Moving to Brno in February

[Cato the Elder]

So, I'm going to Brno on an Erasmus exchange for the spring semester. I've done a bit of research on both the location and what it's like, also on some of the things I'll need to take into account on moving. However, there's still a big difference between what you read and what the reality on the ground is, so that's what I'm asking you guys.

I know quite a few of you have moved from place to place before, in some cases to cultures far more exotic than the Czech one is to a Belgian. I'd like to ask you guys, what are the kind of things you can easily overlook when moving somewhere else? Any advice regarding adaptation, official business, that kind of stuff. I've moved to different places before (spent a good deal of my childhood in the States), but that was with my family. This is the first time I'm doing this alone.

And to the Czechs on this forum, what's life like over there? I get the impression that our lifestyles aren't significantly different, and that the difference between myself and a Czech student isn't any greater than with any other European. Still, the devil is in the details, and I'm definitely interested in seeing you guys's view on what might surprise someone like myself when living over there. I've visited Czechia on holiday before, both Prague and Brno, but a week-long holiday is still a lot different from a 5-month stay.

So, any advice would be most appreciated, from former exchange students, people who've moved around on their own, native Czechs, anything really. Thanks in advance I'd say!

PS: Any way I can change the topic title? I think I wanted to type "the Czech Republic" first and made a pretty huge grammatical mistake.

 

[Kyriakos]

Ask Winner, he is from Brno

 

[Atticus]

Moderator Action: Thread title changed per request.

 

[Yoda Power]

Erasmus student eh? Remember the condoms.

 

[warpus]

How do you pronounce Brno properly, btw? I can do it, but it sounds forced, cause it's like.. there should be more vowels there, yo.

 

[innonimatu]

Erasmus student eh? Remember the condoms.

There's a common pun with (eorasmo/orgasmo) in my country about that!

You already had a week-long holiday? My impression is that the Erasmus exchange is taken as a months-long holiday by most students. Damn, I should have applied for one when I had the chance...

 

[Virote_Considon]

How do you pronounce Brno properly, btw? I can do it, but it sounds forced, cause it's like.. there should be more vowels there, yo.

In some Slavic languages, the r is a vowel. (See: Respublika Srpska)

You already had a week-long holiday? My impression is that the Erasmus exchange is taken as a months-long holiday by most students. Damn, I should have applied for one when I had the chance...

Not sure if it's you not quite following Cato or me not quite following you, but the week-long vacation was not part of the Erasmus exchange, but rather a private holiday, I think

 

[innonimatu]

Not sure if it's you not quite following Cato or me not quite following you, but the week-long vacation was not part of the Erasmus exchange, but rather a private holiday, I think

Just meant that it should be much different

 

[Winner]

How do you pronounce Brno properly, btw? I can do it, but it sounds forced, cause it's like.. there should be more vowels there, yo.

Vowels are unnecessary Just imagine an "e" before the "r" if you need to.

 

[Winner]

And to the Czechs on this forum, what's life like over there? I get the impression that our lifestyles aren't significantly different, and that the difference between myself and a Czech student isn't any greater than with any other European. Still, the devil is in the details, and I'm definitely interested in seeing you guys's view on what might surprise someone like myself when living over there.

Well, that's hard to say I hope you'll like it. What do you study?

 

[Maniacal]

The heck is an Erasmus?

Brno sounds like someone couldn't afford vowels, but I guess that is what happens in Czech (I obviously know nothing about the language). I'm kind of surprised I have never heard of it before.

 

[warpus]

Vowels are unnecessary Just imagine an "e" before the "r" if you need to.

Yeah? So Berno? Cause I can pronounce Br.. as in.. Brrrrr I'm cold. But then there's another vowel after that, so I thought it didn't sound quite right.

 

[Maniacal]

Yeah Berno is what I assumed it was too, it just kind of looks like an abbreviation in English.

 

[Lillefix]

The heck is an Erasmus?

It's an exchange student program. You can take a part of your degree in other European universities. I think I was given around 6000 usd(some from my school some from the EU(?)) to do it in Spain. I got some extra because few people did it that year.

 

[Maniacal]

I saw a poster for it in a hostel in Malaga, Spain in 2008, but it didn't really explain itself very well and seemed to be advertising a party trip

 

[Winner]

The heck is an Erasmus?

A pan-European student exchange programme.

Brno sounds like someone couldn't afford vowels, but I guess that is what happens in Czech (I obviously know nothing about the language). I'm kind of surprised I have never heard of it before.

And when you get here in summer, don't forget to buy some zmrzlina.

Yeah? So Berno? Cause I can pronounce Br.. as in.. Brrrrr I'm cold. But then there's another vowel after that, so I thought it didn't sound quite right.

Don't forget that Czech /r/ is the real /r/, not the lame parody on this syllable most English dialects tend to use in its place. The tongue touches the palate.

 

[Cato the Elder]

Well, that's hard to say I hope you'll like it. What do you study?

Political science. I got to choose my own classes, it's mostly an amalgam of political case studies of certain places at certain times. (I've got one about contemporary Chinese foreign policy, the Yugoslav world in the post break-up period, the South Caucausus, etc.) I also managed to replace my bachelor paper with a 4 ECTS credit course in Czech. I'm still amazed I got away with that.

What's the deal with dorms over there, btw? This is something I've really been wondering; here in Belgium it's completely the norm to have single-person dorms, sharing rooms is for the most part reserved for couples. I got the impression that at least the university dorms are usually at least 2 people per room, sometimes more. Is that also the case for dorms on the private market? How findable are private market dorms, and what's the price difference between them and uni dorms? The uni dorms are dirt cheap from a Belgian perspective (€115/month; I currently pay €270 for mine) but that might not be universal.

 

[mayor]

The heck is an Erasmus?
.

and it's called Erasmus because of this guy

sorry my patriotism got the better of me

 

[Cato the Elder]

There's a common pun with (eorasmo/orgasmo) in my country about that!

You already had a week-long holiday? My impression is that the Erasmus exchange is taken as a months-long holiday by most students. Damn, I should have applied for one when I had the chance...

That's something else that I've been wondering, is it really as easy as people claim it to be? Kind of necessary to know so I can mentally prepare myself to either actually work every once in a while or completely go Bohemian.

 

[Winner]

Political science. I got to choose my own classes, it's mostly an amalgam of political case studies of certain places at certain times. (I've got one about contemporary Chinese foreign policy, the Yugoslav world in the post break-up period, the South Caucausus, etc.) I also managed to replace my bachelor paper with a 4 ECTS credit course in Czech. I'm still amazed I got away with that.

All of it is in English? In any case, if it's the Faculty of Social Studies we're talking about, they're practically giving credits for free.

What's the deal with dorms over there, btw? This is something I've really been wondering; here in Belgium it's completely the norm to have single-person dorms, sharing rooms is for the most part reserved for couples. I got the impression that at least the university dorms are usually at least 2 people per room, sometimes more. Is that also the case for dorms on the private market? How findable are private market dorms, and what's the price difference between them and uni dorms? The uni dorms are dirt cheap from a Belgian perspective (€115/month; I currently pay €270 for mine) but that might not be universal.

Well, I am from Brno so I never had to live in the dorms, ergo I can't really help you with that. But from what I hear, yes, single-person rooms aren't the norm. Students I know usually rent a flat together, like 2-5 people.