Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Eating my way through Europe while taking some cool classes February 02, 2026

By (Economics and Business, Brandeis University) - abroad from 08/18/2025 to 12/12/2025 with

IES Abroad: Vienna - Study Abroad With IES Abroad

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I think I gained some independence and spontaneity. I made friends, I traveled a lot, and I ate a lot of great food. Within my classes, I gained a greater understanding of the EU and the US within a global context. Definitely worthwhile.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Instructors often had full time jobs in the industry they were teaching about, which was helpful, but the instruction itself was sometimes less than engaging.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The academic administration that I spoke to were lovely but some of the program administrators seemed to want to avoid doing their jobs and had a very "figure it out" response system.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Apartment itself was great and my roommates were quite nice, though we were put with the VCA (basically the CA/RA) last minute with no prior notice. Also, the building location was less than ideal — a couple people were physically assaulted, I was followed for about a block by someone mocking my english, and there were almost always people roaming the main square (that we lived just off of) asking for money and they would often approach people in the grocery store as well.

* Food:

Groceries were reasonably priced, I cooked most food at home. Restaurants were pretty good. Produce could have been better.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

As previously stated, housing was not in a particularly safe area which was not at all communicated to us before choosing to live there.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Vienna was quite an interesting city to live in, the art and architecture was amazing and their history is rich even if they refuse to talk about the bad parts. I had mixed feelings about Viennese people but Austria is centrally located between east and west Europe so travel was pretty convenient.

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Too much
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Budget your groceries, share essentials with roommates, limit eating at restaurants

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

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? Try to speak the language to locals as much as possible. They often appreciate the effort even if your language skills are minimal

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • Travel
  • Art
  • Classes
* What could be improved?
  • Administration responsiveness
  • Housing safety
  • Instructor engagement
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Bring more euros. Very cash-preferred city and I brought the recommended amount and ran out within the first two months.

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 Linguist
You 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!