Meals
As a rule, Czech dormitories do not provide meal plans. The Komenskeho Dormitory where international students stay at least serves breakfast on weekdays. It is included it the rent. Students have other means of securing their meals.
First, they have access to subsidized Charles University student cafeterias located in various places around Prague. A 2-course lunch (and tea) in a student cafeteria costs only $4.The cafeteria (Menza in Czech) closest to the dormitory is 15 minutes away by bus. The cafeterias closest to both buildings of the Faculty of Social Sciences are 10 minutes away by foot.
Secondly, with a kitchenette at one’s disposal in every suite, it is very easy to prepare lunches and dinners. The daily meal allowance should not exceed $10-11 U.S. dollars – if one breakfasts at the dormitory, buys lunches at a student cafeteria, and cooks dinners. Eating out is somewhat more expensive (although much less costly than in the U.S.): a one-course meal with a drink costs ca. US$8.
Housing
Students are accommodated in a Charles University residence hall for international students, called Kolej Komenskeho. It is located in a safe residential area behind Prague Castle. It is no more than 30 minutes to any of the three buildings where the courses most commonly chosen by the students take place.
The type of accommodation
Students are accommodated in small single rooms. Two of these rooms are located in each suite, where they share a kitchenette, a WC, and a shower. The room equipment is Spartan but satisfactory (a bed, a desk, a bookshelf, a wardrobe, a chair, and a lamp). While the dormitory provides both towels and bed linen, most students eventually purchase their own towels. The program supplies additional foam memory mattresses and mattress covers.
There is a hot plate and a refrigerator in each kitchenette; the program supplies a microwave oven, an electric kettle and ample cookware for each suite.
Amenities provided by the program are worth approximately $500 per suite. Students are financially responsible for damaged or lost items.
There is a telephone in each room. Students can communicate between rooms and receive outside telephone calls, but they cannot call outside from room phones. To make outgoing calls, students need to buy an international calling card and use the public phone in the lobby beside vending machines. Each room has an assigned extension number which is posted on the left side of the counter in front of the concierge (“security guard”) booth.
There is a 24/7 Ethernet connection (not Wi-Fi) in each room. Upon arrival, students receive a password to the dormitory network.
Students must bring or purchase adapters for European sockets and electric current. European plug adapters have two round prongs. Adapters for electric current must be able to step down the European 220-240 volts to the usual American 110-120 volts. Most electronic appliances (cell phone chargers, laptops) already have built-in adapters for electric current – the information is written on the appliance.