I'm so glad I did it Past Review
By Devin W (Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering., The University of Texas at Austin) for
IES Abroad: Vienna - Study Abroad With IES Abroad
Now I definitely want to study abroad again, if I get the chance. It changed my perception of Eastern Europe for the better. I'm so glad I did it. I had the greatest time and I'm sure that view is unaminous within our group.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The class was very well organized and the teacher did a great job of placing it in the context of stuying abroad. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Sometimes it took awhile for the program assistants to get things done, but overall it was an excellent location and good experience with the school. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We had very nice apartments at Durergasse 18, I think. <br /><br /> The housing was really great, especially since they were cleaned each week and they were close to the U-bahn and City Bikes |
| * Food: |
It was nice to cook with the local ingredients but also nice to try different restaurants. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It was great to get to travel on the weekends. As for the field trips, we went to an auto manufacturing plant, Tichy Ice, and and other big sites of the city. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
The apartment had two locked doors at all times, so we felt pretty safe at home, and the locals seemed pretty nice overall. I didn't have any health issues. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
|
Finances
|
* 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) |
|
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Watch the exchange rate to make sure you get a good deal, if you don't want to pull moeny out of the ATM all the time. And remember everything is more expensive in Europe. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Survival German |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
|
| Language acquisition improvement? |
Most people spoke English in Austria, so it was difficult to speak to locals in German. |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I think anyone would benefit from studying abroad, if you can afford it, and there's scholarships out there too. It was one of the best decisions of my life to go ahead with it. It truly is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, the next time you get to go to Europe will be when you retire. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Engineering Graphics and Design |
| Course Department: | ME 210 |
| Instructor: | Billy Wood |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | The workload was just about right, allowing us time to see the city. Our teacher was knowledgeable and did a great job organizing the class. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
