IES Abroad Vienna

The walk from my apartment to the IES center is something that I miss often. I got the opportunity to walk past the Naschmarkt, an outdoor market, which was usually bustling with vendors selling row upon row of fresh fruit and candies. Imagine getting the opportunity to walk past the famous Staatsoper every morning on the way to class. Right past the opera house is Hotel Sacher, where the world-renowned Sachertorte was created and continues to delight lines of curious tourists and locals alike. The IES center is right in this central location and is an old palace converted into private apartments and teaching facilities. Imagine studying in a room with a stunning crystal chandelier and a hand-painted ceiling! That’s just a fraction of what you get to do in Vienna.
I got to stay with five other girls in an old, but gorgeous apartment built in the 1800s. The apartment had huge glass windows overlooking a residential street filled with beautifully architected buildings. I was a three-minute walk from the grocery store, the U-bahn (subway system), and a small bakery with pastries unlike anything you can find in America. Luckily, the IES staff explained the grocery-buying process to us on the first day as well as the U-bahn, taxi, emergency, and safety processes in the city. They provided us with emergency phone numbers of the city and even their personal contact information in case of an emergency. It is obvious that the staff loves Vienna and wants each student to love it as well.
The classes focused on German language and psychology. My German professor was a native of Austria, so her true Austrian way of speaking as well as her personal advice made the class a once-in-a-lifetime experience. My psychology professor was a sweet Viennese woman who was able to give us anecdotes from her own career as a psychologist. The classes were valuable, but I have to admit that the weekends were best for me. Over the course of five weeks, I got to travel to Hungary (Budapest), the Czech Republic (Prague), Poland (Krakow), Slovakia (Bratislava), and Salzburg, Austria. These places were all just a train ride away for no more than about fifty Euros. Being able to travel to a different country every weekend is something that I will always remember fondly.
I truly made the best memories on my IES trip. The program is in Vienna, but the experience can take you all over Europe, including on IES-organized trips to Budapest and Semmering, Austria. Even now that I am home, I continue to benefit from the program as I have made the most genuine friends from this experience. What else can bond a group of people like getting lost at a castle in Budapest? I have yet to find out.

As someone studying music, there is no place more prominent in the history of music than Vienna, Austria. As a student, I had the opportunity to listen to the music of Mozart, Beethoven, and Strauss in the city where it was composed. I also reached out and studied with members of the Vienna Philharmonic and performed in local orchestras. The opportunities are endless and there are tons of things that would spark anyone's interest in this magnificent city- hiking, art museums, fine cuisine, architecture, and of course, fine music which makes for the most wonderful culture that I have ever experienced. It is an extremely safe city and the IES center is located in the heart of the historic first district. Learning German and finding out how to get around are not only a part of the program, but these are skills that you will pick up regardless. The faculty is wonderful and you literally get to study in a palace. If anyone asked, I would tell them without a doubt to DO IT! Get on the plane and have the greatest adventure of your life. You will grow more than you could ever dream to!

Academic:
The classes are not demanding allowing students to travel often or go out and explore the city. Classes did not take up all of my time with homework or frequent exams/papers, so there was always still more than enough time to explore the city and beyond. I appreciated that many of my classes made an effort to take us on field trips around the city to make real world connections relevant to the course. Each class works to intertwine the history and culture of Vienna and Austria into the subject matter and we often compared our own cultures to Austrian culture. There is a library, computer lab, and printers on site that students are able to use.

Staff:
The staff was always available for us and willing to offer cafe suggestions, travel tips, local advice, etc.

Living:
The location of my apartment was incredible! I was placed in the 6th district central to the U4 line (main subway line), the Naschmarkt (outdoor market), Mariahilferstrasse (main shopping area), and so much more. The location is extremely important when you study abroad because I was always able to drop my stuff off after class and continue my day walking around the city. My apartment houses six of us- a single room for our Viennese RA, a double room, and a triple room.

There were options of living in large houses with spacious accommodations in the suburbs. However, the commute was extremely long and many of those students weren't able to participate in many social events after classes because their commute could be over an hour and a half.

Food:
Austrian cuisine is extremely heavy and meaty. However, there are many options for other types of food. There was a wonderful sushi restaurant next to my apartment I would go to often with friends. The cafe culture is integral to Austrian history, so that is where you'll find great coffee and Apfelstrudels. Many people cooked for themselves and brought lunch to the IES Center because Vienna is pretty expensive.

Social Integration:
I lived with an Viennese RA, I had a language buddy, and I attended many local events. However, I still did not feel integrated with the locals. IES classes are strictly with American students in the IES center away from the University. There is an opportunity to take sports classes through the University and also classes in the University, but they are taught in German.

Culturally, I felt that I sought spots in the city and events only locals would go to and I was able to find some pretty unique spots/events by googling and asking the staff and my RA.

Health:
I was sick twice during the program and I was able to easily access medicine in the pharmacy.

Safety:
Vienna is absolutely one of the safest cities I have ever been to. There was honestly never a moment I felt unsafe or scared to be alone.

School Preparedness:
My home university prepared me with meetings with my study abroad advisor and a larger meeting with everyone going abroad in the spring that included any and all topics that would be relevant to being abroad.

Budgeting:
Vienna is a very expensive city and it's hard to live on a student's budget.
Money was mainly a concern towards the beginning of the program because I constantly wanted to explore new cafes and museums with friends. After about a month of constant spending, I began cooking my own meals and taking lunch to the IES center and budgeting my expenses. I made a list of priorities that I was comfortable spending money on and lessening how often I ate out at cafes.
At the beginning of your program, begin listing what you spend your money on and noticing what you should expect to spend more on and what you should expect to spend less on.

Language:
We were required to take German class three times a week for about an hour and a half each class. We had activities where we were required to go out into the Naschmarkt and use German to order our groceries. The class had an oral, reading, and writing focus. We had a test every two weeks and a quiz almost every class. My German teacher was very kind and willing to help us truly learn the language.

Everyday really does go by so quickly so make the best of everyday. Go out and explore a new street or cafe every single day. In the long run you'll be glad you made the most of your time abroad.

IES Vienna was a life changing experience. Not only did I get discover Vienna and it’s surrounding countries, but I also got to learn a lot about myself. I acquired a broader perspective of life, discover new passions, and found a new place to call home. I returned back from Vienna a more confident, secure, and well rounded person than when I left, and I only have study abroad to thank for that.

I chose my study abroad program based on the classes I needed to take to graduate on time. Though my original reasons for coming to Vienna were academic in nature, the program and the city itself made the experience truly fantastic.

The IES Vienna program provides many opportunities to experience the local culture and meet the local people, and the staff is filed with friendly people who are always happy to recommend new places to go. As residents of Vienna, the IES students are able to register in the Sports University, which offers almost any sport you can imagine with local students. Students are also encouraged to sign up for language buddies. This allows us to break out of the"American Bubble" American students at a program like this might find themselves in. Of course, you are still required to attend classes, but these are not overwhelmingly difficult. The professors tend to be passionate about their respective subjects, and many classes offer regular field trips to explore the city. Each class works to intertwine the history and culture of Vienna and Austria into the subject matter.

It did not take me long to fall in love with Vienna. Though a decently large city, constant community events make her feel like a much smaller town. At any given moment there could be a festival in front of the Rathaus, a market in front of Schönbrunn, or even a ball in the Hofberg. The city is a center for culture and history, but also has plenty of choice regarding bars and nightlife, combining the old with the new. The city is full of interesting museums, but you don't need to enter one to fully experience the history of the city: all the buildings speak of the influence of the Habsburg empire. Friends meet up to lounge in one of the many parks, or drink coffee in one of the many coffee houses. Since the city is located in the middle of the Vienna Woods, it's easy to leave the city to hike or enjoy the view from on top of Kahlenberg.

Vienna is ideally located in the center of Europe, making it a perfect home base for visiting the surrounding countries.

I never expected to love Vienna as much as I did, but it's hard not to fall in love with this beautiful city. Spending a semester there was a great choice, and one I'd happily make again!

From what I have been told, compared to IES's other sites, IES Vienna is a bit more resourceful in transitioning students into the respective culture. Yet, I never felt like my hand was being held. What IES Vienna does well is provide resources and opportunities for students to experience the culture first-hand, while also giving space for students to explore the city and discover the culture for themselves. The field trips they hosted were fantastic, the staff is friendly and extremely helpful, and the location is perfect (in the middle of the city). Vienna is a wonderful city and though it may not be considered one's first choice, it's a perfect place for someone like me, a music and psychology double major, to deepen my knowledge in both areas. Every class I took with IES was extremely informative and challenging enough where I still remember what I learned to this day. Yet, the work was just enough where I could still travel every weekend and not have schoolwork be in the forefront of my thoughts. Since Austria is in the center of Europe, I was able to go to so many new countries, even ones that I didn't expect to go to.

Overall, IES Vienna is an amazing program in an amazing city in the center of an amazing continent. As the philosophical Shia LeBeouf would say, "DO IT!"

My time in Vienna did a lot of good for me. I'd like to first talk about the IES staff. The group was rather silly at times, but they do their jobs extremely well and gave me some great advice over the course of the semester. The housing was pretty nice and provided for my needs. Everything in Vienna is easy to get to, so that's awesome. As for Vienna, it's still the imperial city, and there's nowhere in Europe or possibly the world that does it better. The grandiose architecture is beautiful, the giant palaces are breathtaking, and there are enough museums to keep even a giant history nerd like me satisfied. Not to mention that cities like Bratislava, Salzburg, Budapest, Prague, and Munich are an easy train ride away. Being in so many foreign environments really gave me an opportunity to learn about myself, who I truly am and what I care about, and that's the most important thing I'll take away from this (along with several kilograms of souvenirs).

I decided to do the IES Music program in Vienna because it gave me a chance to study German, music, and political science together. IES in Vienna is a wonderful program for musicians and non-musicians alike, but I think musicians have an even better appreciation for a city so immersed in music. The city of Vienna is absolutely beautiful and just drenched in musical history. I spent many evenings standing in the golden Musikverein listening to world-class orchestras play the music of some of the most famous composers in the world. As for the program itself, I made lifelong friends and got to know tons of talented, smart, passionate people all while exploring a city and country that are too often overlooked in favor of Paris/London/Berlin/Rome. The education, both music and otherwise, is really high quality, and the staff of the program are incredible. I can't recommend IES Vienna enough.