Would not recommend Past Review
By austriaabroad (Actuarial Science/International Business, Drake University) - abroad from 08/31/2015 to 12/18/2015 with
University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt / FHWN: Wiener Neustadt - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
My favorite part of studying abroad was traveling away from Wiener Neustadt
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Classes were structured poorly for study abroad students. Classes were mandatory and less than 80% of attendance (sometimes that meant missing only one class) meant an automatic failure. I frequently had classes on Friday afternoons and Saturdays that I could not miss. Also, the only grade would come from the final exam, which made things stressful towards the end of my stay. The classes were also really long (usually 3.5 hours each session or more) and didn't cover much material in that time. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The international staff at FHWN was helpful, although they encouraged students not to interact at all with professors, which was a negative experience for me. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
They house students in old buildings in a private room with a shared bathroom and kitchenette with one international student as a roommate. Things frequently broke, and the main kitchen was frequently closed to "punish" students for misbehaving. It constantly smelled like stale alcohol and was not well cleaned, and there was no security in the building. The housekeeper was very mean and was only there for about 15 hours a week, so if a student needed to report a problem, it was very difficult. |
| * Food: |
Most students cooked for themselves for almost every meal. The kitchen in our rooms frequently didn't work, which made things difficult. There were some nice places to eat downtown, but within near walking distance there was only McDonalds. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Classes were not with Austrian students. They were with other international students, usually from Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, etc. There was minimal interaction with natives to the area. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
N/A |
| * Safety: |
Wiener Neustadt is a safe city. Even though I was there during the refugee crisis, I felt very secure in my area. The dorms were never locked and this was concerning to me, but the city was fine. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I would choose somewhere in a better location (not the industrial district where FHWN is), I would go to a program where I could be immersed in the culture, rather than only surrounded by other international students, and I would choose a program that focused on language |
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) |
Austria is an expensive place to live, but most of my money was spent on traveling |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Find people to cook meals with, that way you don't all have to spend money on things like spices, olive oil, cookware, etc. Also, be prepared to pay extra if you are looking for familiar items from home |
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 |
There was never a reason to learn German, as everyone communicated in English. I really wanted to learn German, but it was difficult seeing as the professors and the students didn't care at all. |
| 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? | Some independent study |
| 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? | Find some Austrians and try to speak with them. You will probably have to look outside the BCI program. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
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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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
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? | Studying abroad here does not give many opportunities to travel around other parts of Europe, and if that is what you are looking for in your experience, it is not what you will get through this program. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
