A Day in the Life: Prague, Czech Republic Study Abroad

My days in Prague are never the same -- whether I’m trying to navigate the tram system, or buy groceries using my limited knowledge of the Czech language, every day comes with a new challenge, and discovery. Here’s a glimpse into one of my favorite days studying abroad in Prague. 

9:00-10:40 a.m. At 9 a.m., I start to wake up and talk with my roommate who is already getting ready for class. Once I get out of bed, I throw on some clothes and get ready for the day. I grab my toast and head out the door. The tram stops right outside my apartment at 10:42 every morning -- I can’t miss it! 

10:42-11:05 a.m. The 20-minute tram ride to school is one of my favorite parts of the day. I get to sit with my thoughts and listen to music as I watch the hustling city outside my window. As the tram crosses the water, I see the famous Charles Bridge, and am reminded of how lucky I am to live in one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.   

11:05-11:20 a.m. When I first arrive at school, I always stop by the cafe on campus to meet my friends before class. Most of them order coffee, and if I’m still hungry (which is usually the case) I’ll get a chocolate croissant. We all catch up on our weekend travels, talk about plans for the day, and laugh about whatever happened the night before.

11:20-2:00 p.m. Time for class! At my school, Anglo-American University, classes last about three hours, and each class meets once a week. After the first few weeks of school, I became adjusted to this unfamiliar schedule and began to enjoy longer class sessions. More time during each class period means that students can dive deeper into discussion and the professor has time to answer all of our questions.   

2:00-4:30 p.m. In the beginning of the program, my friends and I would always use our time after class to explore Prague. On this day, we ate lunch at a local market, which offered hamburgers, sausages, panini sandwiches, and other options for vegetarians such as grilled cheese. We then headed to the Museum of Communism. I highly recommend visiting this museum, as it helped me understand the long history of dignity, courage, and strength demonstrated by the Czech people. Many of the museums and other historical sites in Prague have student discounts with an ISIC card, so our tickets were only five dollars! After finishing at the museum, we walked through Old Town and found a shop selling trdelniks (they’re on every corner). These delicious treats should be tried by everyone who visits Prague. The three of us shared a trdelnik filled with ice cream and Nutella (yum!) and took the tram back to our apartment.

5:00-6:30 p.m. Around 5 p.m., my roommates and I start to make dinner. Most nights, we cook and eat dinner together. Every meal always includes cheese, bread and chocolate, but this night we were also making a shrimp stir fry. Unlike some other European countries, Prague has a wide variety of food choices in both the grocery stores and restaurants. Every Wednesday night my friends and I go to our favorite Mexican restaurant, Las Adelitas, for dinner (it’s sooo good!).

7:00-9:00 p.m. Eating dinner with my roommates is one of the best parts of the day. This is the time where we share stories and learn more about one another. When you’re living alone in a foreign country, the friends you make become family. Something as simple as eating dinner together and spending quality time are the moments I will always think back to when remembering my time in Prague.

9:00-12:00 a.m. This is when we do our homework for the week and get ready to sleep. Around midnight everyone is in bed, watching a show or falling asleep -- looking forward to the next day.

Every day in Prague is an opportunity to try something new or overcome a challenge. Studying abroad is truly a transformative experience. I learned more about myself in four months living in Europe than I could have ever imagined, and I feel very grateful for the person I have become.

Rebecca Monroe is a CEA Alumni Ambassador who studied abroad in Prague, Czech Republic, during the Fall 2019 semester. She is currently a student at Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo.