IES Vienna "Squeeze the Juice" Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The workload was much more than I was expecting. We had class every week which sometimes interfered with plans to travel. I would have rather taken more classes on one given day and not have classes on Fridays. My study abroad experience was my first time leaving America and I am unsure of when I will have an opportunity to travel again so I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to travel around Europe. IES Vienna should realize that a major part of study abroad is experiencing the different culture and that was a little more difficult to do with classes everyday. The local teachers taught to one learning style, which is not how I learn. I was very interested in the classes I took but I found it very difficult to learn the subject matter because the teachers didn't teach to my learning style. At my home University the professors teach in multiple ways to target every learning style. I was given a lot of reading in every class. The teachers didn't realize that every other teacher was piling on reading assignments. My biggest complaint about the academics was the amount of reading given. Unlike most students I find it very difficult to learn something by reading, I need to listen, speak, and discuss to learn a subject. The excursions into the city were great hands on methods of learning the material but I think they should cut back on the reading material.

On-site administration of your program

The administration of IES Vienna was incredible. They made my experience so unforgettable. The staff was very knowledgeable and helpful. They definitely had the students as their first priority. The program was very well organized which made me feel comfortable. The administration was very friendly and I ended up forming great bonds with the staff. Not only did they offer help with any problems but they also held many programs in the city to help us become more immersed. One of the staff members informed us of his soccer games and when big events were going on in the city. Every week they would have blogs, which I still go back and watch, and they provided us with opportunities of events and things to do in Vienna. I loved the size of my program because it provided for a lot of diversity. My expectations with the administration and the way IES Vienna was run were exceeded.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My apartment was very nice. It was in a quiet and safe area. Housing was arranged for us and everything from bedding and kitchen supplies was provided for us. If there was something extra we needed the IES center had things we could borrow. I was supposed to have an RA and I think that would have been very beneficial. Last minute one of the apartments got water damage so another student took the spot of our RA spot. I think that having an RA would have improved my German speaking skills. Not having an RA made me much more independent because I had to figure things out on my own. I lived about 40 minutes from class but relatively close to night life. I had to use public transportation to get anywhere, I would have liked to been closer to the first district so I could walk and explore more areas. There are perks to living further away though, I saw more of the city and was forced to get lost and experience different districts.

I have Celiac disease and cannot eat gluten. Austria was a great place to be gluten free. Most of the gluten free food sold in America is made in Germany so I really had no problem finding gluten free options. One of the administration members was also gluten free and provided us with a list of places to eat gluten free. She also took us on a walking tour of the city and showed us where to eat or buy food. She was very helpful! She wrote down the words in German so we would know what to avoid and what was okay to eat. The food in Austria is delicious, I definitely gained weight going abroad.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

IES Abroad Vienna has a saying, "squeeze the juice." This basically means take advantage of every opportunity, try new things, and get lost. Vienna is your orange, squeeze all the juice out of it. The first day of advent is a big event in Austria. It is the first day of ball season. On that day at 11:11 I waltzed in the city center with hundreds of Austrians. It happened to be November 11, 2011 so I know exactly where I was on 11/11/11 at 11:11! That night I went to a ball and had a wonderful time. All of the field trips organized by my program were amazing because they were so organized that I trusted everything they did. On the 10 day trip we went to Krakow, Poland and went to Auschwitz. I don't exactly have the words to explain this experience, of visiting a concentration camp and seeing the remains of Hitler's time, but it definitely was a life changing experience. Another memorable experience was one day after my German class my teacher brought us to a wine vineyard and we tasted all of the grapes. Wine is a very big cultural thing in Austria. That was an unforgettable experience because it was so carefree and beautiful and my teacher really got on a personal level with us. We went to a Heurigen, the restaurant that sells the wine made at that vineyard, and we tried Sturm. I highly suggest that if you go to Vienna in the fall to try Sturm. It is un-fermented wine and it is delicious!

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Vienna is known to be very safe. I always felt safe and actually enjoyed walking alone. My advice would be just be smart. Obviously don't go out alone at night. I had to get home alone a couple of times and I felt totally safe. IES provided us with rape whistles and one of the staff members wrote down German phrases to say to creepy guys. I never had any health issues that needed to be addressed.

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

I think the best way to improve your language skills is to not care if you mess up and get a language buddy that IES provides. I practiced my language with fellow students and in the city. Most people spoke English and could tell that I was not fluent in German so they would speak to me in English. This was helpful at sometimes but I would have learned more if I had been challenged. I wish I could have used the language more.

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• Apartment

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• Americans

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• Americans

• The friendly and helpful staff.
• The ability to travel.
• Opportuinites to become involved.

• The teaching styles.