Hands Down the Best Decision I've Made Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Depending on which classes you choose, the intensity can range from really intense to barely any work. I took a few Austrian culture classes, as well as German and a WWII class and I loved all of them. Because of my classes, I feel like I really know the ins and outs of Austria now, not just the stuff that I saw on the surface.

On-site administration of your program

The AIFS staff was one of the best things about the whole experience. They truly cared about each and every one of us on a personal basis - we were greeted by name in the airport when we arrived in February which was awesome. They were like an extra set of parents across the ocean! I could go to them with any concerns and they ALWAYS had time to listen.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I loved my dorm and my roommate (another AIFS student), I just wish the dorm had been slightly closer to the city center. But there were other AIFS students living in our dorm which made it easy to make friends with them and plan trips together later in the semester.

The meal stipend included in the AIFS program was really helpful in budgeting - it took a while to master grocery shopping and ordering food in a foreign country but once I got the hang of it, it was easier to find unique Austrian food that was really delicious.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Because I made such good friends with other AIFS students, I kind of missed out on making friends with Austrian students. I also spoke not a lick of German when I arrived and only spoke minimal conversational by the end of the semester so it was hard to integrate with the locals but most of them were willing to help me with my rough German which was nice.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I never had an experience with healthcare, but insurance was included in the AIFS cost which was nice.

I felt super safe in Salzburg - I rode the bus all the time by myself and sometimes at night and never felt unsafe. We also had a 10 minute walk from the bus station to our dorm and I always felt very secure making the walk, even alone or at night. The AIFS staff always made sure that we knew all the right people to call if something ever happened, though, which was a nice reassurance.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

While the budgeting in Salzburg was fine, it was tough to budget in trip expenses (trains, hostels, eating out while traveling, etc.). But every dollar I spent was SO worth it.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

Considering I didn't know ANY German when I arrived in Salzburg, the amount of German I knew by the end of the program was astonishing. AIFS's German program is really awesome.

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• Dorm

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• Americans

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• Americans

• The AIFS staff was phenomenal and cared about us all individually.
• Housing was awesome and they paired me perfectly with my roommate.

• A little extra help on the bus fares would have been nice for those of us that lived so far out of the city center - we got the same stipend that students who lived right in the city center got even though our main source of transportation was bus.

The Avid Adventurer