IES Abroad Vienna

Located on the Danube, Vienna, Austria is in the center of Europe and is a hub of immense culture with a huge emphasis on the arts. This city is rich with different cultures and through the architecture and different parts of the city, one can see all of these cultures come together. It is the only capital city in Europe that makes wine. Traveling throughout the country and Europe is extremely easy to manage because of its central location.

From the moment I stepped off of the plane, IES Abroad staff members were there to greet me and take the rest of the students to orientation. They answered any possible questions we had and made sure we knew as much about the city as possible before we lived in it. They immerse you in the Austrian culture by first taking you to the countryside outside of Vienna. We were well informed about the public transportation, how to get to school, the culture that we would face, and how to live in this brand new city. The staff is this helpful for the entire semester and it is wonderful. The staff also organized 4 different field trips including a Germany trip, a ski trip (in the Austrian Alps!, and 2 trips around Austria).

There are a variety of classes from music, psychology, business, art, and, of course, German. The instructors know that traveling is a priority for students. They make an effort to immerse you in the Vienna culture while learning by going on field trips. There are also internship opportunities that can further immerse you in Vienna culture and help you connect with locals. The teachers are from a variety of backgrounds. Some are alumni of the program which is always a great connection to have. The academics are not too rigorous. You learn, but you have a lot of fun while doing it.

The IES staff will help anyone that encounters culture shock and makes it a requirement at the beginning, middle, and end, to discuss each phase of culture shock we would be facing. The city is extremely clean and safe. The housing that IES provides is fantastic. There are homestays and apartments. Most people stay in apartments with other IES students and are scattered throughout the city. I loved that my friends were all in different locations. I could explore the city while going to everyone's house. Vienna has multiple districts and each one is unique and has it's own history.

If you are looking for a culturally rich city that is easy to navigate and become accustomed to, then this is the right program for you. Even if you are not too into classical music or opera, you can still appreciate the lifestyle that these people lead. You will want to travel and discover more of Europe, but you will also want to stay for a lot of weekends to discover Vienna. There are lots of parks and fun places to go to for night life or museums and things to explore during the day.

Any difficulties I may have encountered I overcame during my stay. They were mostly related to the culture being different and that is something that everyone can relate to while traveling. I would recommend this program to anyone that asked. I made wonderful memories.

My semester in Vienna was nothing short of amazing. I fell in love with the city and the Austrian countryside will never stop calling my name. I was able to travel (inexpensively and efficiently) to incredible places surrounding Vienna on any given weekend. Events in the city, museums, operas, concerts, and shows are constantly going on and the talent is above and beyond anything I had ever seen or heard. I lived in wonderful apartment (clean, safe, 30 min. commute into the heart of the city, nicely furnished) with four other students. I went to class every day in the center of the city and spent most weekends traveling to the countryside or other countries and exploring the city. I learned a lot from my professors and really enjoyed my classes. They were thought-provoking and challenging but not too rigorous so that I had time to have fun and relax. The staff at IES Vienna are amazing and were so friendly, helpful, and supportive. Not knowing any German before leaving the country and moving to Vienna was scary but I did just fine and IES prepared me pretty well to be able to converse with the natives. I would have liked to make native friends and be a little more immersed in the culture.

This study abroad program had everything you could think of to make a great study abroad experience. The staff makes adjusting to a new city easy and fun, starting from the orientation weekend and settling into our housing. the housing is great, a lot of the apartments are near the city center, and close to other student apartments. Throughout the year IES hosts several different trips for students, and throughout both semester I went on each of them. The three city trips were inexpensive and a great money savor. I got to see a lot of different areas of Austria I would not have seen otherwise. The ski and snowboard trip was my favorite because of the deal we got on rentals, and the fact that there was always someone to ski whether you were just learning or experienced.

The best part of the program was the range of academics they offered, since you could take classes at both the IES center and the University of Vienna. The teachers at IES are great because they really try to get you out of the classroom and explore the city. For example in my art history classes we spent most of the time in different museums, and even got free museum passes from them.

Overall Vienna is an amazing city to live in, since there is always something to do, places to explore, and events the city is planning. IES is very good about informing students on the different events being thrown around the city. The public transportation is easy to understand and learn, and efficient. Plus students can feel comfortable about safety, not once did I feel scared to use public transportation at night.

This program was AMAYIGN! The IES Abroad staf made studying abroad such a great experience, and they were a huge help when it came to any needs that arose. The living arrangements are clean and very nice. The academics are challenging but not life consuming wich left me with lots of free to to enjoy the culture and travel. There are a large aray of courses offered, and IES even offers courses in German. If you have the time to stay an extra month, IES will help you enroll and take courses directly at the University of Vienna for no extra cost! Because Vienna is such a melting pot, getting to now the locals and area was great! I even joind a cheerleading squad and made some life-long friendships. Oh, and if you are interested in history, go to Vienna! They have countless museums and historical sites. The city is beautiful, the locals are awesome, the culture is diverse and fun, and the IES makes study abroad an adventure! Go to Vienna!!!

Vienna was an absolutely beautiful cosmopolitan city. I had the most fun exploring hidden streets, cafes, or local hideaways revealed by the staff at IES. The academic classes were not that difficult, but I went to art museums, birthplaces of composers such as Beethoven, and attend operas and other music events, and they provided me the tangible evidence of history. I wish I could have immersed myself in the language more and taken advantage of the language buddy program, because they pair you up with an Austrian student and you get a chance to have a local critique your German, not to mention an Austrian friend. Being away from home for six months was challenging, but the chance to explore a city that deeply was one I never would trade.

Vienna is literally all I could have asked for in a city in term of studying abroad. There is always something happening (concerts, operas, musicals, plays, festivals, parties, and so much more), it is an incredibly safe city, it is clean and green, surrounded by alpine mountains, full of life, and so so amazingly easy to get around in. Not a day has gone by since I have been in Vienna that I haven't found another reason to love this city. And I certainly think that IES Abroad Vienna has a lot to do with this. They provided my the resources and the knowledge necessary to make the most of Vienna. The IES staff are wonderful. Always so helpful, no matter how mundane your question is and just generally excited to show you as much of Vienna as they possibly can. However, I must say that IES can become sort of a bubble. You take all your classes with the same students in the same buildings. If you wanted to, you could easily limit yourself to the easy, comfortable life provided by IES. However, with just a little effort, it is fun and rewarding to step outside this bubble. For an example, I started taking two sports classes with Austrian college students at the Universität Sport Institut Wien (which IES staff helped me do).

One of my goals in this program is to not let a day go by without having done something new or exciting. This can be anything from going to an opera or trying a new restaurant, or going on a new hike. It is incredibly easy to make this happen. Most days it happens without any effort at all! It seems as though tons of amazing opportunities are simply everywhere in this city.

I have been enjoying all of my classes so far. I am a neuroscience major at my home school, so the idea of taking all history, literature, music, and language classes is both foreign and exciting. My professors have all been extremely well qualified and enthusiastic. I truly feels as though they are excited to teach this material and are excited by IES students. The language program has been wonderful. I adore my German class. I truly feel like my German skills have been improving every day and I have been enjoying it. Each class we find ourselves laughing and joking, all in German! It has truly been a great experience thus far.

Years ago when I was selecting my undergrad college, the number two thing I sought was a school that would allow me to study abroad in Vienna. Unlike most students, I had the unique opportunity to tour Europe with my high school choir and of all the places we went (including Venice, Munich and Paris) it was, as the song says: Wien, Wien, nur du allein! The IES program is what my school offered so that is the program I applied to.

Back in those days (I am an '87-88 full year abroad alum) the app process was slow and laborious and communication difficult, but I arrived in Vienna a few days before the start of my program with a basic knowledge of how to ask for directions in German and a desire to see things. Best decision ever! That first day I went all over the city on my own on public transit - 19 and full of confidence. I even hopped the U-Bahn and rode out to Schoenbrunn Palace - a place I would later consider my personal backyard.

By the time the program started, Vienna already felt like home to me. We were taken to Mariazell for orientation and to choose roommates. I had come alone and was an only child, so when no one chose to room with me, I took a single alllll the way out in the 14th district. Probably never would have done it had I not seen the city first. Again, best decision ever! I lived with a family and unlike my program colleagues I was hit gold. Hietzing is the "diplomats district" and is full of ambassadorial residences and wealthy people. My housing was a private flat in the basement of an enormous single family home. I had my own bathroom with shower and was allowed to use the family washing machine whenever I wanted to. Because I lived so far from the school (which is in a former palace) centrally located just off the Kaertnerstrasse I commuted daily by U-Bahn -- which is on the honor system but let me tell you, do NOT think you can get away with no ticket. You will be caught and fined. You had to register at the local police department when you arrived so that they knew who you were and where you lived. IES gave us directions on how to do this, but essentially everyone learned on their own.

Some highlights of my year: I joined the English speaking Catholic church across from the US Embassy and when they heard me singing they made me the regular Sunday cantor! Singing in a peace choir with some expat Brits and Irish at St Stephen's cathedral. Shopping at the Flohmarkt. Making friends with a Kansan who was au pairing with an opera singer and sitting front row at the Musikverein for a charity concert. Austrian Art and Architecture class. The Christkindlemarkt. Easter in the Tatra Mountains. Being followed through the Rathaus by a skinhead telling our study group that the holocaust was a fake. Hearing T'Pau perform live in the middle of the Hofburg courtyard. Commuting daily with hausfraus and their "rat dogs." Picnics on the Donauinsel. Lunch at the Hochschule fur Musik and hearing musicians practice through out open classroom windows. Those little Manner eirbiscotten (not available in the US). Nom-Mix yogurt. Schnitzel at "The Green Gasthaus." The recorded voice of the man on the U-Bahn and Strassenbahn. Stehplatz at the opera. Visiting the Tiergarten at Schoenbrunn. Hiking in the Wienerwald. Study trips to Krems, Melk, Prague, Krakow, Auschwitz, Moscow, Berlin and Budapest were quite amazing. And so much more!

Vienna is an immensely liveable city and to this day I often say it's a great place to live, but I wouldn't want to visit there. Its location at the intersection of east and west gives you so many many options. One piece of advice: don't limit yourself! Travel. Take risks. Explore beyond the city. Immerse yourself in Austria - she will never leave your heart.

Mention Vienna to most Americans and they think Italy. Mention Austria to others and they gush about koalas. These people are missing out on knowledge about one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Studying abroad in Austria was such an amazing experience. I find that everyday, I look back on my experience and smile about one thing or another, whether it is the new language I learned or the amazing people I met, not only from America, but from Austria, Chile, France, Italy, and Germany.

This was my first experience in Europe. Vienna itself is a gorgeous, clean city with easy to navigate public transportation and some amazing museums and buildings. In terms of travelling, Vienna is that wonderful border right between Eastern and Western Europe. Its citizens speak German, but they are pretty fluent with English as well. Crime is low and politeness is high.

In Vienna, I learned more about living on my own, away from my usual support systems but still supported. The important message to take from abroad is not the classes you take, although they can really add to your trip and teach you a lot about the culture, but to learn to survive in and accept a culture that is different from your own. With the resources provided by the program, it is an easy thing to do. I would highly recommend the teaching internships offered, where you go into Austrian schools and learn firsthand about the average life of a person who may not be too much younger than you and come to understand the similarities and differences between your life and theirs.

Ich vermisse Wien!