#ipeprague

Ahoj!

This week has been super fun, busy, and filled with some super cool things! This trip has felt like it’s going by so fast and I can’t believe it’s half way done!

First off, we celebrated my friend’s birthday by going to a Yung Gravy concert at the Rock Cafe here in Prague! We were in the first row at the concert. It was a very small show compared to what one would expect in the United States, so it was super fun and interactive.

We also went to see a ballet called Leon & Lena at the Estates Theater. While I am not a huge fan of watching ballets, it was interesting to watch and the building it was performed in was super beautiful!

Some friends and I also took a day trip to Divoká Šárka, a nature park about 45 minutes from Prague by tram. We hiked the super pretty trails and hills as we explored the park. We also swam in the lake there and were able to jump in the water from a 3m high platform which was exciting! We also found a huge chair at the park and took a picture in it!

I also went to visit the Narrowest Street in Prague! It is in Lesser Town and it has a traffic light indicating when you are allowed to walk through, since only one person can fit at a time.

I have also been able to go to more beautiful churches nearby! I recently went to The Church of Our Lady Victorious and of the Prague Infant Jesus. The interior was super nice and they offered English mass.

I’m super excited to realize that I’ve started to discover some of the lesser known parts of the city and I can’t wait to visit even more!

Čau!

Maya Mileski

IPE Prague, Czech Republic

Hello from Prague!

My first week abroad has been filled with new experiences, lots of walking, and plenty of opportunities to explore one of Europe's most beautiful cities. Between getting settled into my housing, meeting new people, and adjusting to life in a different country, the week flew by. Even though I've only been here a short time, I've already had the chance to visit some of Prague's most famous landmarks and start getting a feel for the city.

Getting Settled In

One of the biggest adjustments during my first week has been learning how to navigate Prague. Thankfully, the city's public transportation system is incredibly efficient, and I've quickly become familiar with taking trams and the metro to get around. It's very different from what I'm used to but I've enjoyed being able to walk almost everywhere and easily access different parts of the city.

I haven't taken any pictures of the tram/metro yet BUT these are the views on the journey from my apartment to Prague 1.

Another thing I've enjoyed is simply exploring the streets around Prague. Everywhere you look, there is beautiful architecture, historic buildings, and small cafés tucked into side streets. Even a short walk to grab food can turn into an opportunity to discover something new.

Exploring Prague

One of the highlights of my first week was visiting Old Town Square. The square is always full of energy, with visitors, performers, and locals all gathering in the heart of the city.

While I was there, I got to see the famous Astronomical Clock. Every hour, people gather beneath it to watch the clock. It was exciting to finally see such an iconic landmark in person after hearing so much about it. Standing in the square and seeing the clock felt like experiencing a small piece of Prague's history firsthand.

Old Town Square: A bunch of people were there but it was till pretty

Prague's famous Astronomical Clock

I also visited Charles Bridge, which quickly became one of my favorite places in the city. The bridge is super long and I got to see many incredible views of Prague from it. The bridge wasn't super busy when I went so it was easy to walk around and take pictures. I really wanted to take the famous Depeche mode picture but I didn't have enough time. I plan on going again to get the picture.

Statue from Charles Bridge

Another unforgettable experience was visiting Prague Castle. The castle complex itself is impressive, but my favorite part of the visit was climbing the bell tower. I had to climb nearly 300 stairs to get to the top. It was exhausting but the views at the top were worth it.

From the top, I could see Prague stretching out in every direction. The view of the city's red rooftops, historic buildings, and winding streets was absolutely incredible. It gave me a completely different perspective on the city and was easily one of the most memorable moments of my first week.

Some of Prague Castle

The view from the top of the bell tower

Looking Ahead

My first week in Prague has already been packed with new experiences, and I feel like I have only scratched the surface of everything the city has to offer. From exploring historic landmarks to learning my way around the city, each day has brought something new.

As I head into my second week, I'm looking forward to continuing my classes, exploring more neighborhoods, and discovering even more of what makes Prague such a unique place. I can't wait to see what the next few weeks have in store!

Mo Ogunwusi

Industrial Operations Engineering

Hello there!

Now that the program has come to an end, I’ve been able to take some time to truly reflect on my incredible time abroad in Prague. I can’t believe it’s all over and I’m back in the U.S. – I’m so thankful to have been part of this program. It will forever feel like a second home and family.

Hardest Adjustment

The hardest adjustment I made while abroad was definitely being independent for the first time. As someone who loves their mom’s cooking, living alone was a big step up. I had to cook for myself, clean for myself, and shop for myself – I really needed to learn how to be an adult. Luckily, my roommates and friends really helped me ease into the adult lifestyle. We went shopping together, shared recipes, and even had nights where we exchanged food we made! The connections I formed made the adjustment to Prague go from “strange new world” to “home sweet home.” I really couldn’t have survived the whole two months without the people I met and the experiences I had.

Changes I Went Through

One thing is for sure: Prague changed me in ways I didn’t expect. Apart from gaining independence by living in a foreign country away from home, I also learned how to take risks and adapt to uncomfortable situations. I won’t lie – I didn’t know any Czech going into the program. Every sign, menu, and street name was completely foreign to me, so I had to take risks and learn as I went. Little by little, I started picking up certain words, which meant I didn’t need my phone every two seconds. If I saw “kuřecí,” I knew there was chicken involved, or if I saw the street “Revoluční,” I knew I was on one of the main roads toward my apartment. By taking risks and experimenting with different foods and directions, I learned how to navigate a country where I didn’t know the language.

Bringing the Czech into Ann Arbor

These experiences and memories will certainly last a lifetime. As I learned to be more independent and take risks when needed, I know I can bring these skills back to the University of Michigan and become a better engineering student. Engineering requires a lot of blind steps in order to achieve the desired solution, and at first, I wasn’t comfortable with that. I wanted to know everything I was doing before I did it, so risk-taking wasn’t my strong suit. However, through my study abroad program, I learned how to take unknown risks and adapt to new situations. This is a skill I’ll carry into my future as an engineer.

The End

Thank you so much for sticking with me through all these blogs. I truly had the time of my life studying abroad, and I hope you were able to pick up on that. I will miss Prague, but I know this was not the last time I’ll be there.

Until next time!

Patricio Sandoval-Sanchez

Mechanical Engineering

Dobrý deň!

This is Pato Sandoval. This is it—the final week of my study abroad program in Prague. I can’t believe the program is already coming to an end—it honestly feels like just yesterday I first arrived in Prague. The number of memories, friends, and experiences I’ve gained over the span of this program is countless, and I couldn’t be happier to have had the chance to live this incredible opportunity. Sadly, this blog will be filled with a lot of my “lasts”—my last week in Prague, my last exams, and my last moments in my apartment. If you’re ready, I’m ready—let’s finish strong.

Last Czech Weekend

For my last weekend in the Czech Republic, I decided to spend all my time within the country to really get to know it before I leave. I explored different cities along with new places in Prague. This was such a fun and fulfilling experience, a sort of loop that brought me back to where I started.

The cities I visited were:

Kutná Hora – A beautiful historical town where we visited the Sedlec Ossuary (aka the Bone Church), the Cathedral of St. Barbara, and even went inside the famous silver mines underneath the city!

Karlovy Vary – One of the great spa towns of Europe, where we tried the famous healing mineral waters (not as tasty as you’d imagine) and toured the Czech Becherovka Liqueur Museum (this one was definitely tastier).

Apart from the incredible cities outside of Prague, my friends and I also spent a lot of time rediscovering Prague itself, revisiting places we’d forgotten about over the past eight weeks. We saw the TV Tower, played games in an arcade, and explored the city’s active nightlife! Overall, this was one of the best weekends abroad, since it gave me a chance to relax and really soak in all the Czech culture.

Last Czech Exams

No study abroad program is complete without final exams. Luckily for me, this time I only had my Calculus 3 exam instead of two like during midterms. Studying for the final was pretty straightforward: the professor provided a study guide that he said was very similar to the type of questions that would appear on the exam. After completing the guide and reviewing sections of the book I wasn’t as confident with, I felt ready. And my professor wasn’t kidding—the exam was very similar to the guide. The questions came from the same sections, meaning that if you did the study guide (which I did), you knew exactly what to do for each problem. This was the perfect way to end the class, because I finished feeling both happy and relieved—high grades and the sense that I actually learned something. I definitely recommend taking Calculus 3 abroad; it was honestly fun and not too challenging.

Last Czech Celebrations

As the program wrapped up, my friends and I decided to go out with a bang and make the most of our last few days. Not only did we go straight from class to do fun activities, but we also met up with half the program to spend our nights together! No other experience in my life can really compare to this amazing final week.

Our last week included:

Climbing the Astronomical Clock Tower in the center of Old Town Square

Exploring the National Technical Museum as part of the program’s final day activity

Visiting the Metronome monument atop Letná Park

Paddleboating in the Vltava River

Buying matching “I ❤ Prague” shirts that we wore around the city at night

Sharing a final lunch all together before leaving

The whole week was filled with laughter and unforgettable moments. I’m truly going to miss Prague once I’m back in the U.S. If you ever decide to study abroad, make sure to make the most out of it!

Moving Out Process

Although sad, moving out has to happen for the program to officially end. Luckily, the CEA CAPA staff made the process really simple. All I had to do was clean my room, spot-clean the apartment, throw out the trash, and leave the keys on the dining room table—and just like that, my apartment was back to the way it was before I moved in.

That’s it—we’re done talking about my time studying abroad. There will be one more post reflecting on the whole experience, so make sure you stick around to read that. Thank you so much for following along on my journey, and I’ll see you in the final post!

Patricio Sandoval-Sanchez

Mechanical Engineering

Guten Tag! (Some international lingo)

Pato Sandoval’s the name. Welcome to this week’s blog about me having the time of my life studying abroad in Prague! Only two weeks left in the program—how time flies when you’re having fun. This week, I met up with some family members for the first time since I left the country! It was a heartwarming moment, especially since I’ve been feeling a bit homesick at times. I’ll talk about what I did with my family, as well as how accessible Prague is for people who have trouble walking or climbing stairs. Let’s rock and roll!

Family Meetup

My family traveled to Germany for the weekend before joining me in Prague, so I decided to meet them in Berlin! Seeing my family for the first time in two months was an amazing experience, and I couldn’t be more grateful. After being away from home for so long, I definitely started feeling homesick and missed them a lot. Once we finished greeting each other, we spent two full days touring Berlin!

Quick side note — do not be on time or late to buses; they will not wait for you. I had to learn that the hard way… better to be early and safe than late and sorry.

Here are just a few of the sights we checked out:

East Side Gallery

Berlin Cathedral

Berlin Wall memorial

Checkpoint Charlie

Berlin Parliament Building

After a couple of days in Berlin, we headed to Munich! Surprisingly, these two cities are farther apart than I expected—around five hours by train. Personally, I enjoyed Munich more than Berlin since it feels more similar to Prague (but obviously, Prague will always be my number one city). There’s so much history in Munich that not many people talk about, like the site of the first German concentration camp. I found the city really fascinating and could definitely see myself coming back in the future.

Some of the things we did included:

Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site

Munich Cathedral

Marienplatz Glockenspiel 

BMW Museum

Getting to experience Germany for the first time was amazing, but being with my family made it even better. After our time in Germany, we traveled to Prague, and I had the chance to show them all the tourist attractions—plus a few hidden gems that only someone who’s been living here for a while would know ;)

Some not-so-well-known things to do:

Eat at Havleska Koruna (Cafeteria-like Czech food)

Visit The Wall Pub next to the John Lennon Wall (it’s Yellow Submarine-themed!)

Eat at Lokál Dlouhá

Try the Crème de la crème ice cream 

Try the Kofkola (traditional Czech cola)

Bring your student ID (high school and up!) – there are many student discounts available

I’m so glad I got to show my family around the city I’ve been calling home for nearly two months. Prague has become such an important and incredible experience for me, so hearing that my family also loved the city definitely made me happy.

Prague’s Accessibility

If there’s one thing my family wasn’t excited about, it was walking a thousand miles or climbing hundreds of stairs (and honestly, I don’t blame them – I’m not into that either). Luckily for them, Prague is actually pretty accessible! From trams that take you all over the city (including up to the castle), to short distances between major tourist attractions, Prague is a great city if you're looking for comfort and ease. Now, the roads can be rocky, which means wheelchairs might get stuck, but every tram has a ramp available for wheelchair access. Plus, Czechs are really respectful about giving up their seats for the elderly or those who have trouble standing for long periods.

For Example:

From Old Town Square (where the Astronomical Clock is), it’s just an 8-minute walk to a tram stop that will drop you off 4 minutes from Charles Bridge.

Cross the bridge and walk 5 more minutes, and you’ll find the famous John Lennon Wall.

Another 8-minute walk gets you to a tram stop that takes you straight up to Prague Castle – no stairs required!

As you can see, Prague is a very walkable and accessible city. Even if someone struggles with longer distances, I’d still recommend it as a travel (or study abroad) destination. Wink wink, nudge nudge.

That’s it for this week’s blog! It’s hard to believe that next week will be my final one in Prague, but I’m determined to make the most of it. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next week!

Patricio Sandoval-Sanchez

Mechanical Engineering

Howdy there!

Fret not, Pato is back! Welcome to this week’s blog about me living the dream in my study abroad program in Prague. With my new schedule of only Calculus 3 from Monday to Wednesday, I’ve had the opportunity to spend more time outside my host city for the weekend before the class gets harder. That means that this weekend I went to… drumroll please… Split, Croatia! This trip was one of my absolute favorites because it was so beautiful and relaxing. During the week, I also did plenty of fun activities that I can’t wait to share with you. Without further ado, let’s jump right in!

Split, Croatia

Believe it or not, I almost missed out on this trip. If it wasn’t for my friends (thank you Devon and Alana) who convinced me and three other guys to book a flight and an AirBnB, I wouldn’t have gone. And let me tell you – it was so worth it. From the moment we landed in Split, the scenery was incredible. Once we got to the ocean, it felt like all my problems just melted away. The smell of the sea, the sound of the waves, the sight of the mountains – I knew from the start that this was going to be an amazing experience. Every day we went to a different beach and had a blast. From relaxing swims to being semi-peer-pressured into cliff jumping, this trip was less “historical” tourism and more “vacation” tourism. My favorite activity was an 8-hour cruise that took us to 3 different islands! We got unlimited non-alcoholic drinks, some delicious food, and snorkel gear to see a shipwreck. The water was so blue, I thought it was AI-generated. Luckily, the day was sunny and hot, so getting into the water felt like heaven (although many of us ended up a bit burnt). Overall, if you ever go to Split, I highly recommend doing one of these boat cruises – you will not regret it.

In the evening, we’d all have dinner together and then go experience the Croatian nightlife. Since Split is a popular tourist destination, the prices for food and drinks weren’t the cheapest – but the food was delicious, especially their seafood (for obvious reasons). In the end, I had an amazing time here. Some might say I was sad to split off from Split ;)

What to do when bored in Prague

I won’t lie to you – having only one class during the week can get you thinking “wow, I finished all my homework… what do I do now?” To that, I say… whatever you want! Prague has so many things to do that it’s honestly hard to create a schedule that fits everything in. This week, I went to the Prague Zoo, which was just fabulous. Fun fact: the Prague Zoo is one of the top 10 zoos in the world! It has just about any animal you can think of – gorillas, elephants, kangaroos, penguins, and even the famous shoebill. Not only was the staff very friendly and helpful in getting tickets, but the animals seemed happy in a large, open environment. I can clearly see why this zoo is considered one of the best. They even had a funicular that takes you from one side of the zoo to the other! I definitely think visiting the zoo is a must while in Prague.

Another thing I did this week was visit the Climbing Center SmíchOff. This is a huge bouldering and rock climbing warehouse that was honestly worth the $12 I paid. Since no one in our group knew how to do two-person climbing, we stuck to the automatic rock climbing and bouldering. The staff was super helpful in teaching us the basics, and we even got a full tour of the warehouse. I love rock climbing, so this activity was such a fun way to spend time with friends. We challenged each other to see who could boulder the fastest, and we all quickly realized how out of shape we were. If you’re ever looking for a fun way to work out and rock climb, I definitely recommend checking this place out.

How to Budget 101

I’d say budgeting money is a key part of being able to travel and do fun activities. Because of this, I wanted to write a bit about how I manage my money and save for more adventures:

Bring a reusable water bottle - If you didn’t know, water is not free in restaurants (and sometimes it’s even more expensive than other drinks). This can lead tourists to spend money unnecessarily. By bringing a reusable water bottle, you can refill from almost any tap (the water here is really clean) and save your money for other things.

Use the bathroom at home or in restaurants - If you’re ever in public and need to use the bathroom, you’ll quickly realize that public toilets cost money. I usually try to go at home, in the study center, or at a restaurant I’m eating at. Of course, if it’s an emergency, go! But otherwise, use the free ones when you can.

Buy groceries rather than eating out - While eating at restaurants is delicious and saves time cooking, the money adds up fast. When you buy groceries and cook at home, the same amount you’d spend on two meals at a restaurant can make around five meals at home. I’m not saying to never eat out (I clearly do), but definitely try to cook at home often.

These are some tips I’ve learned during my time in Prague that have really helped me save money for more fun experiences.

That’s it for this week’s blog! Next week, my family is coming to visit me, so I’ll be showing them around the city and taking them to some of my favorite places. Thank you for your time, and I’ll see you next week!

Patricio Sandoval-Sanchez

Mechanical Engineering

Hello there! (I ran out of Czech greetings)

My name is Sandoval… Pato Sandoval. Welcome back to this week’s blog of my incredible experience studying abroad in Prague. Now that the second part of the program has started, I’m just realizing how fast time is flying by… and also that I haven’t done nearly enough of the things I’ve been meaning to do here. So, I decided to stay in Prague with my friends and explore parts of the city we hadn’t gotten around to yet. Let’s get this party started!

Exploring Prague

Prague is a massive city with so much to see and do. Honestly… I’m surprised at myself for not exploring more earlier because everything I saw this week was absolutely amazing!

Here are the spots I checked out:

Vyšehrad, a fortress in Prague 2 with a beautiful cathedral

Basilica of St. James the Greater, which is right next to the CEA CAPA Study center

Prague Castle’s South Tower, where you can climb to the top for an incredible 360-degree view of Prague

National Monument at Vítkov, featuring a massive statue of Jan Žižka riding a horse overlooking Prague

These spots aren’t usually in your typical “What to do in Prague” videos, but since I’m here for about two months, I get to explore the city in a deeper way. If you’re ever in Prague – whether studying abroad or just visiting – I definitely recommend checking out these places and more! Prague is filled with beautiful sights, and it’s hard to capture them all in just one blog post.

Prague’s Nature

This weekend, my friends and I decided to take a break from the city and explore some of the nature Prague has to offer. Sometimes the city can get overwhelming – lots of people, lots of noise, and a few smells you really don’t want to know where they come from. So, what better way to reconnect with nature than by hiking up a mountain and swimming in a lake? Getting to the base of the mountain – Džbán – was easy. The trams and metros in Prague work flawlessly. Everything is connected, so it took no more than 30 minutes to get there. The hike itself wasn’t too tough; being with friends definitely helped distract me from the rough terrain and my lack of fitness. But it was so worth it when we reached the top. We had a stunning view of both the mountains and the city—and cooling off in the lake afterward was the perfect reward. On a hot day, the cold water felt amazing.

New Class Routine

Now that my non-engineering course, Cross-Cultural Management, has ended (it was only a four-week class), my new schedule is just Calculus 3 from Monday to Wednesday. It’s still a challenging class with plenty of homework, but having this new routine means I can get my studying done earlier in the day – and have the rest of the afternoon free to do whatever I want! Whether that’s taking day trips to other cities in the Czech Republic, exploring more of Prague’s architecture and history, or just enjoying a chill night in – I don’t have to juggle two classes anymore. Let’s just say the “study” in study abroad got a little lighter.

That’s it for this week’s blog! Next week might just be one of the most exciting ones yet, because I’ll be hopping on a plane to a different country! Stay tuned to find out where I’m headed ;) Thanks for your time, and I’ll see you next week!

Patricio Sandoval-Sanchez

Mechanical Engineering

Brý den! (I feel like I’m starting to sound like a local)

It’s-a me, Pato! Welcome back to this week’s blog about my time studying in the great city of Prague. I can’t believe that four out of the eight weeks of studying abroad have already passed—it feels like just yesterday I got on my flight from Detroit to Prague. Still, the amount of experiences and memories I’ve made so far have truly been priceless. This week, I’ll talk about my incredible weekend in Budapest, along with how my eight-week class midterm and four-week class final exams went. You know the drill—let’s get straight into it!

Budapest

This weekend, my friends and I decided to visit Budapest! Although I didn’t know much about what to do in the city, a lot of people from the program had gone some weekends ago, and they raved about it. They said the architecture was beautiful, the nightlife was incredible, and the scenery was spectacular—it didn’t take much after that to fully convince me to go. No matter what, I knew that being with my friends in such a highly praised city was going to be an unforgettable experience.

And boy, was it.

Budapest is such a beautiful and relaxing city—I almost want to go back just to explore it even more (although my wallet is holding me back). From the unique architecture across the city to the stunning landscape of mountains and the Danube River, and the overall active lifestyle, this trip might actually rank higher than my trip to Vienna!

Here are some tourist stops I recommend checking out:

Buda Castle

House of Parliament

Central Market Hall

Fisherman's Bastion

St. Stephen's Cathedral

The city also offered some amazing experiences both during the day and at night—like a Prosecco cruise along the Danube River and a very lively nightlife! Our Airbnb was right next to the main nightclub area, so of course, we took advantage of that and went out almost every night (safely, of course). Overall, I loved my time in Budapest, and if I ever get the chance to return, I definitely will. Maybe the other CEA CAPA students were right to highly recommend this city after all.

Class Exams

Classes abroad wouldn’t be complete without… exams. But to be honest, these were much easier to prepare for than the ones back home in Michigan. Since I only had two classes, prepping for the exams wasn’t the end of the world (though I was still studying, so I couldn’t be completely excited).

For my cross-cultural management final exam, I had to write a field study about a time in my life when I experienced culture shock and how I learned from that experience. I decided to write about the differences between Mexican and American party cultures. In Mexico, parties are more diffused—as long as you know the person throwing the party, you’re likely to get an invite. In the U.S., parties tend to be more specific, meaning only a select group of people are invited, rather than everyone the host knows. This case study-style final was really interesting to write because we could pick any topic from the class to connect to our personal experience. Since this class was a four-week course, this final also marked the end of the class—which was bittersweet. I enjoyed it, but I now have more free time.

For my Calculus 3 midterm, we had about 10 questions based on everything covered in the first half of the program. My strategy was to create a cheat sheet by going through my notes and textbook, writing down all the key formulas and information so I’d be ready for whatever came up. Since the exam was open-note, I figured the cheat sheet would be useful if I ever got stuck trying to recall a specific formula (trust me, it happens more than you’d think). This class is an eight-week course, so I’ve still got four more weeks of Calc 3 ahead—I don’t know if I should be celebrating or crying.

Overall, the exams weren’t the worst thing in the world. As long as you study to the best of your ability and ask questions when you’re stuck, you’re bound to do well. On the bright side, we celebrated the end of midterms at a karaoke bar—so I’d say things turned out pretty great in the end.

That’s the end of this week’s blog! I’m not sure what next week has in store for me, so I’ll let destiny decide my adventure. (P.S. That’s an externally controlling culture.) Thanks for your time, and I’ll see you next week!

Patricio Sandoval-Sanchez

Mechanical Engineering