Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Would do it again Past Review

By (Music., Xavier University) - abroad from 05/20/2014 to 06/30/2014 with

KIIS: Salzburg - Experience Salzburg (Summer)

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I fell in love with the city! The friends I made will be friends for a lifetime. I am much more confident traveling and want to take my family back next summer.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I worked harder and learned more during this class time than at home and learned the material more thoroughly too in particular music history. Instead of memorizing a bunch of dates we covered a lot of broad ideas and saw how they connected to music we heard performed live in Salzburg

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

No complaints. We saw professors every day and had our own program guide living with us to answer questions and help find places. We had meetings every week and announcements every day during class time.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Personally my roommate situation was not ideal but they were fine for a month. Think of a dorm except with school kids running around some weekends. The place is super secure and away from traffic so we had the place to ourselves half the time. We knew the Austrian staff pretty much by name.

* Food:

In the housing it was great, but very Austrian. Breakfast is always the same lunch was always different. I missed my American breakfast after a while but there are grocery stores for that. Out in the city there are tons of options to choose from except Mexican! and the cheapest are probably Italian or Eastern.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Salzburg is the first real city that felt like home. With the local music events very integrated. With local residents not so much. We hung out in groups and met people out at night but in 5 weeks there wasn't enough time to meet a lot of girls or get to know people. I wish I had stuck out on my own more.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Fine cause I didn't have issues but the program comes with insurance.

* Safety:

We got tons of safety advice before we left but it turned out to be pretty much unnecessary because the city itself is super safe and tame compared to Prague or a few others. Nobody got pick pocketed or anything and one kid lost his wallet but got it back with money and everything.

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)

OK. Food is covered but europe is not the place to buy big purchases if you can get it at home.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 100 to 150 easily
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Don't skip lunch cause you've already paid for it and then you'll eat less at dinner. Kebabs and Italian are the best options on a budget.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

I didn't make as much effort as I should have until the last week. The one kid who really tried to use his German all the time got better than the ones who didn't try.

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Beginner
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? two semesters
How many hours per day did you use the language? 0
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? Just do it! Musicians think they have to be good at it the first time and that is so not true of being in an international city. It's ok to not be perfect at it.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
  • Other
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • Salzburg
  • My profs
  • The food
* What could be improved?
  • Maybe a home stay?
  • Better wifi in the dorm and coffee shops!
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? How to travel. how to order food. How to do big things in groups like a train trip or a weekend away. What it feels like to be a musician in the place where music was basically invented.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.
The Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.