Lively, eye-opening Central European adventure in Vienna - TASSEP Past Review
By Alexis C (Civil Engineering., The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 03/01/2012 to 06/30/2012 with
Vienna University of Technology: Vienna - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I can't put into words how much I've learned. How different education systems, people, cultures, histories,... everything are. I met amazing people who wanted to discuss and share their world, saw amazing places, had a few mishaps here and there... and absolutely nothing I would change.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Kolpinghaus was awesome, affordable, and near to everything. Wish I had received information about housing earlier, but glad I caught on when I did. |
| * Food: |
Everything was delicious, fresh, and reasonably healthy. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Viennese can be a little stand-offish, but once I became integrated with students it was easy. After the first few weeks living there was just a natural, daily thing. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Vienna is SUCH a safet city - one of the most secure and crime-free in all of Europe. My family and I both felt at ease with me there. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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) |
Vienna is terribly expensive, as is most of Austria. But there are ways to maintain a reasonable budget and still get to travel. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | No |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $150 without rent |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Start your trip with a goal weekly budget, and write down everything you spend - you'll notice it adds up a lot quicker than you'd imagine. Get a feel for how much you're spending, what you can do without, and try to be reasonable. Remember to enjoy yourself within reason:) |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
It was difficult to find people/students who wanted to speak German with me - many were excited at the thought of speaking English with a native speaker. You just have to compromise and be insistent. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Advanced Composition and Conversation |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | TRY to get a roommate who speaks your foreign language! Makes a huge difference, and it hindered my practice to have an English-only speaking roommate. |
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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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I had realized that a smaller town/city will offer more potential to use and develop language skills |
