Expanding My Comfort Zone Past Review
By olivia.molineux (Communication and Media Studies., Cornell University) - abroad from 01/12/2012 to 05/19/2012 with
IES Abroad: Vienna - Study Abroad With IES Abroad
I was able to expand my comfort zone by studying and working in a city I had never been to before and didn't know the language. I went on adventures by myself everyday and became very independent. It was definitely worthwhile.
Personal Information
| 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. |
Classes were interesting because they covered topics from a different perspective than I was used to, but they were not challenging at all. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration was incredible. The staff was friendly and so helpful. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The apartment was great and the location was AMAZING, but my roommates were not very amiable people. |
| * Food: |
I lived next to the Naschmarkt and I miss the food everyday. Vienna is famous for their pastries, meats, and cafes. It was very heavy, but delicious. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Having an internship made me feel like I was part of the local culture, but it was hard feeling totally integrated when I didn't know the language well. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had no problems, but I know people that did and the program was very helpful. |
| * Safety: |
Vienna is incredibly safe. I never felt at risk. You can find someone who speaks English everywhere you go. I often went running throughout the entire city by myself and felt perfectly safe. Even walking home alone at night I felt fine. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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) |
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| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $50 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Vienna can be expensive, but there are easy ways to live on a budget such as cooking for yourself or going to free museum days. They also have free city bikes which helped me save a lot of money on transportation. |
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 |
Our first 3 weeks of the program consisted solely of German classes for 3 hours a day and they focused on teaching us things we could use easily in the city such as ordering food or asking for directions. They also presented the opportunity for us to get a language buddy - an Austrian student wanting to practice their English and help with our German. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | No German |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Go to the market and talk to the friendly vendors and get a language buddy. |
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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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
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? | I wish I had known that the classes wouldn't have been challenging. I wish that I had been in a program where I would have been challenged more and that I would have been with more interesting students, because most of the girls just wanted to shop and go to American places. |
