I had a great time in Vienna. Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Depending on what classes you take, it can be challenging and demand more work. However you can chose classes that don't require large amounts of work so that you can spend most of your time out seeing the city. A majority of the classes do take you on trips around the city, I would suggest signing up for classes with interesting excursions.

On-site administration of your program

IES Abroad Vienna was very organized when it came to housing.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in an apartment with four other girls. Three of them were other american students in the program and the fourth was our RA, she was a student at the University of Vienna. There were three bedrooms, we all shared rooms except for the RA, one kitchen, a bathroom and a shower room. I thought it was a nice apartment, the bedrooms were bigger than the average dorm room. When filling out the housing form, I would suggest writing down living near the center of the city as a top priority because the school along with most of the other student housing options and activities are located in that area. I lived in the 17th district, the 1st being the center of the city, and the commute could take over an hour at night time.

Food there is delicious, especially the pastries. I mostly cooked for myself though because buying food everyday is expensive. I'm also a vegetarian so I couldn't eat a good amount of the street food. I shopped mostly at Lidl because it was around the corner of my apartment. But the top places to shop are Billa and Penny Markt.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

It was tough to practice German because most Austrians will speak English with you once they hear your accents. It can be hard to make friends with Austrians without having connections because Austrian culture isn't as chatty or welcoming as American culture. This doesn't mean Austrians are mean but it would be very unlikely to get into a conversation with a stranger while waiting in line somewhere than it would be in the U.S., for example. However IES does offer a language buddy which is helpful.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The health insurance covers just about everything and health care was very accessible. I had a friend go to the hospital and an IES staff member accompanied her when she checked in and someone came to visit each day she was in the hospital. I'm also pretty sure the AKH, the hospital in Vienna, is the largest hospital in Europe.

Vienna is a very safe city. I never felt unsafe.

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

Vienna is expensive like most cities however it is not over the top expensive and its possible to live on a budget. I made most my meals and spent about 20 euros a week on food, plus some depending on whether I bought lunch some days. In terms of laundry, there is a washer and dryer at the institute that cost about 3 euros in total. I lived farther away so I would buy a monthly ticket which cost about 50 euros. However some people lived closer to the institute and could walk to class. The cheapest place to get drinks was Dick Macks, 2.80 for all drinks, its located around the Bermuda Triangle.

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

There is an intensive German program in the beginning before other classes start and then once the semester begins, you have to take German three times a week. The program encourages the student to practice the language and put yourself out there but it is also easy to speak minimal German since you attend your classes in English and make American friends through IES.

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• Apartment

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• Local Students
• Americans

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• Americans

• the people I met
• some of the classes, especially the excursions
• the trips (there's a 3 city 10 day trip, weekend trip and skiing trip offered)

• The times of classes
• The scheduling of midterm and final exams
• IES procedures and policies for student conduct hearings

The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer