Vienna is the epitome of Classic Europe Past Review

By Brianna C (Nursing., The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 05/23/2014 to 07/04/2014 with

IES Abroad: Vienna - Study Abroad With IES Abroad

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

This was absolutely the most worthwhile experience I have ever had. It was amazing to immerse myself completely in another culture, learn about their customs and history and society. It was awesome to go to another country, knowing no one, and make incredible friendships. Being on your own somewhere unfamiliar is the best way in the world to find yourself, figure out who you want to be, and start being that person.

Review Photos

IES Abroad: Vienna - IES Abroad in Vienna Photo

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	I learned a lot from my classes. It's just hard to really learn a language in a short summer session.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	Everyone at IES was super helpful, giving us tours and directions and suggestions of fun places to go and things to do.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	The apartments were pretty nice although the windows were temperamental and sometimes it got really hot. I liked that everyone from the program stayed in the same building. It made it a lot easier to make friends and plans. The apartments were also well-equipped with a washer and refrigerator.
* Food:	The food in Vienna is AMAZING. The schnitzel and the wurst are literally to die for. Not to mention the beer and wine selections. The Radlers were my personal favorite (it's like a lemon-beer).
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	I felt like we had ample amount of time to go out and see the city and get a taste of the Austrian culture. Although, the IES center was in the middle of tow, which was great, except there were a lot more tourists in that area generally. But there was plenty of free time to get out to other parts of the city and meet locals.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	I didn't personally have any health issues when I was abroad, but many of my friends needed to go to the doctor for one thing or another and they all said that IES was really helpful in setting up an appointment. I don't think anyone had any issues. The health insurance that we were required to have seemed to cover just about everything. There weren't any major health issues in Vienna nor were there any vaccines we had to get.
* Safety:	Vienna felt like just about the safest city in Europe. I felt 100% safe walking down the street at 3am. Of course, you should always be aware of your surrounding but I didn't have any real trouble and I always felt safe.
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)	1 It was hard for me to stick to a budget. Vienna is one of the more expensive cities and eating out/ social activities were a huge part of that. But I also spent every single weekend traveling so that was the biggest reason for my over-spending.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	$250
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Shop at the discount stores like Hofer! Also, when going to museums see if they offer a student discount and always take advantage of free activities/field trips.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language? 0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language	There was a lot of encouragement in class to use German, but outside of class it was hard because we would try and speak German and when people realized we couldn't they would just start using English. So it was hard to consistently practice, especially since most of us had no prior German knowledge.
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?	Beginner
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	none
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?	I would definitely try to learn a little bit before arriving so getting the hang of it is not so hard!

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Apartment
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Local Students Americans International Students
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Americans International Students
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?	0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	The opportunities to explore Vienna The independence The food
* What could be improved?	I would've liked to learn/use a little more German More interaction with locals
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I wish that I would have made more local friends, but the friends I made within the program are amazing.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.	The Outright Urbanite A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	German 101
Course Department:	German
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	German is a challenging language to learn but the professor was really good about positive feedback and really encouraged class participation. We went on a few field trips which were always really fun. My favorite was to the Vienna woods for a picnic. We had 2 midterm exams which were difficult but graded fairly.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Psychology in Society
Course Department:	Psychology
Instructor:	Stipsits
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This class was fascinating. We learned so much about Freud and his colleagues. The class really focused on the student's opinions of various readings and lecture topics so it was really fun to interact and see what everyone thought. The professor really made us think, and challenged us to see different perspectives. There was a paper that we had to write and a final exam (which was insanely difficult), but I think the in class discussions were enough to get us really thinking. There really didn't need to be an exam.
Credit Transfer Issues: