On a cold morning in April, I had the opportunity to experience a traditional Czech graduation ceremony ('promoce') in the historical building of Karolinum. The students in this ceremony were graduating from the Faculty of Law at Charles University in Prague, having obtained a masters degree.

Grass growing, flowers blooming, and new life suggest the awaking of nature and the official start of spring.  Springtime is the season in which life is at the centre of existence, it allows the idea of rebirth, rejuvenation, and regrowth. Not only is spring a celebration of new life, it is also a time of celebrating festivals and historical traditions.

As an Erasmus Student I was unaware of the traditions of the Easter celebrations in Czech Republic. Fortunately, the Erasmus Club of Faculty of Arts organised a Czech Easter Afternoon where over 50 Erasmus and other exchange students were able to learn about this seasonal event and the traditions it holds.

When first asked to attend a ball and write an article on it, I was both excited and apprehensive. My confession to never having danced before was met with surprise from some Czech students, for whom it is common to learn these classical dances when they are around the age of sixteen or seventeen.

We have spoken to Elena Battaglia, a History of Art Erasmus student from the Ca' Foscari University in Venice, who is currently studying at the Catholic Theological Faculty of Charles University, to find out more and also to learn about her art education project “Carnival of Venice”, which Elena has prepared under the guidance of the Europe Meets School programme.

When I was told that Charles University had its own theatre company called Shakespeare Production, I was desperate to find out more. I met up with Teata Binar, a member of the theatre team, and she told me all about the company which has been up and running since 1993.

The first day in May is not just for celebrating spring and international workers day but also a festivity whereby students rejoice in the beauty of student life. Czech Majáles (Rag) is a long run tradition and is historically a student run event that happens every year at the beginning of May. It enjoys the participation of various student clubs and societies as well as individuals sharing their ideas with fellow students.

Olympic medallist Mirka Knapková on the CU boat, and two-time Olympian Milan Bruncvík representing Cambridge and not his former alma mater, ČVUT: the make-ups of the crews taking part in the third edition of the University Eights competition, part of the Prague Primátorky (‘Mayor’s Eights’) regatta, brought more than a few surprises. The speed of the CU boat will be dictated this year by Antonín Mařík. We asked the first-year student of physiotherapy at FTVS about their preparations for the race.

Rector’s Sports Day is a long tradition, a day where students from all of the Charles University faculties come together in teams or as an individual and compete in various sports competitions. This year there were 26 sports for the students to chose from, from well know sports, such as football and basketball to lesser known ones, two of which I had never heard of, Underwater Rugby and Kan-Jam Frisbee.

University students from abroad who decide to study in the Czech Republic through the ERASMUS programme most frequently choose Charles University. In the 2011/2012 academic year, this exchange programme made it possible for 1,137 international students to study at seventeen faculties of the university, putting CU in eighth place amongst the several thousand European higher education institutions at which the ERASMUS programme is realised.

The past 6 months at Faculty of Arts of Charles University have been wonderful.  The Erasmus program has allowed us to meet a lot of new people and also develop our skills in our field of study which is Education.  However we now have to arrange a placement in a local school which is proving to be very difficult.

It takes more than just learning effort in order to successfully complete a university degree. In some moments, your path is blocked by barriers from around you. Support in tackling such barriers is provided by a system of assistance to students with special needs run by Charles University´s Faculty of Arts. PhDr. David Čáp, coordinator of assistance to students with special needs, explains.

Student-centred and interdisciplinary, the Prague Laboratory for Experimental Social Sciences is an initiative of students of the Department of Psychology, CU FA. One of the founders, explains more in an interview with iForum.

To help the homeless rediscover their lost self-confidence, give them work and some income, and to give others an unusual experience: these are the goals of the Pragulic social organisation, founded last year by three students of the CU Faculty of Humanities. Initially offering unconventional guided tours of Prague by homeless people, Pragulic is now adding further projects to its programme. People can now experience for themselves an entire day on the street or take part in ‘homeless teambuilding’.

Who is a librarian? For the majority of us it is a person responsible for lending out books and cataloguing new purchases. However, there is much more hidden behind the title.

Emma McCullough from the University of California, Santa Barbara is a scholarship holder of the Fulbright Commission. She is currently spending a research year at the Faculty of Arts of Charles University in Prague.

Writing an article on the election for a head of state is something of a novelty for me. Coming from Scotland, we have Queen Elizabeth as our head of state. We have elections to Westminster, to the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, but none for our highest representative of state.

You can place it somewhere between handball, volleyball and basketball and the main goal is not to win but to properly stretch your bones and have fun with friends. The game is called tchoukball and Adam Šťastný, a student of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport of the Charles University, is now scouting for a faculty team and promotes the relatively unknown sport among his schoolmates.

“You’re the first person from Iceland I’ve met.” This is a comment Björn Reynir Halldórsson, a young historian from the University Haskoli Islands in Reykjavík heard a lot when making new friends during his time as an Erasmus student at Charles University in Prague, in the academic year 2011/12.

For many, the Erasmus exchange is too short – especially if they arrive at their host university only for the few short months of the winter semester – and their home university requires them to return for the start of the next term already in January. For these students, the month of December is mostly about preparing for and attending exams. The more lucky ones, allowed to stay longer – be it till the very end of the winter semester in February or even until the end of the summer term in June – can join the various programs of the International and Erasmus Clubs prepared especially for the Christmas season.