Vienna: The best experience! Past Review
By Jessica M Alexander (University of Rochester) - abroad from 01/14/2018 to 05/12/2018 with
IES Abroad: Vienna - Study Abroad With IES Abroad
I learned so many different things during my time abroad. I learned a lot in the field of psychology, I learned a lot about myself, and learned a lot about Vienna and Austria as a whole. Honestly, there are countless lessons that I experienced during those 4 months.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I took 5 courses while abroad: Psychoanalysis, Counseling Psychology and Communication Skills, Novice German Abroad, The Vienna Project, and an Education Internship. All of the courses were a great experience and the right level of challenging. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff for the IES Vienna Program are all wonderful, caring, knowledgable people. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in the Fizz Vienna, in a single studio apartment with many other students and native Austrians in the building. |
| * Food: |
The food in Vienna is amazing! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I completed therapy during my time abroad, and healthcare was efficient, affordable, and good-quality. The program assisted me with finding providers, as well as with insurance questions. |
| * Safety: |
Vienna is an extremely safe city. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I love IES Vienna for so many reasons. The city of Vienna, the staff and students in the program, the opportunities for growth and learning, the culture, and the academics of the program are just a few of the big ones. |
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? | $175 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Writing out a budget in the beginning helps, but modifying it as the semester goes along is also necessary. Recognizing that every week will have different costs is essential! |
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 |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | none |
| 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? | Honestly, immersing yourself in the language is the best way to learn. |
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? | Honestly, I didn't know very much about Austria and what to expect before going abroad, and was pleasantly surprised by my experience.I don't know if knowing more would have affected my experience, but there isn't anything in particular that I'd want to know if I were to have the experience again. |
