one Czech language class, one core course, and three electives. Classes either meet once a week for around three hours (with a short break!) or twice a week for about an hour and a half.
I am taking Czech language, the economics core course, a class on Czech nationalism, a class on Czech resistance and dissent, and an internship seminar. Classes operate similarly to the United States (mostly lecture with some in-class activities), but our learning is supplemented by lots of field trips!
During my first day in my Czech nationalism course, our professor took us to an art gallery about a block away from the CET building. The art brut exhibition showcased works by Josef Karl Rädler, who spent most of his life in an insane asylum. We spent time examining the watercolor paintings before stumbling upon a monastery connected to the gallery.
In the monastery, we happened upon a group of Ukrainian refugees packaging bandages and supplies to send to Ukraine. We were able to hear the stories of some of the refugees who had fled the war, and their family members who are still in Ukraine. Field trips like this one brought a cultural understanding that lectures alone just can’t provide.
Settling In
CET hosts students in multiple apartment buildings across Prague. My apartment is in Prague 4, about a 20-minute tram ride from the CET academic building. Each apartment has multiple bedrooms (mostly doubles or singles), a bathroom (or two), a fully equipped kitchen, and a common room.
Each apartment also has a Czech roommate, who either lives in the apartment or in an apartment nearby. My Czech roommate lives in our apartment, and has given us Prague recommendations, helped us practice the language, and helped us better understand the culture.
Trams are certainly the fastest (and the most fun!) way to navigate around Prague. The nearest tram stop is about a two-minute walk from my apartment, and after around a 20-minute ride downtown, drops us a block away from the CET academic building. CET provides students with a tram pass that allows us unlimited tram rides free of cost.