Unicorn College Prague, Czech Republic

Ain’t it funny how life changes, you wake up, ain’t nothing the same and life changes…

Thomas Rett’s Life Changes was resounding through my headphones as I was sitting on the train on my way along the river Elbe from Dresden to Prague. The lyrics of the song describe pretty much how I feel right now: my life took a 180-degree turn overnight. Yesterday, I still had to learn for my exams at FHWS; today my bags are packed and I’m standing at the train station. Admittedly, it didn’t happen from one day to the next, but it certainly feels like that. While I’m sitting on the train, I’m thinking about the past few weeks and months. I don’t know why but for any reason travelling by train always makes me think – and there is so much to think about because two semesters in Prague, Czech Republic, are ahead of me!

Last year in September, I enrolled for the Bachelor’s programme International Management (BIM). Before enrolling, I checked the Internet for more information on the programme and found out about the double degree programme, which was finally the reason why I chose FHWS. I was thrilled about the opportunity to study two semesters abroad and complete my studies with a double Bachelor’s degree.

Three months later, I applied for the double degree programme at the Unicorn College (yes, that’s really the official name!) in Prague via the Moveonline portal. After a few nights between hope and fear, I received the message that I was admitted! Obviously I had to celebrate the good news with a bottle of wine – as usual in Würzburg. Step by step, I prepared everything for my stay abroad. First of all, I got in touch with the International Office at FHWS to fill out my Learning Agreement. The Agreement specifies which classes at FHWS match the ones at the partner university to make sure that ETCS can be transferred. After that, I looked for accommodation, which was not quite easy, as you can imagine, when you speak only three Czech words: ahoi – hello, ano – yes, pivo – beer.

Using the website WG-gesucht.de, I found an advertisement for a shared apartment with four other roommates – which was perfect for me since I also had four roommates in Würzburg. Soon I was going to become part of a bunch of international students living together, which will be an exciting experience.

After that, time was running out and suddenly, my last exams were over and I had to say goodbye. Goodbye to Würzburg, to my fellow BIM students and friends, but also to the life inside my comfort zone. As hard and sad as it may be, new and exciting things were waiting for me: new adventures, different people, a different culture, but also personal growth to expand my horizons.

Last but not least, I chose my classes at Unicorn College such as Czech, marketing, and business essentials. All classes, except for Czech, were taught in English. Since the university is located in the city centre, I always passed the Charles Bridge, the Castle and the magnificent buildings in Prague on my way, which reminded me of Würzburg. Both Prague and Würzburg are gorgeous cities in Europe. Unfortunately, they don’t sell any wine on the Charles Bridge in Prague – too bad! Unicorn College is a small university with about 400 students, which creates an informal atmosphere. Now the time has come to unveil the secret behind the university’s mysterious name. No, there are not only hipsters around and no, there’s no glitter on the floor. It’s just a private university sponsored by a Czech IT company named Unicorn – that’s all the magic. But admittedly, the name sounds delightful.

The speakers are announcing that the train will soon reach its destination. To summarize my thoughts, I’m so grateful to have this amazing opportunity and I’m incredibly looking forward to spending the next year in the capital of the Czech Republic.

… You can’t stop it, just hop on the train and, you never know what’s gonna happen…