Rebecca Swartz, Plus3 SSOE Transfer: Czech Republic Summer 2023
I wish I knew how cold it is in Prague even in the summer. I did not pack accordingly, and if I had a chance to do this program again, I would definitely pack more warm clothes and layers. Another thing I wish I knew before this program is just how fast two weeks can go by. I am very happy with my time in Prague and feel as though I really made the most of my time there. However, looking back there is more I could have done. I wish I had planned out more things to do in advance so that I could fit as much as humanely possible into two weeks. I am very grateful for all the free time we got to explore this magical city in addition to all of our interesting lessons, day trips, and company visits. I was very surprised to see how much diversity there is in work environments among all the companies we visited. The big companies were extremely organized and professional work environments. They had official presentations prepared and had a very corporate feel to the environment for the employees. The contrast between some of the startups that we visited was expected but I was shocked by just how drastically different the entire atmosphere of the offices really was. The layout of the offices alone shows how community-oriented and cooperative they intend for their employees to be. One company even had an incredible green rooftop space with a stunning view of the city that had seating and cooperative spaces up there. This experience really helped me to see lots of different work environments and helped me to understand the type of company I would like to work for in the future. Another surprise that came out of the company visits was some of the politics involved in the region and how different countries can have such a major role in the goals of companies in the Czech Republic. The company visits as well as the experience in general have shocked me by how much of an effect communism continues to have on all aspects of life in the Czech Republic. From the food to the architecture to the attitude of the people and their appreciation for freedom Communist rule has left a major impact on the Czech Republic that I wasn’t anticipating seeing. I honestly didn’t know too much about what to expect from this trip, but I am completely shocked at how much I got out of it and how meaningful it was considering it was only a two-week global experience.
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