Exchange semester in Vienna stole my heart and changed my life Past Review

By (Marketing., University of Florida) for

Vienna University of Economics and Business: Vienna - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
YES! I am a thousand times more confident in myself, and am much more able to adapt to new situations. Living in a foreign country always offers many challanges, especially when traveling, but the skills I gained are invaluable. My experience has also awakened my passions for international education and has given me the drive to pursue my career goals and dreams. I want everyone to have the opportunity to experience what I have during this semester. I feel more connected to the world, have an extensive network of friends from all over, and am much more open to new experiences outside of my comfort zone. It's a fantastically rewarding experience.

Review Photos

Vienna University of Economics and Business: Vienna - Direct Enrollment & Exchange Photo Vienna University of Economics and Business: Vienna - Direct Enrollment & Exchange Photo Vienna University of Economics and Business: Vienna - Direct Enrollment & Exchange Photo Vienna University of Economics and Business: Vienna - Direct Enrollment & Exchange Photo Vienna University of Economics and Business: Vienna - Direct Enrollment & Exchange Photo

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.

Studying at WU was very different from my business courses at UF. All three of my courses were in English, class sizes ranged from 20-40 students and were a mix of Austrian, German, and Exchange students. I only had class Mondays and Tuesdays, aside from the two weeks my block course met, so there was a lot of free time to allocate towards exploring the city and the rest of Europe. The grading systems seemed fair, and the courses were not too difficult. The professors were more interactive than the professors at UF, and group work was more common, which I enjoyed. All three of my professors were very kind and seemed to genuinely care about the students, which was refreshing coming from the UF lecture hall courses with 600 people.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Aside from registering for courses, there was very little interaction with the school's administration.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The school provides exchange students access to the OEAD student housing services, which help you find a dorm to live in. I know some students chose to live in apartments, but the overwhelming majority of exchange students I knew lived in an OEAD dorm. I lived in Haus Erasmus, which I absolutely loved. The only downside was that it was mainly English-speaking students (Americans, Canadians, Irish, English, and Australians) and Turkish students. The benefit of this was that there was a strong sense of community within the dorm and it was very easy to settle in. The rooms were generally 2-person rooms with 1 bathroom in your room. They were actually quite nice, spacious, and the beds were comfortable. There is also a lot of storage space. It was in an amazing location, just off the U6. The main shopping street, Mariahilfer Strasse, was walking distance, and the Billa grocery store was a 2-minute walk around the corner. I always felt safe. I brought sheets with me from home, but you have to buy a duvet cover when you arrive there or else the maids will yell as you in German. (The maids clean your room once a week, which is quite annoying when you are trying to sleep). You can buy all you need for your dorm room at XXX Lutz, which is also walking distance. There is a shared kitchen area on every floor, which I loved because we all hung out at night and cooked together. The laundry situation is annoying as there are 4 of each machine for the entire building, and usually there is at least one out of order. There is also a simple gym and study area.

* Food:

I loved the food in Vienna, and found that I could find most food items at the local Billa. However if you want something more specific, you need to go to Merkur in the Lugnor city mall (walking distance), which has a much broader selection of items. I still never found real lemonade though... Also, I found that pub food tended to be among the cheaper meals, aside from the fast food stands.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The WU Buddynetwork plans several trips throughout the semester. They are fun and I did learn about other cultures, but they are largely centered around consuming alcohol, which wasn't my main purpose in traveling. The Krakow trip was affordable and nice to have arranged for us, but in the end, I wished that I had planned and went myself. The Buddynetwork team members were still wasted and drinking the morning after as we toured the salt mines. The events I went to were the night sledding, Venice Carnival, and Krakow trips. I enjoyed all three overall. The night sledding was terrifying at first because the Buddynetwork leaders failed to teach us how to sled. Once we learned how to turn and control our speed, it was a lot of fun. I wish I had gone skiing. The Venice Carnival trip was the most fitting Buddynetwork trip, since it is a party event afterall. In Vienna itself there are many cultural events and activities to take part in. Every Saturday is the big Naschmarkt, a farmers market/flea market. It is a great way to interact with local Vienese people and try new foods. There are also several festivals that occur in the spring, and in the winter the Wiener Rathausplatz has an amazing ice skating rink that is a MUST. Also, the Opera and ballet are another must see in Vienna. I also saw a Vienna city soccer match, had frequent picnics in Stadtpark and Donauinsel, visited several Heurigers, and toured countless museums within the city.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Vienna is a big city, and with every big city there are some strange people. However, I felt safer walking around Vienna at night than I do back home in Gainesville. I never had anything stolen and was never stalked. However, I am a cautious person. My roommate was stalked twice, because she smiles at strangers, and even gave her phone number to random people. Don't do that, and you will be fine. I did get very sick twice in Vienna. There are English speaking doctors, but it is somewhat difficult to see them immediately. Also, almost everything is closed on Sundays. (However, I did find that the "Golden Rose" Apotheke on Mariahilfer is open on Sundays though a window service). The first doctor I went to see ended up being a Chinese medicine specialist, who informed me I was in the wrong place. Once I found a doctor, they were helpful and I eventually got the right medicine from the Apotheke.

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)

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?

Practice your German everyday. It is easy to get by with English, so you really have to challenge yourself to try to speak it. If I could do it over again, I would have taken the accelerated German course offered by the OK Program in the first 3 weeks before class starts. That way, I could have taken a more advanced beginner course to challenge myself further.

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? Exchange

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
  • Local Students
  • Americans

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Variety of courses offered
  • Ease of travel
  • Livability and culture of the city
* What could be improved?
  • More immersion in German language
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I believe that I chose the best exchange program UF has to offer. While I was abroad, I traveled to 15 countries, countless cities, but not one made me sad to return to Vienna. It is the most livable city in the world for a reason. Every inch of the city offers some amazing detail to see, the people are fascinating, and the culture is vibrant and sophisticated. It's the perfect blend of modern and old. If you are looking for a beautiful city with great transportation, cultural activities, nightlife, amazing cuisine, interesting and unique (but not too challenging) courses, and the time of your life, Vienna is the city for you. It is also in the very heart of Europe, and is an excellent gateway to both Western and Eastern European destinations. For this, Ryanair and Eurolines buses are your best friends. Pack light, and remember, "not all those who wander are lost," -JRR Tolkien. In fact, you just might find yourself. I know I did.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Consumer Behavior in International Tourism

Course Department: Marketing (0513)
Instructor: Martin Lohmann
Instruction Language: English
Comments: I found this course to be very interesting. At UF, I had only taken general Marketing courses, but want to go into the tourism marketing field, so this course was right up my alley. It was a block course, which means that it met nearly all day for four days. This particular course met two days towards the beginning of the semester and two days at the end of the semester. In the time between the two courses, we were to be working on a research paper. I was nervous about this course at first, thinking, "How can I learn a whole semester's worth of information in four days?!" Luckily, it was not difficult, especially since I found the topics to be quite interesting. It deals a lot with Tourism Psychology, so there is a bit of science behind it. I found that the hardest part of the course was choosing the topic for the paper! The assignment was simply to write a research paper on a tourist segment involving some aspect of consumer behavior. Eventually, I chose to write mine on "The Satisfaction of Japanese tourists in Hawaii." I had fun with the paper, and thoroughly enjoyed the course. I still use a lot of what I learned in this course in my current courses at UF, including my consumer behavior and tourism courses.
Credit Transfer Issues: No
Course Name/Rating:

International Marketing Management II: International Marketing A

Course Department: Marketing (1978)
Instructor: Barbara Stöttinger
Instruction Language: English
Comments: I loved this course! The teacher was very dynamic and used many interesting examples to illustrate the topics. I participated in class discussions often, and there was a decent amount of group work. It was not difficult, but I learned a lot. My favorite part was the group project. I got to work in a group of all local WU students, who were all very sweet and fun to work with. The group assignment was to create a marketing strategy for a product to enter a new market outside of their home country. We decided to combine our cultures and introduce Pinkberry frozen yogurt into the Vienna market. It was a very practical project that involved a decent amount of work, but I enjoyed meeting with my group members. Overall, it was a great class.
Credit Transfer Issues: No, it counted for my upper division marketing elective.
Course Name/Rating:

Business German 1A

Course Department: Business German Language (0242)
Instructor: Hannelore Scattolin
Instruction Language: English/German
Comments: This course was very unique. Living in Vienna, I wanted to try my best to learn some German. I did learn some German in this course, but not enough to hold a real conversation without notes. I could introduce myself in German, order from a menu, buy shoes, etc. I think the main challenge of the course was that it only met for 3 hours, once a week. So 6 days out of 7 I was left to my own devices having to self-motivate myself to practice my German in a city where most people speak decent English. So basically, this course was as helpful as you make it, and many students got by without really learning anything. I tried harder than most, and did find it interesting and helpful. Probably the most appealing part of the lecture, was the quirkiness of the professor. She was a small, older Austrian woman who had the energy of someone much younger. She very often made jokes about our love for Bier and Diskos, which kept the three hour block entertaining. She also took us to a Heuriger after class one day, which ended being a one hour excursion, including three methods of transportation and a long walk through the outskirts of the city. It was totally worth it though, as our 40-person class filled the inside of this local family-owned restaurant/winery. We practiced our German as we ordered local cuisine, and drank different wine and spritzers with our professor. It was a VERY different experience from anything I've ever witnessed at UF, and we all thoroughly enjoyed it.
Credit Transfer Issues: No