Comments about the Vienna Program from Past Participants

for more complete comments, please check out the binders in the student lounge, 215b DKH

Useful Advice

"There is so much I wish I would have known before going to Vienna. Go!!! Vienna is gorgeous and it is even better in the spring time. Don't bring sheets or towels, you can buy that there and will probably leave them at the end of the semester. There will be cooking utensils and all that for you there too. Bring good walking shoes and comfortable clothes. Things will go wrong, I promise. They always do so just don't freak out because traveling around Europe is anything but glamorous and you will be very dirty most of the time, but you will LOVE it. You learn to live without a lot of stuff...you really will find that you don't need much at all. I would bring your own shampoo and conditioner because it is terrible there...but I managed and you will too when you run out, but bring your soap and all that too. It will take up space at the beginning but then you won't have it coming home and will make room for stuff you buy. Bring magazines though if you like those, and bring a blanket that you can travel with. Bring a backpack, and a day planner like a calendar thing. Bring snacks like I brought granola bars over and I was glad I had them because you first don't know about grocery stores and stuff and you will be hungry. GO ON SKI WEEK. Skiing in the Alps is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Most of the time I felt like I was in a screen saver - it was so pretty. If you don't know how to ski, don't worry. I didn't either and you have your own private teacher who is SO NICE. Also, strange things happen everydayyyyyy. It is entertaining. I can't tell you enough to go! You miss out on a lot at home, but it is worth it. Please contact me with any questions you have because I would love to talk about it and meet with you!"
-Annie Graham, Spring 07

"I cannot stress enough packing light. I personally fell victim to bringing too much stuff even though I thought I would need every last thing I packed. One suggestion which I completely ignored was to pack everything you think you need, and then take out half. It might sound crazy, but you'll end up coming home with twice as much, so give this strategy a try."
-Amanda Bloden, Spring 07

"There ws so much that I got to know about myself, being on my own, living in a city, the people and lifestyle in europe and making lasting friendships. I know I came back to the USA a little different and with a changed outlook on life in general. This is a feeling that is hard to explain and I urge anyone interested in studying abroad to do so, because only then can you really understand the life lessons discovered there that are impossible to put into words."
-Amanda Bloden, Spring 07

“I had the most amazing experience, and I would not change a thing. Everyone should study abroad. I now realize that it’s important to step out of your comfort zone every once and a while. It helped me learn a lot more about myself than if I had stayed in Champaign for another semester. The experiences I had will never be forgotten. I made many friends, traveled to 9 different European countries, and took classes with other students from all around the world, not just Chicago suburbs. The setup we had in Vienna was ideal. The school-sponsored Buddy Network was fabulous.” – Pamela Cook, Spring 06

"The most valuable thing I learned on the trip was how to adapt to different people and their respective cultures. I would argue that this is the most important thing a student learns while studying abroad, ahead of any course material. This experience is a once-in-a-lifetime opprotunity, and students meet people from all over the world that teach them something new every day. I would say that my study abroad experience in Vienna was one of the best things I've done in my life, and I would do it a million times over again. The experience is extremely valuable in itself, and I would highly recommend it to any student that was even slightly considering studying abroad. It would be foolish to pass up an opportunity like this. I learned things while I was I Vienna that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. In sumary, I would rate the overall expereince a 10 out of 10, and I would want future students to know that they should definitely study abroad if at all possible."
-Alex Munoz, Spring 07

"There was a lot of down time so I would tell students to prepare for that. Bring other materials with you to ready and/or study when you are not in class or going over course material."
-Alex Munoz, Spring 07

"As a student that is only studying in Vienna for one semester, YOU CAN GET A VISA FOR FREE PRIOR TO YOUR DEPARTURE with very little difficulty or documents required. I think it would be VERY beneficial and more efficient if students obtain their visas prior to departure."
-Brittany Oliver, Spring 07

"My experience abroad was definitely one I will remember for the rest of my life because of the place I went to and more importantly, the people I met and the friends I will keep. I would recommend every student to study in Vienna. Future students should travel by flying Ranair and Skyeurope, and taking trains to close places. I would also recommend joining the buddy network and going on their trips because a lot of students go on them and they are cheaper than planning a comparable trip alone. Lastly, the ski week in January was the highlight of my trip. Although I had a ton of great experiences over the semester, starting my journey with a week in the Alps was amazing. I highly recommend participating in the ski week.
-Joseph Urban, Spring 07

"The most valuable thing I learned was to take chances and do things that you normally would not. Everything ends up working out and if it doesn't, then you probably learned a very valuable lesson."
-Kristy Agostino, Spring '07

“My overall experience was an amazing experience. The class schedule allows you to travel and take those once in a lifetime experiences that I always dreamed of.” – Jamal Gorham, Spring 06

“Studying at the WU is amazing. There’s always the first hard week or weekend. When I arrived I knew nothing, nobody and everything seemed closed all the time. But within a week, everything was falling into place and I knew that this was going to be the experience of a lifetime.” – Geoffrey Orland, Spring 05

“The overall study abroad experience was AMAZING!! I traveled every weekend, I loved my friends there and I’m still in contact with many of them. I have a new, richer and fuller experience of the world and the greatness of the country that we live in. A part of me thinks that studying abroad should be mandatory to get a degree in college. It is something that everyone should do, no matter the monetary situation or major requirements. It’s something bigger than school, its experience that will reshape lives and cultivate better personalities through experience and understanding…JUST DO IT!” – Robert Hagenberg, Sp 05

“My overall study abroad experience in Vienna, Austria was absolutely wonderful. Studying abroad was one of the best decisions I have ever made. It was truly a chance of a lifetime. I was able to not only live and learn in a foreign country and city for five months, but I was also able to travel and see so many places that I will probably never get the chance to see again and meet people from so many different countries and cultures. There were definitely some hard times while I was away. Obviously getting used to a different culture takes time, and it is difficult to be away from family and friends for so long but I feel as though the good moments and experiences far surpassed the bad ones.” – Jennifer Pampenella, Spring 04

“I enjoyed pretty much everything about my study abroad experience in Vienna. I felt that living in a country in which you do not speak the language fluently is really a true escape from your own culture. If you are able to expect going into the experience that everything will not be the same as your culture, you will be able to enjoy the experience a great deal more…studying abroad was by far the best college experience and I would recommend it to anyone who like a little change in their life once in a while.” – Greg Marrs, Sp 04

Greatest experiences of my life. I would not change a single part of my trip, simply because the overall experience was great. Vienna is a perfect mix of an Americanized enough city to keep a non-German speaker grounded in his US roots and get the full experience of traveling Europe…Get a three month Eurail Pass and TRAVEL.” – Brad Gnade, Spring 04

Location

"Vienna itself was an awesome location to study abroad because it is centrally located in Europe, so it is good for traveling to other cities. I felt safer in Vienna than I have in downtown Chicago. It offers plenty of day-to-day things to do to keep occupied. I didn't know any German goes abroad, but I've picked some up along the way. Even when I didn't know any, it was easy to get around because practically everyone under 30 could speak English."
-Joseph Urban, Spring 07

"Vienna was a great location if you are looking to study in a city. That was one thing that I really had to get used to, living in a city. It is a gorgeous city and very safe! It is easy to get around and provides a lot to do! It is located centrally in Europe so it is easy to get around to travel to different places. Since it is a city, there are many forms of transportation directly out of the city like bus, train and airplane."
-Annie Graham, Spring 07

"Regarding location, my experience was amazing! Vienna is a great city and there is always something to do. Also, it is very easy to travel to many different places from Vienna, which I saw as a major bonus."
-Alex Munoz, Spring 07

"Although Vienna is centrally located, it was more expensive to travel to western European cities because Vienna is closer to the eastern side."
-Joseph Urban, Spring 07

“The location of Austria was everything that I expected in a central European location. Traveling from country to country was a very easy and it was very accessible to experience different cultures in under a few hours.”

“I think the only thing I could say about the location that was undesirable was the weather. Aside from a month and a half period of extreme heat in April and May the weather typically was rather dreary.” – Jamal Gorham, Spring 06

“In my opinion Vienna is an amazing city, and I could not have asked for a better location. It is centrally located in Europe and close to three airports (Vienna, Zurich, Bratislava). Because of the location I was able to travel very easily to Western, Southern and Eastern Europe and see countries I never thought I would see. Within the city, the university was also very centrally located. It was close to the inner city and to all major public transportation stations.”

“In my opinion, there was nothing bad about the location of Vienna or the location of the University.” – Alyse Probst, Spring 05

“Vienna was a wonderful location. For someone wanting a true European city, I believe it was that. Also, traveling to other cities in the area was relatively easy, especially to go south and east. The public transportation system in Vienna is amazing as well.”

“I really loved Vienna. In February it was a bit cold, and a bit hot in June with no air conditioning. The open hours of shops and stores took awhile to get used to as well. Otherwise it was great.” – Geoffrey Orland, Spring 05

“Vienna was an excellent choice for me. It’s not the most stunning or oldest or trendiest city in Europe, but I really think it is one of the best cities to live in. The city has some wonderful sights. It’s a very green city, with lots of nice public parks. There’s a ton of bars and clubs, many of which are open all night. And the central location is great for planning any trips.”

“There were really no significant drawbacks to Vienna.” – Paul Malina, Spring 05

“The WU offered great locations for students to stay within Vienna. I, along with most U of I students, stayed at Haus Erasmus, located in the seventh district. The location of Vienna was perfect for travel throughout Europe. Vienna is only a few hours away from many Eastern European capitals, and only a night train away from the West. Vienna allowed me to travel to 13 countries while abroad.”

“The most undesirable aspect about Vienna and Europe in general is the price tag. Because of a bad exchange rate, items were considerably more expensive than expected.” – Eric Atkins, Spring 04

“Because Vienna is centrally located in Europe, it was an excellent location to travel out of and use as a base. It’s also a combination between Western and Eastern Europe, and provides the culture of both. Above all, it’s an incredibly beautiful city that offers something for everyone, whether cafes, dance clubs, or incredible operas.”

“Since my study abroad focus was primarily to expand my German speaking abilities, I realized only too late that Austrian German is quite different in dialect and even words from German. Because of this, I would probably choose Germany if I were to do this again.” – Katarzyna Staszel, Fall 04 and Spring 05

“I am very biased because I love the German language and European lifestyle in general, having been born in Europe. I fell in love with Vienna from the minute I stepped out of the airport gate. I couldn’t have imagined spending my year abroad anywhere else. It is breathtaking, and had so much to offer.”

“It is a bit expensive to fly out of Vienna airport. There are not that many flights, but it was easy to and cheap to fly out of Bratislava, seeing as it was only half an hour away.” – Ilina Kuriashkina, Fall 03 and Spring 04

Courses

"The courses were excellent in Vienna. They were interesting and they covered relevant business material. The schedule of the classes is very beneficial to students and their travel plans as well."
-Alex Munoz, Spring 07

"I took all block courses and was honestly in the classroom for 15 days the whole semester. Those days I was in class were very intense. However, I learned more than I thought possible in a class that only lasted 4 days. It was great! Courses can be challenging; it all depends on which ones you take."
-Annie Graham, Spring 07

“I found my courses to not only be academically stimulating but also extremely enjoyable. The faculty at the WU-Wien was extremely well qualified with lots of experience to bring to the classroom. The classes were of moderate difficulty so I never felt overwhelmed or frustrated with the material.”

“The one thing that might be an area for improvement would be a better integration of the business students into the AIEP. Being non-German speakers it was hard for us to participate at times.” – Michael Kirchner, Spring 06

"It was extremely difficult to contact certain professors due to the fact that many are visiting professors to the university."
-Brittany Oliver, Spring 07

"It was hard to choose a credit or grade option for the classes because I've heard some were easy and some were rather difficult. Because it is hard to judge how the class, teacher, and grading system will be, we were encouraged to take the courses for credit/no-credit, but I found the majority of the classes should simply be taken for a grade because they are comparable to courses at UIUC. Also, the program lasts from the end of January to the end of June, while a majority of the classes are seminars lasting shorter than one week. Because of this, I had a lot of free time. While this turned out to be advantageous because it allowed me additional time to travel around the rest of Europe, it was unexpected."
-Joseph Urban, Spring 07

"I enjoyed the courses in Vienna more so than almost any other I've taken. It may have been because they were structured differently, only had 30 or so students enrolled, or because they were just upper level courses. Overall the courses were excellent."
-Joseph Urban, Spring 07

"I could not get into any of the classes I wanted to at first, and when I did end up getting into them they were all at the end of the term. If students could schedule classes at the beginning of the term, they could fulfill all their requirements and be able to come home earlier and be able to get an internship or summer job. Also, the grading scale left only a 96-100 to be an A."
-Kristy Agostino, Spring 07

“The classes I took were generally very good. The professors were very qualified, and the atmosphere was relaxed. There was a moderate amount of reading to remain prepared for class, but assessment usually consisted of a single paper, a single exam, and participation. I would recommend the European Law and Economics to everyone studying there- it really gives you a firm grasp of the workings and current controversies surrounding the European Union. The Post-Keynesian Economics class is excellent as well, if you’re interested in heterodox economics taught by an eccentric but very smart guy. It was also exciting to be in class with students from diverse national backgrounds.”

“The course registration process isn’t as orderly as the one we have here. I think each department opened registration for its classes on different days. The actual schedule of the classes is a bit jumbled, too…by the end of the first couple weeks, you knew what classes you would have for sure, and I didn’t have any problems making a schedule that I enjoyed.” – Paul Molina, Spring 05

“The courses I took there were the most interesting and challenging of the courses I’ve taken at the university. They were all with tons of international students and really made you stretch your mind and think. I loved them.”

“I would say the negatives about the courses were the way we registered. It was on a first-come first-served basis, and while I was able to get into all of the classes I wanted, for a while I thought I wasn’t going to and would be stuck with a semester of nothing.” – Anne Taylor, Spring 04

“More to learning than classes, I attended class 12 times, and I didn’t miss a single class. How does that work? Block classes. Of the four classes I took, I took two for credit and two courses pass/fail. I got a 4.0 with minimal effort. With the exception of one class, I really enjoyed the classes I took. I recommend the Mergers and Acquisitions course if available. The class meets in a law firm right outside of the center of the city. The negotiations management was 3 consecutive days and pretty enjoyable. Financial Statements analysis was 2 or 3 consecutive days and easy. The best part of the block classes comes back to…TRAVEL.”

“I did not enjoy Emerging Markets of Central/Eastern Europe, but I got an A.” – Brad Gnade, Spring 04

Housing

"I would recommend living in Haus Erasmus, mainly because that is where I lived. Haus Panorama is great too. There will be a large number of University kids at both dorms and you will all be in contact with one another and hanging out. It honestly did take me around 40 minutes to commute to Panorama from Erasmus though. Erasmus is more centrally located in the city, but hopping on a metro from Panorama is very easy. Erasmus I always said was like a nicer Six Pack. You get to know everyone very well because you all ive together. Erasmus is more social than Panorama, but again, it is all what you make of it with the people around you. You have a maid that cleans your bathroom, vacuums, and takes out trash every week! Kitchens and things would get very dirty, but you learn to live with it and it really isn't that bad. The street gets kind of loud, and there is no air conditioning, but again, it is nothing to worry about really."
-Annie Graham, Spring 07

“The housing was perhaps the best part of my experience. The international dorm setting was exceptional to integrate myself and the others from U of I with the students from other countries. Our dorm was right on the subway line and about a ten-minute walk from the city center which made it very accessible. And something that is very important to college kids, we had a weekly maid service which kept things fairly clean.”

"I have nothing bad to say about my housing other than there were not enough laundry machines.” – Jamal Gorham, Spring 06

"Haus Erasmus was centrally located with two train stations within a 5-minute walk. It had many floors of study abroad students from around the globe - many of which were English speaking, so it catered to a social environment. Haus Erasmus has many different sized rooms, but no matter which one you get, you pay the same. In comparison with other students' rooms, mine was small and had no carpet."
-Joseph Urban, Spring 07

“I lived in Haus Erasmus and the location was great-right next to the main shopping street as well as near a U-Bahn stop. Haus Erasmsus was the BEST place to stay. I loved it because it was a dorm full of only exchange students, so everyone was in the same position and wanted to make friends.”

“Honestly, I could not have picked out a better living situation for myself. Everything was ideal.” –Pamela Cook, Spring 06

“My apartment in Vienna was in a great location and allowed me to meet people outside of my program. I was able to find my housing through a website, and I am so glad I chose to go that route. My apartment was a five-minute walk from the city center and about a 15-minute subway ride from the university. It was international housing, and I was able to meet so many interesting people.” – Alyse Probst, Spring 05

“I lived in private housing. Where I lived was very nice. It was a mix of students from around the world. The location was great, and I had great roommates. The dorms which I saw looked nice as well, relatively similar to the dorms here.”

“I met no Austrians where I lived. The dorms also seemed relatively dirty, and there was no supervision or rule enforcement there. I think many people also found it difficult to meet local people in the dorms. Also, especially in the warm summer, the rooms got very hot during the day.” – Geoffrey Orland, Spring 05

"I wish I had known to bring towels, hangers, and other simple things that would be hard to find or expensive in Vienna. Also, I wish I had known that I could have brought Illinois sweatshirts and printed t-shirts, because it honestly did not matter what we wore."
-Kristy Agostino, Spring 07

“I lived in Haus Panorama. It was a good time. The rooms were a good size, my roommates were great, and the atmosphere was good. I have so many memories of eating in the kitchen with all of my friends. Good times.”

“Haus Panorama was dirty at times, but that was because there was a student bar in the lobby. There were scores of people living in the building, and it didn’t give me the family-feel that Erasmus did. Erasmus, to me, was clearly a better choice.” – Robert Hagenberg, Spring 05

“I lived in Haus Panorama. I absolutely loved it and recommend it to anyone! Most people from Illinois lived in Erasmus, which is in a better location and houses mostly Americans; however, to get a truly international experience and a better room, Haus Panorama is the way to go.”

“The laundry room in Panorama can get you in trouble.” – Robert Greskowiak, Spring 04

“I lived in a massive complex in the southeastern part of the city called Gasometer; it was everything I could have wanted out of student housing. It was very convenient with a grocery store, bank, drug store, bakery, and lots of other shops and services accessible without going outside. Also, it was very close to the city center, and had its own subway stop.”

“The only downfall is that it was 20-minutes away from the university. Also, the exchange students were grouped together, so it was a hard time getting to know the Austrians in the building at first. But it was fine after we started going to the dorm bar.” – Ilina Kuriashkina, Fall 03 and Spring 04

Costs

"I spent about 25 euro per week on food."
-Kristy Agostino, Spring '07

"I spent about 100 euro on textbooks/materials/"
-Kristy Agostino, Spring '07

"As a rough estimate, I would say I spent about 30-40 euros ($40-60) per week on food. I must say that I probably spent less than other students though, so I might have one of the smaller estimates. I did spend a lot on textbooks. In total (including copies and course materials), I would say I spent about 50 euro ($70) for the entire semester."
-Alex Munoz, Spring 07

"On average, I would eat out at a restaurant about twice a week for dinner, and then buy cheap food from the grocery store at the corner for other meals. Overall, I would guess about $80 a week.Most classes didn't use textbooks; instead they used packets and case studies. I probably spent $100 on course materials in total."
-Joseph Urban, Spring 07

"Textbooks were a lot cheaper in Vienna than they are here at U of I. Some of my classes did not require a book, and others just had course manuals or copyright fees. I took 5 courses and spent about 100 euros on printed course material."
-Amanda Bloden, Spring 07

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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