Exchange semester in Vienna stole my heart and changed my life Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Studying at WU was very different from my business courses at UF. All three of my courses were in English, class sizes ranged from 20-40 students and were a mix of Austrian, German, and Exchange students. I only had class Mondays and Tuesdays, aside from the two weeks my block course met, so there was a lot of free time to allocate towards exploring the city and the rest of Europe. The grading systems seemed fair, and the courses were not too difficult. The professors were more interactive than the professors at UF, and group work was more common, which I enjoyed. All three of my professors were very kind and seemed to genuinely care about the students, which was refreshing coming from the UF lecture hall courses with 600 people.

On-site administration of your program

Aside from registering for courses, there was very little interaction with the school's administration.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The school provides exchange students access to the OEAD student housing services, which help you find a dorm to live in. I know some students chose to live in apartments, but the overwhelming majority of exchange students I knew lived in an OEAD dorm. I lived in Haus Erasmus, which I absolutely loved. The only downside was that it was mainly English-speaking students (Americans, Canadians, Irish, English, and Australians) and Turkish students. The benefit of this was that there was a strong sense of community within the dorm and it was very easy to settle in. The rooms were generally 2-person rooms with 1 bathroom in your room. They were actually quite nice, spacious, and the beds were comfortable. There is also a lot of storage space. It was in an amazing location, just off the U6. The main shopping street, Mariahilfer Strasse, was walking distance, and the Billa grocery store was a 2-minute walk around the corner. I always felt safe. I brought sheets with me from home, but you have to buy a duvet cover when you arrive there or else the maids will yell as you in German. (The maids clean your room once a week, which is quite annoying when you are trying to sleep). You can buy all you need for your dorm room at XXX Lutz, which is also walking distance. There is a shared kitchen area on every floor, which I loved because we all hung out at night and cooked together. The laundry situation is annoying as there are 4 of each machine for the entire building, and usually there is at least one out of order. There is also a simple gym and study area.

I loved the food in Vienna, and found that I could find most food items at the local Billa. However if you want something more specific, you need to go to Merkur in the Lugnor city mall (walking distance), which has a much broader selection of items. I still never found real lemonade though... Also, I found that pub food tended to be among the cheaper meals, aside from the fast food stands.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The WU Buddynetwork plans several trips throughout the semester. They are fun and I did learn about other cultures, but they are largely centered around consuming alcohol, which wasn't my main purpose in traveling. The Krakow trip was affordable and nice to have arranged for us, but in the end, I wished that I had planned and went myself. The Buddynetwork team members were still wasted and drinking the morning after as we toured the salt mines. The events I went to were the night sledding, Venice Carnival, and Krakow trips. I enjoyed all three overall. The night sledding was terrifying at first because the Buddynetwork leaders failed to teach us how to sled. Once we learned how to turn and control our speed, it was a lot of fun. I wish I had gone skiing. The Venice Carnival trip was the most fitting Buddynetwork trip, since it is a party event afterall. In Vienna itself there are many cultural events and activities to take part in. Every Saturday is the big Naschmarkt, a farmers market/flea market. It is a great way to interact with local Vienese people and try new foods. There are also several festivals that occur in the spring, and in the winter the Wiener Rathausplatz has an amazing ice skating rink that is a MUST. Also, the Opera and ballet are another must see in Vienna. I also saw a Vienna city soccer match, had frequent picnics in Stadtpark and Donauinsel, visited several Heurigers, and toured countless museums within the city.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Vienna is a big city, and with every big city there are some strange people. However, I felt safer walking around Vienna at night than I do back home in Gainesville. I never had anything stolen and was never stalked. However, I am a cautious person. My roommate was stalked twice, because she smiles at strangers, and even gave her phone number to random people. Don't do that, and you will be fine. I did get very sick twice in Vienna. There are English speaking doctors, but it is somewhat difficult to see them immediately. Also, almost everything is closed on Sundays. (However, I did find that the "Golden Rose" Apotheke on Mariahilfer is open on Sundays though a window service). The first doctor I went to see ended up being a Chinese medicine specialist, who informed me I was in the wrong place. Once I found a doctor, they were helpful and I eventually got the right medicine from the Apotheke.

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

Practice your German everyday. It is easy to get by with English, so you really have to challenge yourself to try to speak it. If I could do it over again, I would have taken the accelerated German course offered by the OK Program in the first 3 weeks before class starts. That way, I could have taken a more advanced beginner course to challenge myself further.

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• Dorm

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• International Students
• Local Students
• Americans

• Variety of courses offered
• Ease of travel
• Livability and culture of the city

• More immersion in German language