European Study Abroad Center

Now I've had the time of my life No, I never felt like this before Yes I swear, it's the truth And I owe it all to you 'Cause I've had the time of my life And I owe it all to you I've had the time of my life No, I never felt this way before Yes, I swear, it's the truth And I owe it all to you

I really enjoyed my internship with ESAC, thank you for organizing everything so professionally. I would recommend this experience to everyone. Prague is one of if not the most beautiful cities I have ever been to. Being here has broadened my horizons personally and professionally. The job is very accommodating and the people there are a joy to work with. It has been one of the best experiences I have ever had. Thank you again for the opportunity.

I chose the ESAC program because of the positive experiences of previous students. I went into it, though, with zero preconceptions as it was my first time traveling and studying abroad, and let me tell you, the program did not disappoint! I have to say that during my time in Prague I made some of my all-time favorite memories. All the advisors and administrators of the program were very helpful and were always available if we had questions. The pre-arranged outings were also very well planned and I felt culturally immersed in the landscape. If I could do it all over again I would in a heartbeat! It is an experience you won't forget. Thank you to Kristine Zamastil and all of the professors that made my unforgettable experience a reality.

ESAC has been amazing throughout the COVID crises. They set me up with a virtual internship in IT and it has been almost as good as if I had been physically in Prague. The internship is part-time (so I can also do my classes) and we align the timing so that all meetings take place on Prague time. Using zoom, we meet daily for briefings then reconnect the next day to go through results. There are about 12 different nationalities working so it has been a real international experience from my home office (my bedroom). Dr. Zamastil has been extremely helpful and she has even connected me to a few of her contacts in Prague so that once this mess is over, I can go visit them in person.

I am so thankful I chose this program in Prague-- not only did it satisfy so many important classes for my degree but the living situation was incredible, everyone was so friendly, easy access to transportation, met some of my best friends, beautiful city... I could go on and on but most importantly, program directors made themselves easily accessible and always available to help if you have any questions/needed anything. If you are considering this program, it's sooooo worth it. Best semester of college :)

I studied abroad in Prague, Czech Republic this past spring semester. We arrived in early February and sadly, were forced to return in early March. However, during my four weeks there I had an amazing time. Kristine and her husband are very friendly and made my group and I feel extremely welcome. We always had a point of contact in any sort of situation. I actually sprained my ankle on my second night there and thanks to the company's tour of Prague that previous day, I already knew where the doctor was. Kristine gave me everything I needed to survive the cobblestone streets with a bad ankle! When the pandemic grew, ESAC was very helpful in assisting us in our travels home and figuring out how we would continue our schooling. Since ESAC worked so diligently with our professors, my group was able to earn all of our academic credits from home. I am so grateful to ESAC and the experiences I had. The only thing I would change would be the length of my time abroad!

This last semester, I was studying abroad in Prague, Czech Republic. Unfortunately, my time was cut short due to CO-VID 19. I had the time of my life for the five weeks I was in Prague. Traveling was easy because of the central location of the Czech Republic. ESAC helped with my study abroad housing accommodations. I was in a spacious apartment with other students in my program. The apartment had a great location, not too busy, right above a grocery store, and very safe. Although my program was cut short, ESAC helped me continue my journey in Prague(at least virtually!). They offered free virtual placement for students who lost opportunities(like me). Thanks to ESAC I have the opportunity to be a part of a virtual internship with EasyBnB in Prague this summer. I am just starting out with the internship, but it has been a great experience so far. The staff is friendly and always checking in to make sure that the tasks are manageable. I am so thankful that ESAC gave me this opportunity. While international travel is at a standstill they have still made it possible to have get international experience. Not only is it a great opportunity but, the ESAC team made it super simple to find an internship. I would definitely recommend using ESAC to find your internship abroad this summer!

When my study abroad program in Prague got cut short and internship opportunities evaporated due to COVID-19, ESAC provided me with a fantastic virtual internship with V6 Ventures, where I am working in Marketing and Finance while observing the inner-workings of a small business. They're support for and commitment to their students/interns is clear and unarguable. The people of ESAC, like Dr. Z, are truly dedicated to making you fall in love with Prague while providing irreplaceable experiences and knowledge along the way.

I absolutely loved being on this program. Everyone involved was phenomenal to work with, and I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a study abroad experience! They provided ample time to explore the city, experience the culture, and even learn something valuable during the classes, and at no point did I feel unsafe. All classes, events, and travel were coordinated efficiently. In summary, if you are torn between any study abroad opportunities, you can't go wrong going with ESAC.

My internship was well organized and professional. I loved being able to talk to my boss before I went abroad and getting an idea of what I would be doing there. Dr. Zamastil was wonderful to work with and made the whole process so much smoother. Kenny, my boss, was extremely friendly and easy to work with. I loved gaining experience from him and Pavla during my internship in Prague. The whole experience was very well put together and really catered to the students wants/needs. Housing, transport, excursions, and much more were included in the program. Prague is an absolutely beautiful historic city and it was truly a once in a lifetime experience getting to explore it for a month with other students and locals.

Many people you talk to in the United States will warn you about everything that can go wrong when you travel to a foreign country. Take what they say with a grain of salt! The ESAC team of advisors guides you just about every step of the way; showing you where to exchange your money, how to use public transportation, where to find medical help, etc. You will start to feel at home within the first week and the ESAC team eases your mind immensely! The dorms are spacious and comfortable, and the surrounding neighborhood has all the necessary amenities! The university campus is gorgeous, and has a few quaint donut, smoothie and coffee shops nearby. The group activities are always a blast! We had a few events at the restaurant Jama, which serves fantastic food and has a great atmosphere. If you're considering joining this program, please do! You'll have the time of your life!

My internship at EY has given me an immense amount of exposure to opportunities I would have otherwise not had. It truly made my resume stand out and landed me countless interviews both in college and post grad. I can 100% say that every interview I’ve had always asks about my time in Prague and interning abroad. The interviewers are always intrigued and impressed with my international experience and want to know more. Interning abroad proved my ability to adapt and work with people from other countries in a professional setting. It has also led to meaningful conversations about abroad experiences and what a magnificent city Prague is! I have landed approximately ~30 interview spanning from Private Equity to Consulting to Sales jobs and each interview harps on the international experience. I am now finishing the GE Financial Management Program in Chicago and pursuing a management consulting position. Overall, I am so thankful I found this program and cannot express how much it helped boosting my career and potential opportunities.

This program was a chance of a lifetime. I researched many programs in Europe before choosing this one because I wanted to be sure I would be getting good value for money and have enough free time to travel outside of class time. The balance was perfect. The classes were challenging but not so demanding that you had to study all the time and instead of being in class all day, we did a lot of field trips to hotels and businesses in Prague. There were student advisers who helped us settle in and taught us Czech language - we love you Domi! I took advantage of the weekends to travel and my advise is to see as much as you can both in Prague and around the Czech Republic because it is a beautiful country. I had a great time and I would do it all over again next summer if I could.

Interning in Prague was an exciting experience. I interned with V6 Ventures and really enjoyed my time there. My supervisor was a fantastic person to be around and the startup culture at K10 was completely unique. The only difficult part about working at a startup was that there was little structure. There were periods where I didn't have work to do, but our supervisor usually let us know which gave us time to explore the Czech Republic. A great part of the program was the chance to explore Europe over the weekends and Prague during the week. The best advice I could give someone studying abroad is to travel as much as possible.

I am thrilled that my first study abroad was through ESAC. The program helped and encouraged me to immerse myself in the Prague and Czech culture. By the end of the month I was able to converse with locals easily, something I was incredibly proud of. My academic experience was different than most because I completed an independent study with a teacher ESAC set me up with. Although I was not taking classes with the majority of my fellow students I never felt like I did not have support or friends from my fellow students as well as the teachers and administrators. I was extremely happy with my teacher and my classes. I also particularly liked the location of our dorms. While it was sometimes difficult to get take out food at the dorms, the tram stop was a mere block from the dorms- which became very important. Additionally, the suite style rooms were pleasantly surprising because I only had to share the two bathrooms in my suite with 6 people rather than the floor. The dorms were up to date and clean and provided security through a front desk worker and a scan code system. I enjoyed having the dorms out of the main part of the city because it was quite when we returned home at the end of the day. Overall I am extremely happy that I got the opportunity to study abroad in an amazing city like Prague with an amazing program like ESAC that seemed to make it easy to culturally immerse and study in a foreign place for the first time.

Overall, my study abroad experience this Summer was amazing. From the beginning, ESAC provided detailed information that helped me get organized and prepared for going abroad. When I arrived in Prague, the group of people I was surrounded by, including the program directors, advisors, professors, and other students made me feel comfortable and safe. I traveled before the program with one other girl for 9 days. We traveled through The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Hungary. Arriving in Prague was really refreshing and I have to say it was my favorite city. I would encourage anyone in ESAC in future years to take advantage of the other trips they offer to go on as a group such as Krumlov and the Karlienstein Castle. Seeing other parts of the Czech Republic was definitely worth it. Just a few points of advise I have: - Pack only what you really need and cannot get at a store once your abroad (ex: prescribed medicine) - Use your free tram pass that is provided to you (Once you figure it out, it is so much more cost effective than Ubering everywhere) - Eat outside of your comfort zone (Try new foods, don't just stick to the pizza and pasta you're used to) - Be flexible (If you get lost, don't freak out. Roll with the punches) - Be realistic (You won't get EVERYTHING done on your list for the day. It's OK! Go home, get some sleep, regroup in he morning) - It's OK to branch off from the group. (Take a friend with you, but go explore without the other 30 students!) - Take school seriously. (You get what you give! Remember the reason for this opportunity - the "studying" part. - Go to the ESAC sponsored events (Dinner at Jama, wine tasting, tours, etc) Prague is BEAUTIFUL, safe, and this program made studying abroad affordable. It was the perfect amount of time to be away. I was skeptical at first about studying abroad, but it was honestly one of the best decisions I've ever made!

Studying in Prague was fantastic! I really enjoyed my time there. I loved getting to experience a new culture and learn about what they do in their daily lives. Going on site visits was definitely very fun and one of my favorite parts. Every hotel is different but going across the world to see a hotel is a completely different experience! The program itself was very fun. The first few days were making sure we knew our way around the city and understanding a little bit of the culture. It was easy to understand and it wasn't too long before I was exploring the city with a small group of friends.

To say ESAC is just a summer program doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of the impact this program had in my life. This was the first time I had traveled overseas with complete strangers I had never met, and it is by far still one of the best experiences I've ever had. The teachers are really passionate about this program, and really ensure that you have the best possible experience in Prague. The people that I was joined with in this program were also some of the best, and I still keep in touch with them to this day. If there is any program you can choose to be a part of, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND ESAC! Kristine and David are THE BEST!

Before deciding to study abroad with ESAC, I had never left the country. I applied within 10 weeks of the program starting and Dr. Zamastil helped me to plan what tasks I needed to complete. She was quick to respond and even offered to speak to my school and parents to expediate the process of getting everything approved. I took a class and had an economic research internship at the Liberal Institut. There is a great balance between work and play, with an abundant amount of time to explore not only the beautiful city of Prague, but other European cities as well. I have studied abroad since and Prague is still my favorite city. The relationships that you build continue after the program (I actually met my boyfriend on this trip), and the summer I spent with ESAC is still my favorite one. All of the people I know who have taken this trip in the past would agree that it was one of the most beneficial decisions we made. Living in a foreign country forces you to become more independent and learn things that you wouldn't anywhere else. If you are looking for a study abroad program where you can meet great people and explore what Europe has to offer, then I definitely recommend going in the summer with ESAC!

While I was a part of the ESAC program the summer of 2015 I was lucky enough to have a fantastic internship with the Lobkowicz Collections in Prague. This internship also would not have been available to me without the help from the wonderful ESAC staff. My majors, Art History and History, did not fit the internships typically offered by ESAC. When I brought this up to the director, Kristine Zamastil, she immediately began helping me find an internship that would fit my studies. In what seemed like no time I was doing an online interview for the internship, thanks to Dr. Z. My internship itself could not have been better. I spent my time split between a 1500s castle about 40 minutes outside of Prague and the Lobkowicz Palace in the castle complex in the heart of Prague. My main task was to help photograph, document, and file the graphics depository of the Lobkowicz art collection(one of the more extensive art collections in eastern Europe). During my time their I got valuable experience handling art work and seeing the behind the scenes of two very different museums. While my internship specifically would not be the best for every student my experience surely would be. Not only did I get to receive college credit for an internship that greatly helps my resume. but I got to do it in the beautiful city of Prague. The program also helped to keep us active socially, offering multiple fun evenings like wine and steak tastings. All in all from start to finish my experience with ESAC could not have been better. From the first communication with ESAC I received constant help that made my trip the most productive it could be, they even helped me after the program was over because my internship ran longer! Great program and a very important experience.