For my STEP Signature Project I participated in a four-week study abroad in Czech Republic studying sustainability and agricultural policy. During my stay I was able to learn about the country’s history, agricultural practices, language, and blooming culture.
I have been very fortunate to have traveled outside of the United States before the study abroad, yet I have never traveled by myself or immersed myself into a different culture before. During my time in Czech Republic, I was able to do all those things. Specifically, I compared and contrasted the governments of the United States and Czech Republic. Czech’s are generally laid back people who accept things how they are, such as the political situation. They also are very accepting of others opinions and situations and don’t try to impose on others, something Americans are very good at. On the other hand, they are very hard workers and inventors. Yet, managing that talent can be a bit tricky. Compared to fiery American opinions of wanting more and yet wanting it to be fair. These attitudes can be partly explained from our different history’s.
During my history class our professor explained how Czech Republic used to be a thriving community before being put under occupation first by the Nazi’s and then the Russians. One of the host family members explained that during communism she was not allowed to wear jeans and if anyone caught you breaking the rules you would be seriously reprimanded. I have often heard about communism in history books, but hearing it first hand was another thing in itself. As an American, I tend to have a fiery spirit and it was hard for me to accept the political and cultural issues. They seemed very happy with their situation and it upset me that they weren’t trying to do better or better their country. Yet, I admired their content spirit.
One of the highlights of the trip was my family stay. I learned many things by interacting with them, even things that I thought were very basic like dinner etiquette were completely different. For example, it is considered rude to stand up and have a conversation before dinner because, to them, it looks like you are trying to leave. They are also not good with strangers and tend to keep to themselves. While they were under occupation, many people didn’t know who they could trust so the culture changed to one that is more reserved. Perhaps because I tend to be an outgoing person, this impacted me more, but I quickly learned to sit back, listen, and learn.
Going to classes everyday and interacting with students showed me a lot about the differences between Czech Universities and Universities in the United States. Most students don’t try to excel in classes, they do just enough to get by. This was a hard concept for me to understand because I had always been taught to do my best and be the best I can be, not just maintain the status quo. They also listen to American music and watch American tv shows. I expected them to have their own entertainment, and they did a little bit, but for the most part they enjoyed “American” entertainment. This helped me to feel more comfortable around them because we had a common interest and I was able to develop better relationships through that.
When I look back to my trip I would say the biggest takeaways are learning the agriculture industry from a different perspective and how to communicate with others. Being an Agribusiness major I will be working in different agricultural fields where I will have to understand why products are priced as they are and what is the value behind that. In Czech Republic most of the smaller farmers depend on subsides to carry them though and results in how they are able to stay in operation with the bigger companies. Also, by being in a foreign country I was able to pick up on their cues of communication and will help me be more understanding when communicating with others in my future career.