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Monmouth College

USA 2021/2022 ISEP Exchange

Personal data
Mobility type:
study

Faculty at MU:
Faculty of Arts

Field of study:
Psychology / Psychology

Level of study during period of placement:
Bachelor

Language used:
English

Summer/winter school?:
no

Period of studies:
autumn 2021

Period of placement (from-to):
2021-08-18 - 2021-12-15

Number of months:
4

Activities before my departure abroad
Where can information be found about courses taught at the foreign school?:
On their website: https://www.monmouthcollege.edu/academics/majors-minors/

Which documents were needed for acceptance at the foreign university?:
Motivation letter, TOEFL test (or IELTS test), Recommendation letter, Health insurance, Confirmation of mandatory vaccinations in the USA

How far ahead did you have to organise your acceptance?:
several months

Did you need a visa?:
yes

Documents and materials needed for a visa:
DS-2019 Form - Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status
Form DS-160 - Online Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic Application
A passport valid for travel to the U.S with validity six months after the intended period of stay in the US
One 2x2 photograph

Length of wait for visa:
Maximum 1 month, but I recommend to handling well in advance.

Fee for the visa:
$160 visa fee (J-1 visa)
$220 SEVIS fee

Studies
Did you have a Learning Agreement signed before your departure?:
yes

If not, why not?:

Before your departure did you know how your courses would be recognised by your home faculty?:
Yes

During your stay did you change your Learning Agreement?:
No

When and how did course registration take place? Are there any restrictions? Possibilities of making changes?:
Since the semester in the US starts a little earlier then in Czechia, it was necessary to register the classes as soon as possible after acceptance (even so, some classes were already full). However, it was possible to make changes up until the second week of the semester for free, and up until the mid-semester with a fee.

Did you take any examinations at the foreign school?:
Yes

Does the school use the ECTS system?:
- choose option -

If not then explain how the credits there were recalculated into ECTS:
The local credits were recalculated to ETCS and the recalculation was approved by the faculty coordinator - for one received MC credit I obtained 8 credits at MU.

Describe the teaching methods (theory, practical and projects) and assessment of students:
During the semester, we were assigned with many homeworks and projects. The classes also required a lot of readings so the preparation for the class took a lot of time. On the other hand, there was a lot of work that needed to be done during the semester but many classes are finished with submitting a project or a research paper instead of a final exam.
Some subjects have small quizzes each week, some have mid-term and final exams, but this is a minimum of subjects, most have essays or projects instead.
The lessons are based on conversation and discussion of compulsory literature - therefore it's really necessary to prepare for individual lessons.

Quality of teaching in comparison with home school:
I'm not sure about quality but my teachers were very open-minded and always tried to make students participate in the class - successfully.
I must admit that I learned more in those 4 months than in the whole year at MU.

How did you receive study materials?:
I had to buy or rent books for every class. Furthermore, online from the system or directly from teachers. There were more books than one on some subjects - I needed 7 books in total, which cost me about $200.

Can you recommend an interesting course/subject/teacher?:
What I enjoyed most was Introduction to Women’s Studies with Trudi Peterson and Political Psychology with Andre Audette. Politics of Criminal Justice with Jessica Vivian was also great.

How well is the school library equipped?:
Enough equipped, I found everything I needed. However, it's important to repeat that you will not find almost any of the books for the courses in the library - you really have to buy or rent them in the bookstore (also on the school campus).

Availability of computers, internet access, level of software needed, requirements on notebook:
Everything was available in the library. Some of the teachers I had classes with asked us not to bring laptops into classes and make hand-written notes instead.
I used my own notebook for essays and projects that I really wrote every day. Also for compulsory reading (in addition to books, some teachers send articles, etc.), which, however, can be printed in the library. Sure, it's possible to use computers in a library, but it's more convenient due to the large number of tasks to have your own laptop.
The whole campus is covered by wifi.

Options from printing and copying:
Available in the library.

Does the foreign school/student organisation arrange special events for exchange students?:
- choose option -

If yes then what?:

How would you assess your integration with the local students (evaluation like in school from 1 to 5 with 1 as highest):
5

or describe in your own words:

Practical questions on your placement
Where did you live?:
I lived in dorms on campus.

Cost of accommodation - monthly:
0 USD

Additional comments to the price of accommodation (as to what the price includes):
The price of the accommodation was covered by ISEP.

Describe the equipment. Tips for future students – what should they bring with them?:
The university provides you with a list of things that are and are not available.
The room has furniture - table, chair, bed, mattress, wardrobe. But, for example, bed linen, a plate, an electric kettle, etc., you have to buy, if you want it. There is a microwave in the kitchen, nothing more - you will not find pots, pans, dishes. However, since you can go to the dining room for every meal, it's not necessary.
Washers and dryers are also available. However, you must have your detergent and use is charged ($1.75 for one regular use)

How and how far ahead should accommodation be organised?:
It's only necessary to apply for the accommodation, then it's arranged by the university.

What are the catering options?:
From ISEP you have paid for a regular food plan - 21 meals a week in the dining room, plus extra money to use in the shop campus or campus cafe.

What are the rough costs of groceries (compare with Czech prices):
It depends on the product, most of them are a bit more expensive, something costs twice as much. However, since I didn't cook and ate in the dining room, I didn't have to buy almost anything.

Transport to location of placement:
A plane with two transfers; then you need a ride directly to the campus, which was arranged for me by the school - the stay coordinator arrived for me by car.

Rough prices for transportation:
The return ticket cost me about $ 1,130.

Tips for purchasing cheap tickets and other recommendations:
I actually don't have any tips in this matter

What are the local transport options (public transport, cycling, on foot, rough prices):
You can easily walk everywhere on campus and the town. If you want to go out of town, you need a car or taxi.

What kind of formalities have to be arranged before arrival, for example residence permit?:
Health checks (immunizations), housing

What health insurance did you use? (rough price, advantages, disadvantages, is it necessary to arrange insurance at the university other than your home (Czech) insurance?):
ISEP insurance (I did not have any other option). The insurance was $80/month plus some fee. The only disadvantage was that we needed to purchase exactly this insurance and it was only possible to purchase it for the whole month, not for a week or a couple days. Meaning if your insurance was valid until May 15 and you wanted to leave May 16, you needed to buy the insurance for one extra month. It is mandatory to have the entire period of study covered by this insurance.

Did you have any experience with medical treatment abroad?:
Yes, I had to go through a revaccination to Tetanus, because in the USA it is vaccinated once every 10 years, not once every 15, as is the case with us. However, the coordinator helped me with the settlement and it took place through the school, which also paid a vaccination fee for me.

Did you work during your studies?:
No

What are the conditions for working for MU students?:
As far as I know, you can only work on campus.

Tips for free-time activities:
The campus organizes a lot of events during the week and on weekends, it's nice to attend. In addition to various events and meetings with students, there is also the opportunity to join any student association. Outside Monmouth, the larger city of Galesburg is accessible, from where you can also take a train to Chicago (the journey takes about 3.5 hours, a ticket for one route costs from 20 to 40 dollars)

Financial support and expenses
Total grant from Centre for International Cooperation:
80000 CZK

Monthly grant in CZK:
20000 CZK

Number of supported months:
4

Total number of months:
4

What other sources did you make use of to finance your placement?:
I mostly paid for the program from my personal savings and I received some financial support from my family.

If you received another grant, state which and how much in CZK:
I received another grant from the host university (more like a US government) in the amount of about $1,500 for extra and unexpected expenses connected to COVID-19. Every student in the USA received this contribution, in the last wave it also included exchange students.

 
Total fees associated with enrolment at the university:
1430 USD

a/ amount of enrolment fee:
395 USD

b/ amount of tuition fees:
0 USD

c/ amount of other fees (which):
380 USD

 
What was your average monthly expenditure?:
300 USD

a/ of which for accommodation:
0 USD

b/ of which for catering:
100 USD

c/ travel and recreation:
200 USD

Any comments to the average monthly expenditure:

Recognition of foreign studies at the home faculty
How many credits did you gain during your studies (in the system of the foreign school)?:
4

How many ECTS credits were recognised at MU?:
32

Did you know in advance which of your courses would be recognised by your home faculty?:
Yes

What problems did you have with recognition?:
I waited a long time for Transcript of Records from a foreign university. I already knew that I had all the subjects met, and that they should all be recognized by my home university, but I had to wait quite a long time for the documentation.

Overall assessment
Assessment of personal benefit (1 = excellent):
1

Assessment of academic benefit (1 = excellent):
1

Evaluate the information and support provided by the foreign school (1 = excellent):
1

Did you encounter any serious problems during your stay:
No

What would you recommend to take with you:
I recommend checking the weather (but there is a similar climate in Illinois like in Czechia, so nothing surprised me) and planning where you want to travel - then take everything you need accordingly.

What most surprised you at the partner university in a positive way:
The attitude of both academic and non-academic personnel, everyone was very helpful. I was surprised how tolerant and communicative my teachers were and how they were always ready to solve any problem that occured.

What most surprised you at the partner university in a negative way:
Nothing really

Further comments: