A Music Major in Vienna Past Review
By kbird (Instrumental Performance, University of Hartford) for
IES Abroad: Vienna - Study Abroad With IES Abroad
Personal Information
| The term and year this program took place: | Spring 2009 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I learned a lot, but could have been challenged more. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
I had a full kitchen and was able to prepare my own meals, which i liked. Also, eating out in Vienna was great. There were so many different kinds of restaurants within a 10 minute walk of my apartment, from traditional Austrian, to Italian, to Japanese. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The concerts, clubs, museums, and shopping in Vienna itself were great, and it is a prime location for inter-European travel. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I live in a big city in Massachusetts, and Vienna made me feel so much safer, even when I did not speak or understand the language. |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I spent between 500-700 Euro a month. This is including private music lessons and travel. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Keep in mind that when you are buying an airplane ticket for RyanAir or any of those cheap sites, this does not include the costs of: taxi to the train station, train from Vienna to Bratislava (where RyanAir flies from), baggage fees, or taxi from your destination to hotel. After all of these are considerations are factored in, it is almost always cheaper to go by train, although more time consuming. |
Language
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I came to Austria speaking no German, and by the time I left, I was carrying out full (but still simple) conversations. I was able to speak with Austrian friends, and when I traveled to Germany, and the Czech Republic, I was able to get around using German. |
Other Program Information
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Absolutely do it. If you do not study abroad now, you might never get there. As a music student, living in Vienna is a dream, and with this program it was actually possible. Talk to administrators, advisors, professors about Hartt requirements. You will find that professors, especially Professor Adsit, are huge advocates of studying abroad. They know that you will get something you can't get at Hartt, and they will be willing to help you figure out classes and requirements so that it is possible. |
