Amazing Adventure and Cultural Experience Past Review
By A student (Central/Eastern Europe, Trinity University) - abroad from 08/20/2015 to 12/20/2015 with
IES Abroad: Vienna - Study Abroad With IES Abroad
I learned a lot about myself and my own capabilities. I also feel as though I have a better understanding of what it means to be American, and have the expanded sight of the affect America has globally. It was more than worthwhile - I would recommend it 100 percent.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Courses were truly amazing. I did not have a lot of homework, but learned more than I have in a lot of classes taken at my home university. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The people working with IES were wonderful, and always eager to help. They do a great job of integrating students in the culture. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved the apartment I was living in, and I was paired up with great people who are now life-long friends. The tenants of the building were extremely gracious to us, and frequently invited us over for meals and other celebrations. |
| * Food: |
Vienna has wonderful food, though it can be difficult if you are a vegetarian. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program offers various internships that allow students to become more integrated with society. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The people at IES really care about their students. The one health issue I experienced there was handled professionally and with immense care and concern towards restoring students to health. |
| * Safety: |
Vienna is very safe, the only crimes I have heard of are incidents with pick-pockets. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The people working for the program and the people who I attended the program alongside are some of the best people I've yet to know. Also, the resources provided to get to know Vienna and also the surrounding countries were amazing. |
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) |
For me, it was all about finding the right venues to buy food from. There are many expensive places where one can buy food, but also many cheap. You just have to explore. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Around $75 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Avoid tourist locations. Find out where the locals are eating. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| 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? | I had taken no German language courses at all. |
| 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? | Take advantage of IES opportunities such as their language buddy program. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I knew to bring more winter clothing! |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
