Salzburg, Austria AIFS Past Review

By (Marketing., Drake University) for

AIFS: Salzburg - University of Salzburg

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I loved being able to travel around Europe, and living there was surreal.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The classes were a bit of a joke. It was obvious that they were not the main reason anyone would study abroad there. I would definitely recommend the Austrian Culture class, it was the most fun and most informative. The teacher, Stephan Wally, was awesome.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

They knew a lot, and were willing to help with any and everything. They were really wonderful people. My semester the program had about 50 students. Three of whom were there for the whole year.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

You had to cook yourself, the AIFS office provided cooking utensils for check out and a monthly food allowance.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

There were some fun outings. Definitally sign up for the optional trip.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Salzburg is Super Safe. Never had a worry.

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)

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? A lot of people bought traditional Austrian clothes. Those cost a lot. We also went out to the bars pretty frequently, alcohol is also expensive.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

There were a lot of people who spoke enough English that you could get by without any German easily. But they really appreciated when you attempted German. Many local shop owners were willing to help you with simple phrases if you were nice.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
  • Hostel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Austrian Culture

Course Department:
Instructor: Stephan Wally
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Easy and Awesome
Credit Transfer Issues: