I just wrapped up my time in Vienna, and I have nothing but positive things to say. What a fantastic experience that I will hold dear to me for the rest of my life. Vienna itself is the perfect place to study abroad as it has everything you would want history, culture, an abundance of activities and fun experiences to keep you busy, excellent public transportation, and it is super safe and clean. Every time I would travel outside of Vienna, coming back always felt like home, and it didn’t take much time after arriving to feel this way. The city itself along with the friends I made here truly made Vienna such a great place to be.
One of the significant differences I found was the way the classes are set up compared to those at TAMU. I only had class on campus for a total of thirty days. This schedule is great for allowing more time to travel, but it is difficult making your schedule as the times are all random, and some classes are three hours long. I highly recommend taking intensive courses, which only last about a week but meet five-six hours a day. It is a lot of time to be in a classroom, but it is worth it. Most courses here are heavily graded on presentations, which allowed for a great learning experience getting to work with students from around the world.
When it comes to housing, the dorms are a good option, but I also know people that got an Airbnb for the semester and loved it. I lived in Tigergasse, which I personally loved. Most other exchange students lived in Gassgasse or Molk, but Tigergasse was in a fantastic location, so I was pleased living there. My dorm was only a few blocks from the city center and was surrounded by multiple trams and U-Bahn stops, as well as an abundance of restaurants and stores. The biggest downside is there is no air conditioning, which became quite hard to handle at the end of the semester.
I am so thankful for my time abroad and would not have wanted it any other way. This semester has taught me so much about myself and the world around me, all of which would not be possible without my experience abroad. I loved Vienna, and I am so glad that I was selected to study at WU. Thank you to Texas A&M and Mays for this amazing opportunity that I will never forget!
If you are interested in studying abroad in Vienna and want to know more feel free to contact me at hmot32@tamu.edu!
