VIENNA AUSTRIA: From Small Town Germany to the Worlds Best City to Live in. Past Review
By Megan L (HISTORY., Austin College) for
Central College Abroad: Study Abroad in Vienna, Austria
Very much so!
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Goethe Institut, University of Vienna |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was very manageable, as most of the classes met only once a week. The grading system is on a 1 to 6 scale, with one being 'Excellent' and 6 'Very Horrible' roughly translated. They also tend not to grade as many assignments as happens in the American educational system. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
After the on site orientation during the component part in Germany there was only email or call access to the directors, as they live in Austria. I found that this really wasn't a problem because the Goethe Institut is well staffed, and there were people on hand who could help. One thing I would have liked in this program is the option of a host family, and more forced/ set up interactions with Austrian students. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I had a rooming nightmare. Our roomates were supposed to be Austrian, and all three of mine (roomate nightmare) are foreign. However, most of the other students got really nice Austrian roomates. I just had bad luck. One of them smoked and was horribly inconsiderate, plus she hardly spoke any English or German, so it was difficult to communicate. We needed to buy sheets, dishes, towels, everything. |
| * Food: |
Good bio food |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Got to travel a ton! Visited Oktoberfest on opening day, met many international students, and went to events like Operas and Concerts through the program. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Vienna is one of the safest major cities on earth. Schawbish Hall Germany was pretty nice too. Definitely safer than some of the cities I have lived in in the US. When I was sick I was able to see an English speaking doctor the day I asked my program director. A minor problem might be that they are not open terribly late, and you had to pay cash. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Maybe 100 to 150 Euros |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't eat out so much, and order tap water when you do! Be prepared to buy a public transport pass! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | A beginning course |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
Our directors spoke to us in German, and we could practice with Austrian and other international students. I did use German everyday, with people in the subway, waiters, in stores, etc. Most people also have a basic understanding of English, so when something was direly important, like medical emergencies, an english speaker could be found. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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