Jane Hulse
junior
agricultural communication
There are a lot of amazing opportunities to study abroad in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. This past summer I was able to participate in one such opportunity, traveling abroad to Prague with the Czech Republic: Sustainability and Agricultural Policy in the EU program.
I first learned about this program when researching classes and opportunities in the International Economic Development program, which is one of my minors. The study abroad program would not only count for six credits towards my minor but would also enable me to really experience the international part of the International Economic Development minor.
The program ran from May 11, 2018, to June 9, 2018. The first day was mostly taken up with travel. After nearly 13 hours of airports and flights, I arrived in Prague and was picked up at the airport by our group leader and some of the Czech students who would be guiding us during our stay. We went back to the hotel and had some time to rest before going to dinner at a nearby restaurant.
Over the next few weeks we took classes at the Czech University of Life Sciences and got to tour the city and see some of the major monuments, such as Prague Castle. We slowly became accustomed to using the extensive public transportation system to get where we wanted to go, and ate at the same Vietnamese restaurant at least once a week. We also had the opportunity to see other parts of the Czech Republic outside of Prague. We went on excursions to South Bohemia and Moravia to see and learn about different industries and farms. We went on a 16 mile hike up and down a mountain in Moravia, which was one of my favorite activities. Another of my favorite things was the weekend we spent doing family stays with the Czech buddies. My buddy took my roommate and me to her family cottage in South Bohemia where we saw places like Hluboká Castle, a healing spring that was fabled to have healed the blind, the ruins of Pořešín Castle, and several beautiful forests that we hiked through. The last day, we had a farewell dinner where everyone was given a graduation certificate and some printed photos to take home with us.
My month in the Czech Republic went by very quickly, and I was sorry to go when there was still so much more to see. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in the program, and it is good to know that there are so many remarkable study abroad experiences available in the College. In fact, I will be participating in another this upcoming winter break; I will be traveling to Antarctica to study the human impact on a fragile environment.
Hulse learning about tractors in Prague.
Prague Study Abroad Group.
Hulse (right) poses in Prague.