"It was very important for me to overcome my fear of speaking. After just one month on the course, I was able to make an appointment with my mother's doctor by phone (!), explain everything to her at the consultation and also arrange for the car to be repaired at the garage. It was a miracle!"

"In my opinion, I can definitely recommend the classes here at UJOP Charles University because it is the one thing that can guarantee to give you a great start for life in the Czech Republic. It makes you and helps you understand the culture better. It provides you with a social circle of people who are in the same situation as you, and I do think that language is the one basis for getting integrated into a new culture to this state.

People always get very happy and excited if you speak Czech with them, so I just have to say if you're still thinking about it, if you are still on the edge, I can very much recommend it. Go to the class, try it out, learn some very good Czech in the beginning, and it will definitely pay off down the road."

"I would definitely recommend learning Czech, and UJOP Charles University has been the best option for me. I've tried many language courses, from the free ones to pay-as-you-go, and definitely, UJOP was the best.

I also recommend taking the Intensive course. Don't be afraid, because at the beginning, I was afraid and lacked confidence in learning Czech with Czech speakers. However, once you're there, you hear Czech every day from your teacher, your classmates, and your brain gets used to it. Then, you start to feel, 'Oh, this language is actually really interesting,' and you're no longer against it.

So, I would definitely recommend going to UJOP Charles University. You can take, for example, a six-week course, which is what I did initially with the A2 level. I gave it a try, loved it, and continued with the semester course."

"When I joined the course, I didn't know a word of Czech. I didn't know how to say "yes" or "no". I knew "Good day," but nothing more. By the time I completed the course, I was already able to attend an interview at the hospital and negotiate with the primary care officer about the start time and working conditions.

The journey I have embarked on was immense. Thanks to the well-developed lessons we had, including textbooks and materials provided by teachers, everything went smoothly. Within three months, we had already mastered the basics of Czech. I was surprised by how quickly I achieved results, and I was thrilled that after only a few months of study, I was able to speak Czech."

"I came to the Medical Prep course in UJOP Charles University because I did not cope well at the Faculty of Medicine of Charles University.

The preparatory year gave me enough time to revise as well as learn new skills to take care of myself.

In addition to the English language, I also improved the Czech language enough to travel around the Czech Republic.

I love the fact that the school is located in a spa town. When I realized I will study in a castle on the riverbank, it seemed pretty interesting to me.  

The school organizes lots of events like Christmas, Halloween, or St. Nicholas' day. It helps us to socialize with different people in our diverse community of students from both the English and Czech preparatory programs."

"First, I applied to General Medicine at Charles University directly, but unfortunately, I did not pass. This Pre-Medical course really helped me to prepare for the entrance exam – I can say it now, as I am actually accepted to the university now.

One of our teachers here is actually a professor at the Faculty of Medicine of Charles University that I wanted to go to. This is a really big advantage. The teachers and curators are very supportive. They helped me also with my school reports, nostrification, and visa."

"I did not pass my entrance exam to Charles University, but I did not want to give up on my dream. My agency advised me of this Preparatory program.

The course did really help me, as now I have got to the university I wanted. I am confident; I do have more knowledge than I did a year ago.

I find medical ethics really useful, as this topic I have not really learned about previously. We covered practical situations that can happen in the everyday life of a doctor. Now I have the chance to consider different aspects, and I will be able to make a well-thought-out decision faster.

UJOP Charles University is really flexible - for personal reasons, I could not join the program at the beginning. The staff here is very caring and made sure I felt welcomed and settled down well. I feel UJOP is a safe place to be and express myself freely.

My initial expectation was that the preparation year would be long and sad waiting for my university, but I was wrong. It is funny, but I am grateful that I did not get to the university straight away. Now I have more knowledge, more friends that are coming with me to the university. This year was definitely worth it!"

"I applied directly to the Faculty of Medicine of Charles University one year ago. During the exam, I realized there were topics I had never learned at school. I did not pass the exam. I was recommended the preparatory program at UJOP Charles University.

Throughout this year, I have learned subjects and topics I had not covered in biology, chemistry, or physics so far. This knowledge gave me the foundation to pass the entrance exam, and I have been accepted for next year's studies.

Poděbrady is a nice and safe town. I recommend everyone to come here and study. During the year here, I visited many other places in the Czech Republic, such as Pilsen, Prague, and Hradec Králové. It is easy for foreigners to travel and navigate here. I also had time to go to other countries in Europe. Here we are in the center of Europe, so catching a train, bus, or plane is pretty cheap and easy. During the year, I found a group of new friends who helped me feel at home. We love watching football matches together and having a lot of fun in our free time."

"I was exploring my options to go to universities all over Europe. In the Czech Republic, I found the Faculty of Medicine of Charles University in Hradec Králové. It seemed pretty interesting. But that time it was too late because the admission was closed. So, I was about to lose one year, but I continued my search on the website, and I found the Medical preparatory course at UJOP Charles University.

My main objective was to increase my knowledge and become more aware of the country.

Poděbrady is a small and pretty town; I familiarized myself with the environment: trains, buses, food, communication, banking system. Even though the Czech language is not that easy, with the support of the teacher, I acquired the basic knowledge and can get on with life here easily."

"I appreciate that I can learn very basic of Czech language. For this one year I can also learn basic of science so I can use it in my studies in future and living in Czech Republic.

People are so nice here even I can't really spesk Czech very well. They try to understand me and they're just so amazing and I love this country."

"Physics is highly advanced at UJOP Charles University. When you manage it, you don't need worry about anything anymore. Chemistry and biology are taught by professors from the university, so you study what is really needed."

"I was recommended a preparatory programme at UJOP Charles University. During one year I learned subjects and topics that I had not yet studied in biology, chemistry or physics. These gave me the foundation to pass the entrance exam, and, as a result, I was admitted to study at university."

"UJOP Charles University helped me a lot. Even though I didn't have a solid high school foundation in mathematics and programming, I don't feel that I know less than the local students, precisely because in Poděbrady I had not only language training, but also professional subjects, without which my studies in the first semester would have been significantly more demanding. I didn't have much experience with programming. Before I started at UJOP, I only had the basics, but then we had homework from Mr. Jílek, and that really helped. The university course Language C is difficult, but if you already know something, it is a huge advantage. So everything that is covered in the UJOP course – everything will be useful to future students. In general, I would really recommend keeping an eye on professional subjects.

I notice that students of other language schools often have problems with Czech concepts in mathematics, which is not a good thing – you will not have time for Czech at university, every student should be able to understand at least in exercises and lectures. You won't have time to revise what a trigonometric function is and how its typical values are calculated, or to study the basics of complex numbers that every Czech high school student must understand. I don't know any other school that devotes so much time to specialized subjects and has good teachers. It is a pity that in recent years the number of hours for vocational subjects in Poděbrady has been decreasing."

"One thing I appreciate about the courses at UJOP Charles University is that teachers here are always ready to help, and they are very kind. If you cannot catch up with the lesson, you can find your teacher and ask any questions, and the teachers will explain everything to you. If you have any daily problems, you can ask your teachers for some advice, and they do their best to help you."

"My initial expectation was that the preparation year would be long and sad waiting for my university, but I was wrong.

It is funny, but I am grateful that I did not get to the university straight away. Now I have more knowledge, more friends that are coming with me to the university. This year was definitely worth it!"

"When I moved to Europe I met a nice lady who helped foreigners find their way around and settle in. I decided that one day I would help people too.

My teacher from UJOP Charles University, Zdena Malá, told me that there is a Masters degree in Social Work at the Hussite Theological Faculty, where I enrolled with her help.

I studied at UJOP for a year and worked on my essay for two months and it paid off, I was admitted to Charles University. I am happy that my dream can come true and I will be able to help people."

"The portfolio preparation courses proved to be the most useful for the entrance exam to the Faculty of Architecture at the Czech Technical University in Prague. We received a lot of practical advice and real examples of past students' work and tackled potential questions from the admissions committee. I got 4 out of 5 points in the interview and was admitted to a university I never dreamed of two years ago."