I was fortunate to have a pretty smooth pre-departure process. I think I could say I started my whole study abroad process my freshman year, and I’m finally going my Junior year! What I mean by that is I began looking into studying abroad as soon as I got admitted into college, before i could even figure out a major, I knew that I would be spending time to study overseas. It was too often that I had heard from family and friends, that their biggest regret in college, was not studying abroad, and I was set on not making it one of mine.

To be honest, prior to considering the Czech Republic as one of my study options, I hadn’t heard too much about it. All I knew was that it is a small, central european country formerly known as Czhekoslovakia. However, the alluring mystery of not being entirely familiar with the Czech Republic (in my mind) was guaranteed to provide me with the perfect new living experience. I would be able to stray from the beaten path and create my own journey, and in doing so, discover a country once unfamiliar to me.

With my mind set on studying in the capital city of Prague, I began the pre-departure process. Luckily, SUNY New Paltz provided me with an efficient and organized platform/database for me to submit all necessary paperwork, gather documents, and keep in contact with my advisor. I was also fortunate to have an advisor who, years prior, had studied at Charles University through the same study abroad program and was able to give me advice, and insight on studying in the Czech Republic. 

The most stressful part of the pre-departure process is definitely the waiting. Waiting for email responses, waiting for your passport to be ready, waiting to register for classes, sometimes, there are moments where there is nothing left to do but wait! Currently I’m waiting for my visa, I know I don’t leave for another month, but being patient is so hard! Especially when all your excitement for months, has been all balled up and ready to explode because I leave in a month!

Oh man, it’s crazy to type all that out, reflecting on my pre-departure process, I can say I’m happy with my decision to study in Prague. I am eager and look forward to meeting new people, tasting new foods, and living in an entirely new country! 

See ya soon!

Sam Duer