„As the main reasons why they don’t want to go abroad even for a single semester, students cited concerns about credit recognition, financial factors, or a romantic relationship. Quite often, fear of the unknown also came up. Yet students who have already returned from abroad rate their experience as positive in 95 percent of cases,“ commented Radek Schich, director of GTS Alive, on some of the survey’s findings.

Students who have already completed a stay abroad, were most motivated to go by new life experiences and broadening their horizons, traveling and discovering new destinations, a desire for greater independence, or a break from the Czech Republic and life here. Only in fifth place came the potential academic benefits of studying abroad, which served as the main motivator for just one in ten students.

Among the expressions most commonly used by students when evaluating their study abroad experience are “great experience,” “unforgettable,” “it taught me…,” “it opened my eyes,” “I recommend it to everyone,” “the best half-year of my life,” “it toughened me up,” “I got to know myself.”

Almost 60 percent of students improved their opinion of the country where they studied during their stay; only 10 percent said it worsened. And how did studying abroad affect their perception of the Czech Republic? More than a third of students said their opinion of their home country improved when seen from abroad, only 15 percent said it worsened. For nearly half, their view of the Czech Republic stayed the same.

The Czech Republic as a whole, as well as domestic universities, didn’t fare badly in comparison. A full 44 percent of students rated the foreign department as equally good as their home one. If they preferred the foreign university—which happened in just under a third of cases—the main reasons included the local teachers, modern teaching methods, or educational facilities. On the other hand, the most common criticisms from students who didn’t like the foreign department focused primarily on the course content.

 Czech students don’t make much effort to earn extra money abroad—8 out of 10 didn’t have any part-time job or other source of income. Only 11 percent found a regular part-time job. Most students financed their stay mainly through scholarships and grants—primarily from the Erasmus+ program. Other major sources of funding included family support and personal savings.

The most popular study destination among the surveyed university students was Spain. Portugal is also very popular. Students also frequently travel to France, Germany, or the Nordic countries. During their stay, in virtually all countries, students were in more frequent contact with other international students than with locals. They often participated in the local student life, which the vast majority of study-abroad participants across various countries described as rich and vibrant.

Some Czech universities need to improve how they inform students about study-abroad opportunities—thirty percent of students said they lacked sufficient information. The vast majority of university students are familiar with the Erasmus program (now officially called Erasmus+). However, awareness of other options is much lower. Students fairly often also mentioned “Freemover,” a type of international mobility where students independently travel to a foreign university outside of official exchange agreements. Other programs that some students spontaneously recalled included CEEPUS (Central and Southeastern Europe), DAAD (Germany), or IFMSA (medicine).

Almost 80 percent of students consider the selection of study-abroad programs and destinations offered by their university to be of good quality. However, they would welcome even more options in the “old” EU countries—that is, the states of Western, Northern, and Southern Europe. In second place, they would like to see expanded study opportunities in Asia, followed by Australia and the USA. On the other hand, university students are generally not very interested in studying in Eastern Europe.

8 out of 10 students believe that studying abroad will help them in their future career. Only 7 percent of university students have the opposite view, while the rest are unsure.

A selection of typical student responses to the open-ended question: “Please summarize in a few points what your study abroad experience meant to you in terms of academic and life experience. What did it teach you, what did it bring you, what did you like, what disappointed or surprised you?”

(student responses left in their original wording)

• I was in two destinations, Belgium and Latvia. I really liked Belgium because the small city had a quality modern university, dining options, and a wide range of courses, unlike my school. The city was small but quite lively with bars, restaurants, cinemas, and parks everywhere, unlike Jihlava.
• It was a great opportunity to go somewhere and have it almost entirely free thanks to the scholarship. If there was a chance, I would definitely do it again.
• A lot of responsibility, independence, and patience. It broadened my horizons in every way; I learned a lot about other countries from fellow Erasmus students. Of course, it improved my communication skills and gave me the courage to try more new things. I was surprised by how many opportunities and activities the school offered to international students. I was a bit disappointed by my mentality; at first, everything was amazing and great, but then the “wow” phase ended and I really started to miss my family and everything I know at home.
• Italy is known for people not rushing anywhere much, but if you need information, to sign many documents, and get answers quickly, Italy is not a very good idea. Sapienza University in Rome is very well-known, but the environment is outdated, there are so many students that there is nowhere to sit during lectures, and absolutely none of the Italian students speak English, nor can they be described as particularly friendly…
• Taught me greater independence
  Brought me knowledge, friends, skills
  Disappointed me – some teachers
  Surprised me – mentality of the locals
• It taught me more independence, to appreciate things more, and to manage finances. It brought me tons of new contacts, I got to know different perspectives of people, and overall I gained a lot of horizons. I simply liked the change from the usual. Study stays abroad give me a lot in life, whether I realize it or not. :)
• The stay brought me more self-confidence. I met many other international students, thanks to whom I can better compare life in the Czech Republic and elsewhere. I used to see Norway as the best country in Europe in many ways, but now I know it’s not that much better and that perfection (e.g., nice school facilities) also has its downsides.
• I met new friends, became independent, gained a new perspective on teaching, and acquired new knowledge and experience.
• It brought me a huge amount of new experiences, whether from arranging things, meeting people, living on my own in a completely foreign country. It was the best half-year of my life so far, I met people I still see regularly and want to visit all over Europe in the future. At the same time, it made me very independent and I know that in the future I would be able to go alone to a foreign country again.

Notes for editors:

The company GTS Alive s.r.o. issues and manages student cards ISIC and pupil cards ISIC Školák (ISIC Scholar), teacher cards ITIC, and occasionally other cards in the Czech Republic. The company was established in August 2000. Its predecessor in the Czech Republic was GTS International. GTS Alive s.r.o. is part of the international group GTS Alive Group, headquartered in Prague, with branches in seventeen countries across four continents.

Through the chip identification system ISIC PORT, GTS Alive also provides a number of primary and secondary schools with access security to their buildings and an electronic attendance system. The company also mediates travel or accident insurance for students, among other services.

For more information contact:

• Jan Šimral, media representative of GTS Alive
• Phone: +420 737 944 370
• E-mail: info@jansimral.com