Czech students enjoying experience of attending university in New York

In recent years more and more Czech students have been taking advantage of the opportunity to study abroad, broadening their horizons and gaining valuable experience. Among them are two young men I spoke to at New York University. Jan Žďárek (or John Zdarek) previously went to secondary school overseas and is an economics undergraduate, while Petr Kutílek is a grad student doing public management at NYU. On a sunny Washington Square, I asked them why they had chosen to study in New York.

Petr Kutílek and Jan Žďárek

Petr: “There were basically two reasons. One was that I wanted to study at a US university. And I wanted to experience living in New York for a while.”

Jan: “I had two options, either go to the United Kingdom to study or the United States. I chose the US because I thought the education was more liberal and more flexible.”

Is it, or was it, hard to find a place at a US university?

Jan: “Not necessarily. If you want to study in the United States someone will let you.”

How does university in the States, in New York, compare to at home in the Czech Republic?

Petr: “It’s been a few years since I studied at a Czech university and I understand they’ve gone through some development as well. But when I compare those experiences I think there is more of an expectation here for students to actively in classes, definitely. Classes tend to be smaller and you are expected and encouraged to know what you want to study and why you want to study it. And it shows in the classroom.”

Apart from the academic side of things how does university compare here to in the Czech Republic?

Petr: “I think universities here are very good at helping students find their direction in their professional careers. There are a lot of public lectures you can go to and explore other areas that are loosely related to what you are interested in. And there are a lot of events at which you can meet professionals from organisations that you might want to work with.”

Is it costly for a Czech to study here in the US?

Jan Žďárek

Jan: “I think it’s costly for anyone. My friends are Americans and even they’ve been complaining, so yes, I’d say it is.”

What about the cost of living here in New York?

Petr: “Yes, New York is definitely expensive. It’s one of the more expensive cities in the world, I think. I was lucky enough to get a decent scholarship from the university, but I still have to cover part of my tuition and I still have to cover my living expenses here. It does cost quite a bit of money, but at the same time it’s getting cheaper for Czechs, considering the exchange rate. A decade ago or even five years ago this for me would have been unthinkable, but now it’s within the realm of the possible.”

So far how are you enjoying the experience of studying here?

Jan: “Absolutely. I always compare it to what if I was in the UK and every time I do that I think I’m so lucky to be here, because of the whole format of the system. It’s always what I wanted – I couldn’t ask for more.”

Petr Kutílek

Petr: “I’m enjoying it. As I mentioned, it is difficult, the programme is quite rigorous, you have to read a lot and you have to prepare a lot for classes. And apart from classes there’s a lot of homework. It takes effort to actually find the time to enjoy life in New York as well. But there obviously are possibilities – this is one of the cultural capitals of the world, if not the capital as New Yorkers claim. There’s definitely no shortage of things to do.”

That leads me to my next question, which is how are you enjoying living in New York as an experience?

Petr: “It’s good. I’ve actually recently made the decision to stay a little longer, precisely to be able to slow down and enjoy life a little more. There are so many opportunities and so many things to enjoy that you want to enjoy them.”

Jan: “I live at Union Square and I think that’s the best location for me as a student in Manhattan. I have everything close…all the culture, so if I want to go to a museum, art galleries, or to see photography – which I’m interested in – it’s all around.”