Comments about the Vienna Program from Past Participants

for more complete comments, please check out the binders in 1055 BIF

Useful Advice

"One of the most important things I learned during my semester is to do what YOU want to do.  There won't be a single person who wants the exact same thing you want from your study abroad experience.  Do what you want and see what you want to see because this is no one's time but yours.  There will be days where you'll want to travel with your friends and there will be other days when you'll want to see things by yourself, whether that'd be around Vienna or in a different city.  I promise you'll be surprised at your capabilities.  In the rush of things, don't forget to take it all in and reflect on what an incredible experience it is.The most important thing about studying abroad is not STUDYING abroad but BEING abroad. Anyone who is on the fence about studying abroad should put their hesitation aside and go for it. Before I left, I too, like most people had doubts and fears about what 5 months in a different country would bring. What I found out is that the world is only as scary as you make it out to be. It is truly amazing to see how other cultures function, and you cannot get that if you always stick with what you know. Don’t settle for what only makes you satisfied...GET OUT THERE!!! " - Anne Hoang, Spring 09

"It is an experience that I will never forget and never regret.  If you have the opportunity to study abroad you should definitely take it because there may never be another time in your life when you can live in another country and travel as much as you will again in your life.  I was able to travel to 15 countries and 42 cities, including going to Morocco and sleeping in the desert for 3 days.   I have been able to immerse myself in another cultural and really learn about the customs and way of life in Europe.  I already wish I was back there and I have only been home for 3 weeks. From a one to ten, I give it a 100. I went into the experience expecting a lot, and I was not disappointed. Don’t worry about missing things back in Champaign because this is truly a once in a lifetime experience. And lastly, take advantage of your time abroad. Don’t waste a minute of time, make friends, travel, and have fun. " - Cassidy Buss, Spring 09

"Bring a travel backpack for sure. You’ll be happy to not have to roll a bag and they’re better than just a regular backpack. If you can get with a credit card from a local bank that doesn’t have charges for everything, that’s always an added plus. I learned that every city has a great amount of history that you can learn about. Free tours are the best and no city isn’t worth it. If you have time to stay in a capitol city of a country, make sure to take a day trip to an outside city. That’s where you get a whole different feel for the culture. I loved loved loved taking trips to towns and villages from Vienna.Be sure to see all of Vienna too! I made sure that each day I didn’t have class and was in Vienna, I would accomplish something. Sometimes I would just ride the trams with my friends and see where I ended up, other times I would walk into the center (Stephansplatz), or go to a museum or cultural restaurant (or heuriger). Day trips around the country are easy too, just ask Professor Murray or one of us. It’s easy to go somewhere for the day and see something completely different. Just soak it up and make sure you embrace the experience as a whole! " - Felicia Braude, Spring 09

"Get to know everyone. Start and engage in meaningful conversations. Challenge and disuss stereotypes. Put yourself in challenging situations. If you have the financial means, travel – it’s well worth the investment. Travel with different groups of people. Meet as many locals as you can while you travel. Try contacting the other UIUC student studying abroad in other cities you want to visit either to stay with or show you around. Make an effort to get to know the Austrian culture and way of life – it can be pretty hard otherwise. Take classes you otherwise can’t at U of I. Try foods you don’t cant at home. Try the delicious cafes, bakeries, and chocolates, but don’t give in all the time to those temptations! Don’t forget to eat healthy. Show visitors around the city – that’s how I got to be so familiar with Vienna! Walk around the city. Wander and explore the areas that aren’t starred on the map. Explore all the places and seek activities that you cannot anywhere else. Get to know your roommate. Maintain in touch with your friends and make time for them while you are there – you’ll have a certain group that will become your world and define much of your experience there. Get involved in school activities while you are abroad – it’ll give you a new perspective on the student life there and a great way to meet more people. Take care of not only yourself, but others too. Take pictures to capture both your favorite experiences and the everyday – so much happens in a month, a week, a day that I would have forgotten them if it weren’t for the pictures I took! Take your own initiative. Make everyday an opportunity to do something new or something that scares you, or both! The time is now.  Live up and soak in every minute – this is once in a lifetime." - Cynthia Wong, Spring 09

"My experience was amazing. I would want future students to know that it is not as much as a risk as they probably think it is. You have a great support network wherever you go and you will have a good time if you allow yourself to." - Dan Sammarco, Spring 08

"There were a lot of things I didn’t think of doing that would have been beneficial to bring.  I can just list these, but an internet cord, sheets (depending on how much you pack), at least one towel (once again, depending on how much you pack), and pictures or something to decorate your room in Vienna—I ended up collecting postcards and hung them up on the wall, which was actually really cool in the end.  I wish I would have learned a little bit of German and knew more about the city before I went.  It would have been good if I knew a little more about how to get around in the beginning, but you pick it up really quickly because the system is so user-friendly.  I would definitely recommend getting a guide book on Vienna (make sure it’s really good) so you can go to all the best places when you first arrive.  When you go traveling, it is good to have mini bottles and such for shampoo, body wash, etc. so you don’t have to bring all your big containers.  Also, I wish I would have brought a travel backpack for when we were traveling around—it was a pain to have a duffel to carry.  Also, in Europe in general, they do not wear sweatpants or hoodies or t-shirts just about ever.  I brought 4 sweatshirts with me, but ended up sending them all back with my family because you would get interesting looks and stick out like a sore thumb when you wear 'American attire'.  Also, I tried to not wear gym shoes or the Birkenstock clogs ever because people, once again, look at you funny.  If I would have known this all before, I wouldn't have have even brought most of that stuff but would have gone shopping for more “Euro” clothing.  People are very fashionable and expect everyone to dress up all the time, so it would be beneficial to pack accordingly.  Finally, just about everything in Austria is closed after 5 or 6 and on Sundays (except clubs and restaurants).  Being American and having everything readily available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, it was harder to adjust to, but that is totally normal for them, and you get used to it and adjust accordingly.  In addition, they don’t use credit cards as often as we do, in fact, you can’t use an American credit card at most places, but you can get a European bank account and get a quick card (debit) or just pay for most things in cash." - Brittany D'Arcy, Spring 08

"I loved studying abroad in Vienna, because of the central location, the fantastic culture, and the general splendor of the city.  Vienna is a historical beautiful city rich in culture being a center for classical music, operas, and more.  I loved the opportunity to learn some day-to-day German and use it to get around the city easily and had always wanted to learn some German so I could talk to my grandfather and mother in German (they are both fluent).  I loved the beautiful and cleanliness of Vienna, the amazing transportation system, and how you can get just about anywhere with your Vienna City Transportation Card.  Honestly, after traveling around Europe and seeing all the different cities, I decided that Vienna was my favorite city in all of Europe.  Vienna is a very safe city, I never really felt endangered walking by myself at night or being alone on the transportation system.  I never heard of any of my friends getting mugged or assaulted in Vienna, but I heard many stories in other parts of Europe.  Also, what was really awesome about Vienna is that it is not the most touristy city in Vienna and there aren’t any of the illegal purse vendors that run with their loot at the sight of cops or people selling shoddy souvenirs on the street (there are souvenir shops, but they are established).  I liked being able to live in a city where tourists overtook the city and found myself able to embrace the full experience of living abroad.  When I first arrived, I went to the first district and immediately fell in love.  I think it is so important for anyone studying abroad to get settled and when they are done with that, explore and get into the center of the city.  You just see where the history is when you see the Hofburg and Museums Quartier.  I honestly cannot stress how much I love that city, I just wish I could go back!!" - Brittany D'Arcy, Spring 08

"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

Location

"Vienna was the best location to study abroad.  It is located in central Europe, so if one of your goals while studying abroad is to travel around Europe Vienna is definitely a good choice.  It is easy to travel by train as well as cheap flights.  Although discount airlines like Ryan air and easy jet fly out of Bratislava, Bratislava is only an hour and a half away and then bus is 10 euro.  You can also even take a boat or bus to Budapest or Bratislava.  Besides traveling Vienna is a city of culture and never ending activities.  Even after living here for a semester there are still so many museums, operas, ballets, heurigers (wine houses), cafes, and pubs that I will not be able to go to.  The Austrian people are all very friendly and willing to help you if you have a problem.  Also, I did not know any German before coming here and I have not had a problem communicating with people because most of them speak English as well.  Additionally the public transportation in Vienna is one of the best systems I have seen in Europe, and this semester I traveled to 14 countries in Europe.  Also if you like doing outdoor activities such as hiking or biking, you can travel less than an hour and be in the foothills of the alps and go hiking or biking.  Also, Professor Murray is here and is always willing to help you with anything you need, whether it be help with classes, good places to go eat, places you need to see in Austria, or just to give you advice and knowledge about Europe.  I know I felt it comforting to know I had someone to turn to if I had a problem here in Europe.  Vienna was also voted the number one city for the quality of living for the Mercer 2009 survey (http://www.mercer.com/qualityofliving), so that says something as well for how amazing the city is." - Cassidy Buss, Spring 09     

"Vienna was an amazing location. Perfectly located near Eastern and Western Europe. It’s great to travel to a city where other students don’t think to go. It’s not your average Spain, Italy, London, or France, but it has its own culture and people. You can travel to Italy by train for as cheap as 29 euros ($40). Also, I took cheap train/bus to or from Prague, Budapest, Switzerland, Berlin, Munich, Salzburg, Venice, Rome, Florence, and other places in Vienna. It was great and convenient and didn’t require much planning." - Felicia Braude, Spring 09

"The city is gorgeous, from the churches to the palaces to the parks to even just the everyday stroll to get groceries! Vienna is really a European beauty, and there are so many activities to do across the city during all times of your semester, without spending any or much money! Transportation around the city is sooo convenient at all hours of the day that I barely ever had to take a taxi. The location of Vienna is so central that it makes it easy to travel all around Europe as there really are places to visit for people of all interests.  Plenty of plane and bus options to take from Vienna too!" - Cynthia Wong, Spring 09

"Austria is in a prime location, as it lies right in the center of Europe. Most European and north African countries are only a few hours away by flight or train. There are also a lot of events the city of Vienna puts on (ex. Christmas Market, ice skating rink, Danube Island Festival) that are really nice.  Although Austria is centrally located, it is also landlocked. So, there are no big beaches like countries on the Mediterranean or near Scandinavia. The weather was also not great (cold and rain/snow until almost April), but we also heard that this kind of weather was not typical." - Tony Grief, Spring 09

"Vienna is awesome. Study here! It is such a beautiful and underrated European city. Since it's in Central Europe, it's fairly easy to get anywhere you want to regarding travel. It was also named the city with the best quality of living in 2009!" - Anne Hoang, Spring 09

"Vienna is a great location for traveling. It’s in the middle of West and East Europe. It was a great opportunity to travel Eastern Europe because I probably wouldn’t travel there otherwise. Vienna is a gorgeous city with so much to do, I never got bored." - Sarah Fresen, Spring 09

"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

 

Courses

"Difficulty of courses vary depending on what classes you choose.  Since I'm an accounting major, I could only get one business core class transferred, so I ended up taking lots of electives (which are typically easier than those equivalent to business classes at U of I). Take 2 or 3 block classes if you can!  The weeks are intense but it's amazing to be done with a class in less than a week and have free time later." Anne Hoang, Spring 09

"The university is a very accredited university and a well-known Business school across Europe (and the world, I believe!).  The course selection, in my opinion, is extensive that I wanted to take many of them, but took the ones that transfer back at UIUC as credits toward my major. There are ton of classes for Business Administration/Marketing majors that one can take. I did however have room for one pure elective, Current Issues in Nonprofit Management, which I loved! The classes required a lot of group work, which can be stressful and may at times consume a lot of your time, but they are great because the experience working in an international environment with each member from a different country is invaluable. Classes tend to be much smaller than UIUC’s and much more discussion based, which I enjoyed much more. Also, many professors at WU want you to have a great semester abroad and to enjoy Vienna, and may actually have a very light workload outside of attending the classes itself. It was really helpful to know I should be punctual when registering for classes as the classes fill up almost immediately! One of the things I did wish I did was ensure I tried to find people who took the classes I wanted to take and get their reviews of the classes and professors. " - Cynthia Wong, Spring 09

"I learned a lot about other cultures in my classes.  It was an awesome experience to be in small classes that had exchange students from all over world studying.  I cannot think of a better way to learn of managing conflict across cultures or working in strategic teams them to actually take classes with students and teachers from other cultures.   The classes here are taught very differently than they are at U of I, and sometimes is was hard to adapt to their grading system.  The teachers are not very spefic on what work is A (sehr gut) material.  Therefore, I would definitely recommend taking your classes credit/no credit if you can.  I was not able to because I am and accounting major.  Also because most of your classes will be block classes you will not have class that often, which is awesome for traveling, but not so much for learning." - Cassidy Buss, Spring 09 

"Courses were challenging but infrequent. There are so many different schedules of courses. Some courses might meet only 4 times throughout the whole semester (for a full day) while others might meet weekly. Still, the time commitment isn’t rough, but don’t be prepared to get an easy A. Students there rarely receive Sehr Gut (A), so you might have to settle for Gut (B) sometimes. It’s all a matter of talking to students about previous classes. Strategic Management with Maier is always an awesome choice. I took project management in the beginning of the semester and it satisfied BA 377." - Felicia Braude, Spring 09

"The registration process was kind of problematic. For people who went on the ski week, we had to stay inside one afternoon and click madly to get into the classes we wanted. The courses themselves were nice because they were geared towards exchange students so they also fostered a lot of opportunities to meet new people. It was possible to take courses in English & German, and there were a lot of great opportunities to meet other exchange students from around the world. It would have been nice to know that business students are not allowed to take Professor Murray’s German program courses (again, only applies to people interested in German)." - Tony Grief, Spring 09

"Having block classes made more time for traveling. The classes were interesting and had more of a discussion and presentation base. The professors were easy to work with.  Since block classes weren’t very often, you were in class for a long time each day you had the class. Sometimes I was in one class for 8 hours with a few breaks." - Sarah Fresen, Spring 09

"The classes are on a block scheduling system, so you are not actually in class for all that long, which leaves a good amount of time for traveling.  I liked taking the beginners German course (Wirschaftsdeutsch 1A) because the professor explained elements of the language that I had already picked up just through hearing German every day.  I also thoroughly enjoyed my Negotiation Management course (the Professor was from New Zealand but was a U of I alum—what a small world) because I actually learned skills and tactics to use in everyday life.  My other three classes were International Business Policy (will be discussed in the negative experience paragraph), and International Finance.  I would recommend International Finance for Finance majors because you learn more about German (the professor was from Hamburg and flew in for class) systems of management in corporations and the differences between American, Canadian, German, and other systems and regulations in the corporate world.  Generally, I enjoyed my time at the WU (Wirtschaftsuniversitat Wien—translation: Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration, loosely translated)." - Brittany D'Arcy, Spring 08

"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

"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

Housing

"Haus Erasmus was extremely social (it reminded me of Forbes in the six pack a little bit), which made it easy to meet new people. Maids came once a week, so everything stayed pretty clean. Two people share a bathroom (not one per floor like most dorms at Illinois), and the bathrooms in Haus Erasmus are bigger than most other dorms in Vienna. Also, the beds in Haus Erasmus are extra long twin just like in the dorms at Illinois (you don’t really have time to buy sheets for your first night, so it probably worth packing at least one set).It is also right next to one of the main train stations in Vienna (Westbahnhof), which made traveling really easy.  Haus Erasmus was really great, but there are virtually no opportunities to practice German (the working language was always English). But, if you are not interested in learning German, then Erasmus is a great choice." - Tony Grief, Spring 09

"I lived at Haus Erasmus and absolutely loved it. It is a dorm for primarily exchange students. There are 8 floors and each floor has a kitchen for about 50 people to share. It never really seemed crowded at all and it was a great way to meet people and hang out. My roommate was Austrian and was great! You also have a bathroom for the 2 of you in your room, so that was a really nice surprise to me. The rooms are really great and newly furnished – there was plenty of room for all your stuff, even as it may mount up as the semester goes on! Haus Erasmus is also at a great location – just a 20 minute subway ride from school. Its right next to Wesbahnhaf (West Train Station) too, which is one of the 2 main train stations in the city, which is really convenient when you go on trips and also to go to the airport as there is an airport bus that leaves every 20 minutes from there too for 5 euros. Plenty of grocery store options nearby as close as right around the corner!  A good mall is about 7 minutes walk away and is has the latest closing hours in Vienna – at 9pm daily. Also, Haus Erasmus is just next to Mariahilfastrasse, which is the main street/area to do all your shopping. If you walk all the way down it for 30-40 minutes, it takes you to MuseumsQuarter, where all the Museums are and is a hang out place in warmer weather, which then directs you to the city center. There are probably only two bad things I would have to say about my housing. One is that in Haus Erasmus, you will be living with a roommate, so it’s almost like back to freshman year in the dorms on campus sharing living space. The second negative I have is that you will find that exchange students tend to stick to other exchange students and Austrians who have lived there for a while don’t really make an effort to reach out. Thus, the two groups don’t really mix, but again the kitchens are a great way to meet people again. " - Cynthia Wong, Spring 09

"Erasmus was a great choice. Met tons of people from all over the country and all over the world. A great network. The kitchen is communal and you’ll have to buy some cheap utensils and pans, but people cooked pretty cheap there. Room sizes are pretty big, and each room has a nice bathroom, which is a plus." - Felicia Braude, Spring 09

"I lived in Erasmus and have had the best experience here.  It is so easy to meet people living in the dorm and everyone always wants to do something to make the best out of there experience.  Although there are a lot of American students, there are also students from all of the world.  For example, my roommate is from Serbia.  The location is also very good.  It is right nest to the U bahn stop Burgasse-Stadhalle , which is on the U6 line, which is the line you take to get to school.  It is also next to Westbahnhoft, which is one of the main train stations." - Cassidy Buss, Spring 09 

"Live in Haus Erasmus! The location is ideal, it's close to everything you need-- the public transport, groceries, shopping, and it is so easy to get to the city center from Erasmus too.  There is definitely always lots going on in and around the dorm. The gym in Haus Erasmus is absolutely horrible.  There are some weights and a broken elliptical and that's about it.  If you workout, your best bet is finding a gym nearby.  There's Club Danube in Lugner City (the mall 5 minutes away), or City Fitness around the corner on Kaiserstrasse." - Anne Hoang, Spring 09

"Haus Erasmus was a great to place to live because of local and the amenities. You share a bathroom with just your roommate and a kitchen on each floor. There was a lot room for everything I brought. I thought it was a good mix of Americans and students from other countries. It was very social, so it was easy to meet people. There are only a few single in Haus Erasmus, so you’ll probably have a roommate. I got along with my roommate very well, but I heard others had problems with theirs. Haus Erasmus is primarily English speaking, so it’s not the best if you want to learn German." - Sarah Fresen, Spring 09

"I lived at Haus Erasmus, an international student’s dorm, in a double room with a random roommate who ended up being from Toronto, Canada.  The room was big, bigger than any room I’ve had on campus, had its own bathroom and shower and lots of provided shelving.  There is a kitchen on every floor and a cabinet for you to store your pots, pans, and spices in.  The dorm provides you with a bed, a comforter and a pillow, a huge desk, 2 chairs (one roll/swivel, one stationary), a desk lamp, a closet, a bookshelf with bottom cabinets and drawers, and more.  There is a lot of space to put your stuff (you can store luggage underneath your bed), so that was really awesome.  There are cleaning ladies that come in once a week, they give you more toilet paper, clean up your bathroom, and vacuum the room.  The dorm is located very centrally located being right near two U-bahn (the subway system) stations in addition to a central hub for many of the strassenbahn (street car) lines.  There are also night buses that drop off right near the U-bahn and strassenbahn stations.  I really liked the location and the fact that everyone in the building is studying abroad.  We had a lot of fun living at Erasmus!" - Brittany D'Arcy, Spring 08

"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

"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 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

Costs

"We did not eat out very much, and I would estimate that I spend between €30-40 per week on food.  My classes did not use any real textbooks. More commonly we had a “Skriptum,” or course packet, which usually runs about €10-15. Sometimes you just have to photocopy a few chapters of textbook or print off slides from the internet. All in all, I spend around €40 on textbook/printing costs." - Tony Grief, Spring 09

"I spent maybe 40 euros a week on food and 30 euros on textbooks." - Anne Hoang, Spring 09

"In Vienna, I spent maybe 30 euros at the most if eating in, but when traveling, I spent more like 200 euros a week or something." - Felicia Braude, Spring 09

"I spent about 20-30 euros on food weekly and 50 euros on books for the semester." - Sarah Fresen, Spring 09

"I spent 50 euros a week on food - I made most of my own food, and 20 euros for the semester on textbooks." Dan Sammarco, Spring 08

"Every time I went to the grocery store (about once a week), I bought about 20 euro worth of groceries, but I also got doner kebap, kasekrainers, and sandwhiches on occasion around the city.  I’d say that I spent approximately 30-40 euro a week depending on if I went out to a nicer dinner or anything. I spent €4.95 on books for the whole semester.  I literally only had to copy pages in the book for most of my classes which was very inexpensive." - Brittany D'Arcy, Spring 08 

"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

Useful Websites

• http://www.vienna.info/
• http://www.wu.ac.at/ - WU school website
• http://www.freetranslation.com/ -- one of our favorite online dictionaries, very helpful and no need to purchase a German-English dictionary
• Wiener Linien (public transport) – http://www.wienerlinien.at http://www.wu.ac.at/ - WU school website
• ÖBB (Austrian train company) – http://www.oebb.at - trains to/from Vienna, but a bit hard to navigate and find prices, and I would probably just suggest going to the ticket office at Wesbanhaf and find someone who can help you and also tell you about the discount trips.
• Ryanair – http://www.ryanair.com (need to fly from Bratislava, Slovakia) - one of the cheap European Airlines – leaves from Bratislava, Slovakia, just 1.5 hours away from Vienna. Watch for special promotions early in the semester! And you do not get your final price until you click all the way through to the payment page and the taxes, etc are added on
• Sky Europe – http://www.skyeurope.com - another one of the cheapest airlines in Europe that leaves to/from Vienna. Again, watch for special promotions early in the semester. There is also a “Happy Hour” for promotions, where you get more discounts if you purchase tickets between noon and 1pm on Mondays. Make sure you double check your flight itinerary and confirmation once you have it purchased.
• Fly Niki – http://www.flyniki.com
• Easyjet – http://www.easyjet.com
• Hostel World – http://www.hostelworld.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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