Past Review
By Avalon G (History, German, and European Studies, University of Arkansas - Fayetteville) for
Karl-Franzens-Universitat Graz: Graz - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I really feel that I took advantage of my time abroad and did and experienced all I could while there. Don't go with any expectations and don't go thinking about what you might miss. No matter who or what you leave home, you WILL have more fun and more photos on facebook. I personally learned a lot about myself while there. I had some extenuating personal things going on also, but overall I learned a lot about the world. I had friends from too many countries to count and learned things about each language and culture and landscape. I plan to spend as much of my life as possible traveling, although I did learn that I would never want to live permanently outside of the US. I loved my time abroad and I would not trade my experiences, bad and good alike, for the world.
Personal Information
| The term and year this program took place: | Winter 2009 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I had a really great time and would recommend going to ANYONE. However, I don't feel like I was challenged academically while I was there. I do feel like my German improved and that I learned a lot about culture and had valuable life experiences. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I love Christa, she saved this program for me, however she was the only one that ever seemed to have any idea what was going on. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in the Ghegegasse dorm/apartments. They were set up like apartments where everyone had their own room and there are 2 bathrooms and 2 toilets between 5 people. I really enjoyed the arrangement of these dorms. They are a bit farther away from campus than others but I thought it was well worth it to have my own room and a full kitchen. <br /><br /> I really loved my overall living space, however my flat-mates were horrible. I lived with a Bosnian girl who had lived there for 5 years, and two Austrian girls who had been living there for more than 2 years and then an Australian exchange student. So, they felt like it was their house and me and the Australian girl were intruders and made us a 5 page (literally) list of rules. They were rude and inhospitable and would not share anything or accommodate us in anyway. We had to force them to give us room in the refrigerator. However, I heard plenty of people talking about how nice their flat-mates were, so I think we were just unlucky. |
| * Food: |
I did a lot of cooking with my friends (or more often FOR my friends :)) but we also ate out on occasion. My highest recommendations are the Pizza chains (Zeppeln, Bier Barron, etc) You can create your own pizza, pasta, burger , salad, etc and its really good and really cheap. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I loved it. Everything about it. I made life-long friends and now I can go almost anywhere in the world and have somewhere to stay for free. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
My neighborhood was a little bit sketchy, I saw a few drug deals and was whistled at a lot, but overall Graz is a safe little city. I never went out at night alone and was usually in a group, and I never felt at all unsafe. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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? | A lot. I am not really sure how much, but my philosophy was that I would only have this experience once in my life and that I wasn't going to miss out on anything. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Like I said, I would take any and all opportunities while you are there. You can be thrifty with your money in some ways, such as not buying clothes or cooking at home instead of eating out, but you just have to decide what your priorities are. I decided that I wanted to travel, so while there I took every opportunity that came my way. I visited 8 countries while living in Graz and I know that every penny I spent was well worth it and I would do it again in a heartbeat. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I think that my ability to understand German improved greatly, however I found that the Austrian students weren't very interested in making new friends. I ended up spending most of my time with other exchange students from around the world, most of which converse in English. Everyday German improved greatly, such as ordering and grocery shopping and such. Also, my flat-mates were horrible horrible people who did not speak to us, much less practice German with us. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I loved it. Everyone Loved it. I know only one person who wanted to leave early, and he had a girlfriend back home to influence his decision. I loved Graz and Austria is the perfect location for those interested in travel. Its a small enough city that it has an authentic feel and that you will run into people you know everywhere, however it is large enough that there is always something to do and something to see. |
