Academic Life (2)

So far the academic life here in the Czech Republic is way different for me compared to how it is back in Kearney.  Here we do not start class until 3 in the afternoon and go until 7 at night.  In Kearney, I enroll in morning classes and am often times done by early afternoon.  While here, as a group we are all taking classes involving the Czech Republic’s History.  We start the day off by having a guest lecturer come and teach a lesson on some aspect of the Czech’s history.  We have had a variety of topics taught so far.  Some examples are, Political systems, the European borders, Architecture, Religion, etc.  The next class we have is Czech language.  Czech class is definitely the most fun.  Even though trying to learn a new language is extremely difficult, it is a good upbeat class to have in the middle of two lecture classes.  Learning a new language takes a lot of time and repetition.  Along with learning the new language, we also have to learn the pronunciation of every letter, the different rules to pronunciation, and how to spell the words.  So far the hardest part is learning how to pronounce the words for me.  Our last class of the day is taught by one of our two academic coordinators in the Czech, Martin or Jan.  So far these classes have focused more on Religion, mainly Judaism. 

                The classroom structures of the lectures here are taught way different from the ones I have in Kearney.  The lectures here mainly consist of the teacher standing or sitting in the front of the classroom speaking about the topic, often in a monotone voice.  Sometimes powerpoints are used and sometimes the teachers just talk without any props.  The lectures where the professor just talks are the most difficult for me.  In Kearney, many of my classes are big on classroom involvement, hands on learning, communication and the teachers are energetic about teaching.  Compared to this, my classes here are harder for me to retain the information.  I am definitely a visual and hands on learner so the classes that are more for audio based learners are a challenge for me.  Overall, it has been interesting to learn about a new country’s history and what has molded them into how they are today.

Schedule of classes for one week

Czech language books