When applying for study abroad, I had zero expectations. Then when I arrived in Vienna, I realized how different this semester would be. It started with small things like reaching for my car keys when leaving, looking for my local coffee shop, or wanting to call my friends at noon without realizing it was late at home. At times, I did become homesick, and while this was the most out of my comfort zone I had ever been I can confidently say it was the best thing I have ever done.
Vienna exceeded my expectations in more ways than one. The people were so nice, and the culture was one like I had never experienced. Throughout the year I got to meet with different students from Vienna and attend a few Viennese balls. The people I met and the things I got to do were beyond my expectations and things I know I would never see in Texas.
When I first arrived in Vienna, I had a buddy meet me at the airport and he showed me the lines of public transit and helped me get settled into my apartment. Afterward, he showed me around to local restaurants he enjoys and his favorite places to get a schnitzel. One thing I loved about the University of Economics and Business was how adamant they were about holding social events for WU exchange students. This is how I met some of my closest friends while abroad.
Not only did we have an Erasmus Network but a lot of us were assigned buddies which was very helpful. My classes abroad also had a lot of exchange students. I was fortunate enough to meet people from Australia, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and many other places. My campus was beautiful, and it had a lot of good study places for students. Also, they held a lot of social events on campus like a concession stand for students or they would have “American-themed football parties” which was always a great way to meet people.
While Vienna is an amazing city it was also close to so many other cities that I got the opportunity to visit. One of the most unexpected surprises was how amazing of a city Budapest was. I feel like when coming abroad or even when I was in Texas I would always think about big cities like Paris & Rome to visit. However, I quickly learned that there are so many cities that are often overlooked and offer so much. One of my best experiences was my time in Budapest which I think caught me by surprise.
Finally, one of my favorite things about the Viennese culture was they had ball season. This normally occurred between January and March. I was able to go to one in November. Also, the University of Vienna Economics and Business held a huge ball on January 14 which I was able to go to and it was such an amazing experience that I would not have had in Texas. The school was able to hold it in the Hofburg Imperial Palace which was absolutely a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Adela Sosevic, Vienna University of Economics and Business [JSOM], Fall 2022
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