Austria: The Country that became my true home Past Review
By A student (German and Anthropology, Hartwick College) - abroad from 08/16/2009 to 02/01/2010 with
Central College Abroad: Study Abroad in Vienna, Austria
I've been gushing on how much confidence in speaking German the experience has given to me ever since I returned. It also gave me experience in a classroom setting through their internship opportunity which most likely helped me get into the Austrian-American Educational Commission (Fulbright) program. Therefore it was definitely worth while. It was a major stepping stone to where I am now (my second year on the program) which has gained me enough experience where I have the confidence to step into a classroom and teach or go get my masters. I'm not quite sure if I would have been in this program if it wasn't for going to Vienna in the first place.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | University of Vienna |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The reason why I went into this program was because I was told the German program was top notch. I needed to bring my German skills up to par. Central Abroad Vienna's program has the option of doing one-two months at the Goethe Institute prior to going to Vienna. I took the one month option and knew I made the right choice. Between that one month and the very specialized language classes catered to our linguistic needs and taking class at the Uni Wien, my German went up big time. I no longer was afraid to speak the language. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The BEST support I've had in a long time. Ruth was always there to answer questions and made us feel comfortable speaking the language with her which brought my confidence up |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I had a roommate at Haus Salzburg, a dorm here in Vienna. My roommate was extremely friendly, the rooms were very cozy, and they had cats running around and plants so I felt very much at home. |
| * Food: |
Vienna has the best coffee I have ever had. Same with wine. You will go back to the U.S. never wanting to touch Dunkin Donuts again. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
You have to integrate yourself into a culture. I went to all of the outings, went on random trips, met new friends, met my boyfriend, took classes at the University here and not only with Central students, and spoke the language. The Viennese are known to be cold people. If you learn how to deal with it, you will become a stronger person. I was once an easy "push-over", because of Vienna, I'm not anymore. I can stand on my own two feet. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I actually met a very nice doctor who found out I was from the U.S. and even though my health insurance would have covered it, he told the nurse to let it go. It was free of charge! |
| * Safety: |
Vienna is one of the safest cities in the world. I never once felt like I was in danger. I've been living here on and off for three years now and I could definitely say that I feel safer here than my own hometown of 2,000 people in the states. You could around the city at 3 A.M and not feel like you are in danger. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
I had a scholarship then, so it was easier than the others. I could spend between $30-100/wkk |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I seriously cannot remember |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Get an Austrian phone here. Either BOB at Hofer or go to Telering and pay just 10 euros a month. I made the mistake and got a phone through a strange company recommended to me by someone who went abroad. I have NEVER had such a high cell phone bill. Outside of phones, go to Hofer or buy the cheap brands of food. If you like to workout, you should try looking up Schnupperstunden in Vienna. They're trial courses which are free or are extremely cheap ( bikram yoga 7 euros for 7 days or one free day of going to a gym). Don't spend too much money on clothes. You have the opportunity of a lifetime to travel to neighboring countries and to explore Austria. Don't waste it on clothes that you may be able to take with you from home |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
The Goethe Institute was all day German. All of the students there were very dedicated and spoke German outside of class which allowed my confidence to grow. When we got to Vienna, Central College over there offered classes just in German so that we got to listen, speak and work on our written skills. We also had the option and were encouraged to take classes at the actual university. Not only were our classes in German, but we all had Austrian roommates and tours of select cities or sites were also offered in German. By the time I went home I felt more comfortable speaking the language than I did during my semester host stay when I was in high school. That's saying something |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Some sort of German literature class |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Just speak it. The people in the culture will appreciate you more for your efforts and you will not only gain friends and language proficiency, but also surprise yourself of what you are capable of. You can speak English anytime. Plus, it's a perk to speak a language that no one knows in your family. Therefore when you're angry you can say things that they can't understand ;-) You'll have bragging rights. That's only if you USE it though. Take all the chances you get because once you're out of college, those chances are slim pickings |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | 1) I wish I knew that I would meet a non E.U. citizen and not fall in love with him and instead have met an Austrian so that I could live here for the rest of my life. 2) I wish I could have decided on a full year and now a semester 3) I wish I had decided to do two months instead of one at the Goethe Institute |
