A Beautiful Time in Beautiful Vienna Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

While the workload was not difficult and the grading system was the same as any American college institution, all of my teachers went above and beyond helping us to learn more about Austria, Vienna, and Europe in general. My language skills improved drastically, because my German teacher dedicated more time to each student than any other teacher I've had before. There was less focus on readings and homework assignments, which took some adjustment, but once I was comfortable with my grades being determined mostly by quizzes, projects, and tests, I really excelled at the IES Center.

On-site administration of your program

IES Vienna offered a large variety of classes taught in both English and German. They were also very knowledgeable about everyone's home institution and how our credits would transfer. Our program size was great (around 100 students), and things were accomplished quickly because of the manageable size. The only issue I ever ran into was the attention I received while scheduling courses. I signed up for two history classes, one taught in German and one in English, that ended up being the same class, yet no one caught it before I signed up for them. Overall, however, the entire administration was extremely helpful, fun to talk with, and even helped my friends and I get out of Poland when we got stuck!

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

While I lived with all American students on my program, we also had a Resident Assistant from Germany that was a student at the University of Vienna. IES arranged our housing, which was incredibly convenient, and I wouldn't go back and change anything about it. I was about a half hour commute from school, which was about average for the students in my program, although some were closer to an hour outside the city. Vienna is known for having one of the best public transportation systems in the world, so traveling to school never seemed inconvenient. Everything in the apartment was provided for us, from sheets, to kitchen supplies, to furniture.

The food in Vienna is nothing short of spectacular, with a coffee house culture that boasts amazing cakes and speciality coffees. On field trips organized by IES they were also very good about accommodating vegetarians, as well as those with food allergies. My favorite cafe in Vienna was Cafe Museum, and Cafe Votiv over by the University had amazing lunch specials (5 euro schnitzel!). The Naschmarkt is also another exciting part of Vienna, with fresh food from local farms running almost a mile down the streets of Vienna.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Winter in Vienna is known for their formal ball season, and IES arranged for us to attend the Technical University Ball in the former Imperial Palace. We were able to wear floor length ball gowns and witness a truly spectacular part of Viennese history and culture. I also went on the IES Vienna field trips to Dresden, Leipzig, and Berlin, Germany as well as a weekend skiing in the Alps near Salzburg. Both trips were very well priced, very convenient as a traveler, and left me with a ton of memories that I will never forget.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

IES was very good about explaining healthcare to us and what to do when we got sick. I never experienced this, but my roommates never had a problem seeing a doctor and having everything taken care of. No vaccines were needed for this program as well. Vienna is also a very safe city, and there were never many incidents. As long as students don't wander around alone at night, they have no reason to fear for their safety.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Everyone was required to learn German, but to my surprise the large majority of students came to Vienna with no former knowledge of German. As a German major myself, I improved dramatically through classes offered in German and practicing around the city. IES also provided us with German language buddies through the local university, which allowed us to practice German with people our age and make friends at the same time. Most people spoke English in Austria, but it was more rewarding to successfully get through a conversation without using English.

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• Host Family
• Apartment
• Dorm

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• Americans