Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Studying Abroad in Vienna Past Review

By (American/United States Studies/Civilization., Wellesley College) for

University of Vienna: Vienna - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It hasn't changed my plans but I have a new appreciation for German culture and media. I would like to keep the language skills I have acquired and improve on them.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The workload was little to non-existent, even though I think that I could have been more motivated. I think that I should have been more pro-active in my efforts to learn German, and I could have improved more dramatically.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

I thought that our on-site program director was very nice and willing-to- help. However, the willingness did not always translate into action. We mostly relied on a Wellesley alum living in the area, and the people we met during the semester to help us.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

12 Grosse Schiffgasse A-1020 Wien, Oesterreich <br /><br /> It mostly housed foreign students and students not within commutable distance to the university. I never interacted on a regular basis with Viennese people/ students. The people were very nice and the dorm was directly in the city. The program provided all of the cookware, bedding, amenities, etc. We only needed to bring our clothes and buy food to cook.

* Food:

The food in Austria in very heavy and rich, so I didn't eat out at Austrian restaurants very much. Sometimes buying ingredients for American recipes was difficult because typical supermarkets didn't sell what I needed.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Vienna didn't really have a nightlife in terms of clubbing, but we could always go to bars.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

The healthcare was great because we were covered by Austrian insurance while there, but the health professionals didn't really seem too willing to offer too much help knowing that we were exchange students benefiting from their tax dollars.

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

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? Not much at all. maybe 40 Euros a week.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? We had to have a lot of money with us upfront when we got to the country. We were later reimbursed, but I'm glad I took around 675 euros with me into the country. Also, Bank Austria does not have a relationship with the Bank of America so I had to pay a surcharge everytime I withdrew money from my home account. Also, Europe deals mostly in cash instead of credit.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? German 237
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

I thought that it was a little difficult to improve the language because everyone spoke English and would revert to it when I spoke slower in German or made grammatical errors. However, I do believe that my German improved. I would talk to the people living in my dorm, who were very willing to converse with me, and my roommate.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

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  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

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  • International Students

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Be very active in your own learning, because it is very independent, especially compared to Wellesley.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Historical Foundations of Politics
Course Department: 210009 Political Science
Instructor: Johann Dvorak
Instruction Language: German
Comments: It was difficult because I had to struggle to understand the professor, simply because he was speaking in German. The class was very straightforward; it was lecture-based, with a 10-page paper at the end.
Credit Transfer Issues: No
Course Name/Rating:

Sprachinstitute (Advanced Beginning German)
Course Department: A2
Instructor: Angelika Luitz
Instruction Language: German
Comments: It wasn't terribly challenging, but it was incredibly helpful to be able to apply the grammar and vocabulary we were learning in class to our surroundings. There were field trips for all the classes in the afternoon. I really liked the teacher and the activities and exercises we did in class.
Credit Transfer Issues: I will try to transfer the credit in the fall.
Course Name/Rating:

Multiculturalism in America
Course Department: American Studies 120020
Instructor: Waldmar Zacharasiewicz
Instruction Language: English
Comments: It wasn't challenging; the class was presentation-based, so students basically taught the class and the professor facilitated the discussions. We wrote papers with the presentations that we had to do and took a general test at the end. Everything was in English.
Credit Transfer Issues: No, I had email the American Studies department at Wellesley (I am a major) before I signed up for the class, and they agreed to award 200-level credit.
Course Name/Rating:

Austrian writings in history

Course Department: none, it was part of the Wellesley program
Instructor: Alexandra Millner
Instruction Language: German
Comments: In the course, we read several excerpts of literature from various notable Austrian figures and discussed them. I thought that some of the writings were a little too complex for my level of German. The course was also very dry and not too engaging for my taste. We wrote reflections of the works throughout the course and took a written test at the end; it wasn't difficult. http://www.studyabroad101.com/node/add/feedback?pp=Exchange&countries=Austria&cities=Vienna&f_unis=Universitaet+Wien&program=Wellesley-in-Vienna#60
Credit Transfer Issues: I don't expect to have difficulty; it is part of the Wellesley-in-Vienna program, so it should count as a Wellesley course.