Wellesley in Vienna Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The system was geared towards individual responsibility. There were recommended readings, but there were few or no assignments throughout the semester to ensure that students were involved. Most of the evaluations for the courses were at the end of the semester, and the grade for a course depended entirely on one exam. The examination system was also very different. Students could take an exam for a course at the end of the semester, at the beginning of the next semester, or at the end of the following semester, which meant that there were several students who did not attend class regularly and planned to actually learn the course material the following semester. This changed the dynamic of the classroom.

On-site administration of your program

The resident director of the program was very knowledgeable about Austria and was especially connected to the cultural scene of the city, which made it possible to experience aspects of the culture during our excursions as a group in a way that we would not have found out about on our own. However, sometimes the program was disorganized. For example, the assignments for the core course run by the resident director were not always clear in terms of length or content. Or for example, I sent an email to the resident director in December with organizations I would be interested in working with as per her request. When I arrived in February, she had not read the email. There were several similar instances throughout the program that led to frustrations during the semester.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in a student dorm that was located close to the first district of Vienna. The location of the dorm was excellent. Most of the students there were international. The facilities included a small courtyard, laundry facilities, a common room and a workout room. The layout consisted of individual rooms with personal bathrooms and a kitchen on each floor that was shared by about fifteen people. <br /><br /> Wellesley provided most items for each student, including sheets, towels and cookware. This helped a lot with the transition to living in the dorms. Vienna is a very safe city and my dorm was very safe as well. I always locked my door, but I also always felt comfortable walking around the neighborhood at night by myself. The university was about a fifteen minute walk from my dorm. I could find all of the products and services I needed from groceries to banking services close to where I lived.

Dining out was very expensive in Vienna. The coffeehouse culture in Vienna is fantastic, however, and stopping in for a coffee was not as expensive as going out for a meal.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The trip to Berlin organized by the Wellesley-in-Vienna program was fantastic. I am so glad we took that trip, and all of the activities we took part in there, from the Philharmonics to the bus tour were great. I also appreciated the tours of Vienna, and the cultural excursions prepared by the program director. I would not have had exposure to these aspects of Viennese and Austrian culture otherwise in a lot of cases, and these excursions were very memorable.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I received Austrian health insurance for the duration of my program. I did not need to use the health insurance at any point during my stay. However, in preparation for my summer internship I needed several vaccinations prior to my departure. These were not covered by the health insurance and I had to pay a large amount out of pocket. I felt very safe during my program because Vienna is a very safe city. I was perfectly comfortable traveling by myself through the city at night and getting back to my dorm. The dorm was also secure, and I never felt uncomfortable leaving my computer or any other objects of value in my room. The dorm required a key for entry, and each resident had a key for their room as well.

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

I used German in everyday interactions. Most people in Austria and the vast majority in Vienna speak English. Most people in Vienna insisted on speaking to me in English during one-time interactions (for example, ordering something at a restaurant or buying something from a store), even when I spoke in German. When I would say something in German, they would continue speaking in English even if I spoke in German, which I found frustrating.

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• Dorm

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• International Students

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• Local Students