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Western Connecticut State University

USA 2019/2020 ISEP Exchange

Osobní data
Typ mobility:
studium

Fakulta na MU:
Právnická fakulta

Obor studia:
Law and Legal Science / Law

Úroveň studia v době pobytu v zahraničí:
Magisterská

Používaný jazyk:
angličtina

Letní/zimní škola?:
ne

Doba studia:
podzim 2019

Doba pobytu (od-do):
2019-08-24 - 2019-12-15

Počet měsíců:
4

Aktivita před výjezdem do zahraničí
Kde je možné získat informace o kurzech vyučovaných na zahraniční škole?:
Official ISEP website has all universities even with the necessary information and useful links connected with the particular university where it is possible to find additional information about courses.

Které dokumenty jsou potřebné k přijetí na zahraniční vysokou školu?:
If I remember correctly, I definitely needed the English certificate (Toefl), motivation letter, letter of recommendation from a professor and transcript of finished classes and grades from my home university (MU).

Jak dlouho dopředu je třeba přijetí vyřizovat?:
I think it was at least 9 months.

Bylo potřeba vízum?:
ano

Potřebné podklady a doklady pro udělení víza:
I needed the letter of acceptance from the US university, confirmation about insurance, all papers from my home university (about support), DS-form and other documents that were issued by the embassy itself. But honestly, they just asked about the DS-form and my passport. :-)

Délka čekání na vízum:
I received the visa within one week of my visit to the US embassy.

Výše poplatku za udělení víza:
The fee was in the amount of 180 USD (I don't remember exactly, maybe there were some other small additional fees but it was nothing huge).

Studium
Měl/a jste před odjezdem podepsanou studijní dohodu (Learning Agreement)?:
ano

Pokud ne, v čem byl problém?:

Věděl/a jste před odjezdem, jak Vám kurzy budou na domovské fakultě uznány?:
Yes, my Learning Agreement was signed before my departure so I knew what to expect.

Měnil/a jste během pobytu studijní smlouvu?:
Yes, I dropped one class just because I wanted to have more free time to also enjoy the foreign country and I had enough credits so there was no problem with that.

Kdy a jak probíhá registrace do kurzů? Jsou nějaká omezení? Možnost změny?:
I was automatically registered by the ISEP organization. I chose the classes in my ISEP account and they handed them over to my host university which signed me for the classes I had chosen. I just needed to make sure there are no prerequisites or other requirements. When I arrived to the US, we got almost two weeks to decide whether we want to change any classes or not - either drop them or add some.

Skládal/a jste na zahraniční škole zkoušky?:
Yes, I had many exams in my classes. The biggest ones were the mid-term exams and at the end of the semester also final exams. It was a nice experience.

Používá škola systém ECTS?:
- vyberte možnost -

Pokud ne, uveďte, jakým způsobem byly tamní kredity na ECTS přepočítány:
My classes were for 3 credits each in the US but I received double in ECTS, i.e. 6 credits for each American class.

Popište způsob výuky (teorie, praxe, projekty) a hodnocení studentů:
It really depended on the professor. Some professors were giving us a lot of readings and then the classes were really practical and more focused on discussion. Another professor let us making the slide presentation which was very boring. One more professor was trying to combine all of that which I liked the most. The assessment was based on the quizzes, mid-term and final exams, assignments and other homework and the activity in the class. The final grade was then the combination of all of it which I consider very fair and impartial.

Kvalita výuky ve srovnání s domácí školou:
As mentioned above, it always depends on the professor. I can say that the professors in the US are much more helpful and excited about teaching, the classes were more interesting, full of discussion and sharing the opinions. The materials in the test were always from the material we went over in the class or which were assigned to reading. That is what I miss in the Czech Republic, I usually feel really confused about what to study, what I need to know and which materials use for the preparation for the exams; I didn't experience this feeling abroad and I would really welcome this accuracy and help from my Czech professors.

Jak jste získával/a studijní materiál?:
I bought the prescribed and required books. We could just rent them or buy them but sometimes buying on Amazon was even cheaper than rent at the university so it's really good to compare the options. When other materials were needed, the professors always brought them to the class.

Můžete doporučit nějaký zajímavý kurz/předmět/vyučujícího?:
I really enjoyed Constitutional law (JLA 322-02) with professor Terrence P. Dwyer. Constitutional law in the US has many interesting topics of modern society and I really liked reading the case law and thinking about others' opinions.

Jaká je vybavenost školní knihovny?:
Because I bought the books I needed, I didn't really use the library much. But there were more libraries on the campus (maybe because we had two campuses) and they both had computers with the possibility of free printing and scanning which I really appreciated!

Dostupnost počítačů, přístup na internet, úroveň potřebného softwaru, potřeba vlastního notebooku:
I brought my own laptop but there were computers everywhere on campus. We had study rooms with computers, libraries also had them and the internet access was everywhere on campus. I didn't need any special software so I cannot consider how good it was (and I'm also not the very technical type of person so I really cannot evaluate that :-D).

Možnosti tisku a kopírování:
As I already mentioned, printing and scanning were for free all around the campus. Copying was a small problem, because it wasn't possible to copy anything, unfortunately. All I could do was to scan what I need and then print it.

Pořádá zahraniční škola/studentská organizace speciální akce pro výměnné studenty?:
ano

Jestliže ano, jaké?:
There was an International club in the past, however, it's not on the campus anymore. But the international coordinator Donna was really friendly and helpful. She arranged a few international meetings for all of the international students - most of them were dinners for free which we really enjoyed! But she was also trying to make events where we could share our culture and experience.

Jak byste zhodnotil/a svoji integraci mezi místní studenty (hodnocení jako ve škole 1-5):
2

případně doplňte vlastními slovy:
I met a lot of friends from many countries all around the world but I also had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with local American students!

Praktické otázky pobytu
Kde jste bydlel/a?:
I lived on campus in the student dormitory which was called Pinney Hall. I shared the room with one more girl Dina who was American and was really friendly. The whole apartment was shared with two other girls who were also good friends. We had our own kitchen in the apartment, living room and two bathrooms. I would say it was bigger and better than my apartment in the Czech Republic. :D

Cena ubytování – měsíčně:
0 USD

Další poznámky k ceně ubytování (ohledně toho, co cena obsahuje):
I didn't pay for the accommodation because it was provided by the university (or the ISEP program). It was included in all costs and fees I paid for the program and I didn't need to take care of it. And it included everything except the equipment. We needed to buy the dishes, cleaning stuff etc.

Popište vybavenost. Tipy pro další studenty – co by si měli sebou přivézt?:
I don't think it is possible to bring everything (especially if you fly really far away). But I needed to buy all the dishes, decorations, cleaning stuff, and hygiene supplies. I was lucky because my roommates were really friendly, they understood my situation and they offered me that I could borrow a lot of things from them so that I didn't have to buy all of them.

Jak a s jakým předstihem je třeba si zařídit ubytování?:
I don't know because I really didn't have to take care of it. The accommodation was provided by the university and I can say that it wasn't bad and I had most of the essential things I needed. I can say they did a really good job!

Jaké jsou možnosti stravování?:
I could cook by myself because I had a kitchen in the apartment. Also, the supermarket was just down the hill not far from the campus and the university shuttle stopped there so it was also easy to buy the food. I also received the meal plan from the university (or ISEP) where I had 75 meals for the semester which I could use in the local cafeterias on the campus. The meal plan also contained the flex points which were actually a certain amount of money which we could also use on campus for coffee, snacks, cookies or other small trifles.

Jaké jsou orientační ceny potravin (porovnejte s cenami v ČR):
In general, groceries and other healthy food are much more expensive than in the Czech Republic.

Doprava do místa pobytu:
I took a special van from JFK airport (New York) to Connecticut which dropped me off not far away from the university campus. The university coordinator then picked me up there and drove me to the school.

Orientační cena dopravy:
Transportation is also more expensive in the US than in the Czech Republic. Especially now, when we have really low student prices. The orientation price for transportation is similar to the usual adult prices in the Czech Republic, sometimes more, sometimes less.

Tipy pro zakoupení výhodné letenky/jízdenky/další doporučení:
Try to look up the transportation in advance so that you can get the cheapest connections, they are usually quickly sold out. Just look up on the internet the easiest and cheapest way. Also, try to find friends and travel together, Uber is sometimes cheaper than public transportation when you share it.
Also, in Connecticut, you have public transportation for free when you get an Upass and you have your student ID with you. But once you cross the borders you have to pay.

Jaké jsou možnosti místní dopravy (MHD, kolo, pěšky, orientační ceny):
The most typical way of traveling is by car so it's really not easy to get somewhere when you don't have one. Walking is dangerous as there are no sidewalks, cycling is similar but can be nice especially in summer because of the thick traffic. I used the bus or train the most often but traveling can take even a few hours more than by car.

Jaké formality je třeba vyřídit po příjezdu, např. povolení k pobytu?:
I just needed to get a student visa (J1).

Jakého jste použil/a zdravotního pojištění? (orientační cena, výhody, nevýhody, je nutno na univerzitě pořídit jiné než domácí (české) pojištění?):
I had to be insured and I also had to use the ISEP insurance. It was quite expensive, I paid 36O USD and as we found out with other students, it didn't cover much.

Měl/a jste zkušenosti s lékařským ošetřením v zahraničí?:
Luckily not. I didn't need to visit any doctors.

Pracoval/a jste během studia?:
No, it wasn't allowed to work in the US while being on student exchange. The only option was to work on campus but the offers were limited and already occupied so I decided to take a break and not to work during my semester abroad.

Jaké jsou podmínky pro práci/brigádu pro studenty z MU?:
They are the same as for the other students, once you are an international student in the US and you have a student visa, you are not allowed to work. The only option is to work on campus.

Tipy na využití volného času:
There was a nice club (with many events, also student nights) not far from the campus, it was called Molly Darcy's and we spent a lot of nights there with my friends. Also, there are many activities on campus, the schedule is always on the university's website and you can find every day something interesting to do. Moreover, the gym facilities are open and accessible for free. You can also sign in for trips which are organized by the university for really cheap prices!

Finanční podpora a náklady
Celkový grant od Centra zahraniční spolupráce:
60000 CZK

Měsíční stipendium v Kč:
15000 CZK

Počet podpořených měsíců:
4

Celkový počet měsíců:
4

Jakých dalších zdrojů jste využil/a k financování pobytu?:
I had been saving money before I went to the US because I expected it to be expensive, also my parents helped me with some payments.

Pokud jste obdržel/a další stipendium, uveďte jaké a jeho výši v Kč:

 
Poplatky spojené s nástupem na univerzitu:
100 USD

a/ výše vstupního poplatku:
325 USD

b/ výše školného:
0 USD

c/ výše ostatních poplatků (jakých):
360 USD

 
Jaké byly Vaše průměrné měsíční výdaje?:
700 USD

a/ z toho ubytování:
0 USD

b/ z toho stravování:
100 USD

c/ cestování a volný čas:
600 USD

Jakékoli komentáře k průměrným měsíčním výdajům:

Uznání zahraničního studia domácí fakultou
Kolik jste během studia získal kreditů (v systému zahraniční školy)?:
12

Kolik ETCS kreditů bylo uznáno na MU?:
24

Věděl/a jste předem, které kurzy Vám budou domácí fakultou uznány?:
Yes, I consulted all the conditions with the responsible professor.

Jakým problémům jste musel/a v souvislosti s uznáním čelit?:
None, I knew that my classes wouldn't be recognized in the Czech Republic and I have to catch up on everything I missed. However, I will receive the credits for the foreign classes which will be accepted as D classes.

Celkové hodnocení
Posouzení osobního přínosu (1 = výborný):
1

Posouzení akademického přínosu (1 = výborný):
1

Ohodnoťte informace a podporu poskytnuté zahraniční školou (1 = výborný):
1

Setkal/a jste se s nějakými závažnými problémy během pobytu:
No, all the faculty staff was extremely friendly and helpful so I didn't experience any serious problems.

Co doporučujete vzít si s sebou:
Whatever you like. There is never enough space to pack things for a few months so I would recommend taking some clothes, hygienic supplies, favorite food and expect to buy other things.

Co Vás nejvíce překvapilo na partnerské univerzitě pozitivně:
The way how classes were held and how friendly people were.

Co Vás nejvíce překvapilo na partnerské univerzitě negativně:
Their cafeteria and American food.

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