A life changing experience you definitely will not regret! Past Review
By A student (Music - Voice Performance, Ithaca College) - abroad from 01/08/2015 to 05/16/2015 with
IES Abroad: Vienna - Study Abroad With IES Abroad
IES Vienna was a life changing experience. Not only did I get discover Vienna and it’s surrounding countries, but I also got to learn a lot about myself. I acquired a broader perspective of life, discover new passions, and found a new place to call home. I returned back from Vienna a more confident, secure, and well rounded person than when I left, and I only have study abroad to thank for that.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
|
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration and the staff of IES Vienna were a key part in making my semester abroad as amazing as it was. They were always friendly, happy to help if anyone ever needed anything, and always made sure that we were their first priority. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Housing arrangements were really nice. The apartments were well located and having the parricide rooms in our apartment building was really great. |
| * Food: |
You definitely will not go hungry in Vienna. Even as a vegetarian.there were SO MANY delicious options, and the food was not very expensive. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We were definitely thrown right into the culture of Vienna, but I do wish we could have had more opportunities to mingle with local students. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The staff was amazing when it came to helping us with health issues. They are willing to come with you if you do not feel comfortable going by yourself, and going to a doctor is incredibly easy. They have names of english speaking doctors which have open hours, so you go without an appointment and are usually seen within a half hour. There are pharmacies everywhere around the IES center, so it is all very convenient. |
| * Safety: |
Vienna is one of the safest cities in Europe. Of course there are some parts of the city where you should not go alone at night, but for the most part I never felt unsafe walking around. |
| 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) |
You will probably go over your budget. Not because of the cost of things in Vienna, but because of how much you will travel. There are so many places incredibly easily accessible cities and countries from Vienna, that you will travel much more than you may have originally planned for. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I spent at most $100 a week, including weekends where you end up spending more due to going out. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Cook your own food. Bring lunch, even though it is possible to eat for about $5 for lunch. |
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 |
German was really heavily encouraged in the program. We began with a 3 week German intensive course, and we had German three times a week. |
| 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? | 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? | Go out and use the language. At first you will make many mistakes but the Viennese will really appreciate you trying, and you will get much better much faster if you use it. |
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 |
|
| 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? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | You will not go home the same person you were when you left. You will face many challenges but you won't even remember them because the amazing experiences you will have will outweigh the hard time. Take advantage of everything. Don't wait to go do things, do them now. Most importantly: take risks and have fun. |
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 UrbaniteA 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. |
