By Ty Malcolm
Grüße aus Wien!
Greetings from Vienna!
With my first post, I'd like to give a short intro on my exchange university and then describe my experience arriving, moving in, and getting settled in the capital city of Austria.
The GW Exchange with the Vienna University of Business and Economics (or, in German, Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien, “WU”) has plenty of advantages on paper. Largest business school in Europe, huge cohort of international students, extensive English-language course list. It's cheaper than that Tier 3 program you looked at, and the university buildings look like modern art on Google Images. For a GW student studying business and economics, those are pretty common criteria to pick your abroad program with. But when you first arrive, those characteristics on paper probably aren’t on your mind. The first week in-country, you will likely be more concerned with the practical things, and in the first week, this program did the practical things well. WU has made everything easy, without making you feel like anything is mandatory.
Let’s start with Housing – you are free to rent an apartment anywhere in the city if you want, no problem. But Austria also provides “OeAD international student housing” in major cities, which turn out to be really modern apartments, completely furnished. It felt nice to arrive and be able to walk to a grocery store, pick up some food, and come back and have the usual utensils and cookware ready to go. The apartment building I chose, OeAD-Gasgasse, is farther from the university but closer to the rest of the city, and a block away from the biggest shopping street in Vienna! Judging by the poll on the exchange Facebook page, it is the first or second most popular choice among students who choose OeAD housing. My apartment has a huge door-sized window with a half-pane of glass and I have a great view of a Kirche (church) and the sun rising in the East every morning. It’s a single room with a shower, a kitchenette with a stovetop and microwave, a desk, and a TV. I’m definitely happy with my choice!
Arrival – so here you are, flying into the Vienna airport, probably feeling cramped and gross from your 8+ hour flight. Your dorm is in a way better location than the airport, so you’re gonna have to find a way to get there. U-Bahn, S-Bahn, Railjet - The point is – it can feel like a lot! Luckily, WU lets you sign up for a “Buddy” through the Erasmus Buddy Network, which is the group at the WU International Office that is planning all the fun trips and events for international students. Their official job is to pick you up from the airport and make sure you get your room key. In reality, they’ll probably be your first friend in-country, so be social and go get dinner with them. You can unpack later!
When you do eventually unpack, you’ll probably start making a list of things you need to buy. It feels good to have a roof over your head, but you have to eat too! And mom is probably waiting on a text that you made it there safely. Luckily, every organization you deal with for this exchange program seems to have an “advice” packet, each with suggestions by WU students for both budget and specialty options on grocery stores, phone plans, banking, travel, and fitness centers.
On Day 1, I moved in, bought a SIM card, bought groceries, and turned in my “room condition report.” I also hung out with my EBN Buddy for a few hours! We have a lot in common, and we are both excited to start classes at WU.
On Day 2, I walked the city, picked up the OeAD WiFi adaptor, and registered my residency at the local Meldeamt (registration office). With each errand I ran, I kept expecting something to go wrong or take more time/money than planned. But everything worked out really well, and I’m pretty much settled!
The rest of the week, I did a lot of organizing in my room and planning for some of the trips I’m taking before the semester starts. I also started the process for opening an Austrian bank account. (Not mandatory, but I think it will streamline my housing payments.) I explored the city some more, got used to the U-Bahn, and visited a friend from GW. I ended the week with dinner in the huge park next to Schönbrunn Palace. I walked to the top of the hill overlooking the palace, and was rewarded with a great view of the city!
Things I’m looking forward to the most:
Alps trip: Because I am here so early (a full 3 weeks before orientation starts!) I have time to do something I’ve always dreamed of doing. 7 days of hiking in Vorarlberg, the westernmost federal state of Austria. I’ll be staying at a mix of hostels, hotels, as well as a few mountain inns operated by the Austrian Alpine Club! Totally my kind of thing. I’m really looking forward to seeing this other side of Austria, and experiencing the traditional food and recreational activities of this alpine republic.
Classes at WU: At GW, you hear it all the time, “Only at GW.” Usually that refers to a unique class, a famous professor, or an important event in the evening – some of the reasons why many of us chose GW in the first place! The Vienna University of Economics and Business definitely has their own version of that. Several of my classes include site-visits for international firms and organizations. One class is even a business case-study course on the Austrian branch of Siemens, an engineering company on the cutting edge of sustainable energy, water treatment, and medical technology. I’m really looking forward to studying real-world examples of a company that has had to innovate for over 150 years.
Improving my German language skills: Another one of my courses is German Business Communication. Even though English still reigns supreme in the world of business and energy, acquiring a second language really pulls back the curtain on possibilities and experiences that might be difficult to find with only English. Yes, your waiter in Vienna might greet you in English. Maybe, you can mime to the Austrian Post employee that you have a package to pick up. But with no knowledge of German: Are you going to have a meaningful conversation about hiking with anyone over 40? Are you going to visit the office hours of your Austrian professor? Are you going to look impressive to an Austrian employer? Probably not! I’ve taken German for forever it seems, so it’s nice to actually put it to use. Studying German in high school and at GW definitely prepared me for all the emailing, applying, asking, and buying I have to do to live here.
Thanks for reading! The next time I post, I will be back from my alpine adventure!
-Ty