IES Abroad Vienna

I am a classical vocalist, so I already knew that Vienna was THE place for me to study abroad. What I didn't know was how absolutely wonderful the program I would study overseas with would be! The cultural and musical education I received with IES Abroad Vienna was top notch as I expected, but this experience was truly life-changing in a personal context. I absolutely fell in love with life in Vienna, so much so that I hope to at least look into getting a masters degree in Austria, with the intent of pursuing a career in opera there one day. The faculty involved in the IES Abroad Vienna program are all wonderful and reliable individuals. They were devoted to every students’ personal health and mental well-being, but they also fostered an environment where we could venture out on our own in a safe and informed way. In addition to networking and professional connections made through IES Abroad Vienna, I formed many wonderful life-long friendships through program social events. If you are considering this program for study away, you should definitely do it!

Studying abroad will always remain one of the best decisions I have ever taken during my college career. It was an opportunity for me to learn about myself more. I am already an international student in the USA, and at first, I did not know I needed to expand my horizons by participating in the Study Abroad Program as well. The IES Abroad Vienna Team is very organized and super interactive. It has been nothing short of a blessing for me. The classes were awesome, and the professors are excellent, they remain part of my connections today! My experience in Vienna has been rewarding, educational, transformative, and most of all, FUN! They really make sure that every participant is well cared for and has all the resources needed to thrive!

As a voice student, I always knew that I wanted to study abroad in Vienna. If I could spend another semester (or year, or years!) in Vienna, I would do so in a heartbeat. I could attend the opera and classical concerts - for just a few Euros! With a few exceptions, the pre-departure staff were generally helpful with choosing internships, housing, and courses. The on-site staff were phenomenal, organizing frequent community-building activities. In a weekly newsletter, the staff gave us suggestions for additional events, customs, and restaurants to try out in Vienna. There was a wide variety of music courses. All my professors made an effort to teach me about the culture of Vienna. The music professors were fabulous, introducing me to new aspects of music history.

I spent my fall semester of 2022 in Vienna, and I can safely say it changed my life. I attended the Psychology and Social Sciences program as a psychology major, and I had the chance to take courses that were not offered at my home school, such as Psychology and Society in Vienna and the Psychology of Prejudice and Discrimination. These classes met usually once a week. I also had an intensive German class that met 3 times a week; I had taken German before so I was placed in a higher German class, but I heard from friends that they benefitted greatly from intro German classes. Classes were held at the IES Abroad Center, in the 1st district, near Stephansdom.
I lived in the 2nd district, in a studio apartment with a shared kitchen. The shared kitchen let me connect with new friends from IES while still having a space to go back to that was my own. The commute from the 2nd district to the 1st for class was about 15 minutes, and the IES Vienna staff walked us through it the first time. I appreciated this as someone who had never lived in a city before.
IES staff were incredibly welcoming and easy to talk to; they helped with everything from housing issues to personal issues, and were a great resource to better understand the culture of Austria.
IES Vienna gave the opportunity to explore not only Vienna, but Austria as a whole. The program offered trips around Austria, such as to places like Wachau and Graz, as well as the legendary ski trip in the Austrian Alps. I also had the opportunity during the week-long break to tour Salzburg, Vorarlberg, and Innsbruck. Overall, I saw as much of Austria as I could, and I grew as a person in ways I could not have imagined. I had the time of my life and would do it again in a heartbeat.

I enjoyed my time in Austria for the most part. I tried a lot of different foods, looked at a large variety of art and learned a lot about language. I had some difficulties with class structure and choices and the rigidity of the IES system. The people in the program staff were quite nice and helpful and usually available. There were a lot of difficutkirss getting adjusted to the culture abroad but it's all part of the process I suppose. Given this it still had its fun moments. Vienna has a lot of things to offer and the housing situation I was placed in provided me a lot of opportunities to go out and explore and see places close by. I found myself really enjoying getting immersed in the culture abroad. Food was fantastic. Public transport was easy to figure out and overall it was enjoyable.

The IES program in Vienna created the best semester abroad I could've ever asked for. I felt welcomed right away by the staff who were extremely attentive and very experienced in helping in various situations. They really created a home base for their students. One of my favorite parts were the incredible trips they organized, such as the ski trip on a glacier in the Austrian Alps (many people learned to ski for the first time on this trip), a journey through the beautiful mountain villages in the west up to Prague, and a weekend trip to the Wachau Valley for hiking and wine tasting. Pretty much all students lived in apartments. I lived in the 5th district of the city with an easy 20 minute commute to school (Vienna’s public transportation system is so easy to master). Classes take place in an old palace in the city center between the Opera house and St. Stephen’s cathedral. For many classes I got to tour museums during class period and really learn hands-on about art, history, architecture and psychology. The central location of the school enabled me to explore the ins-and-outs of Vienna on a daily basis after or between classes. The IES program helps make things happen for its students. They make known events from the film festival at the Rathaus to how to join a gym or sports club team. They help create incredible experiences, such as providing discounted tickets to attend an infamous Vienna ball and dancing lessons to prepare. I was able to see the dress rehearsal for a world premiere at the State opera house. We were able to have a big Thanksgiving dinner in a traditional countryside tavern. And they helped people get involved with locals through setting up local German language buddies and helping students get internships. The program at IES Vienna creates a community and enables its students to explore and soak up every possible second of the most incredible semester imaginable. I would give anything to be back in Vienna right now.

I should probably begin by explaining the title of this review so you're not left wondering, "What the heck does he mean by 'Squeeze the Juice'?" During the orientation for my program, one of the program directors gave a presentation on getting the most out of your time abroad. He called this "Squeezing the Juice." Ridiculous as the phrase might have been, the phrase really caught on. It's hard to put such a life changing experience as studying abroad into words, and a reasonable amount of words at that, but here's a couple ways in which my program helped me squeeze the juice while I was abroad.

To begin with, my program had incredible faculty connections. I went to study music there, and was able to take private lessons from the retired 3rd horn of the Vienna Philharmonic, take composition classes from one of Austria's leading modern composers, and learn about acoustics from a leading sound engineer (who also happened to be a fantastic composer himself and jazz pianist). I had no idea I would be studying with such renowned faculty with my program, and got so much knowledge passed down from them.

Living wise, my program also made incredible accommodation as the apartment complex I lived in included a state of the art practice facility in the apartment! Only a few apartments in the complex were occupied by the program, and the rest were occupied by local tenants, so to have a private space to practice (horn) without disturbing the neighbors was unbelievable. Furthermore, within my apartment, I became very good friends with my apartment mates, and I am very happy my program provided us with this living opportunity.

Furthermore, the program provided us with excellently planned trips, including trips through class in Vienna and separate excursions with the program outside of Vienna. The excursions allowed for great opportunities to explore Austria without the hassle of having to organize your own trip. The program planned housing, transportation, activities, and several meals in these excursions. For example, one excursion I was able to visit the city of Graz during Austria's free museum night where I was able to visit several museums; my favorite being a key and lock museum I spent several hours in looking at locks and also trying to solve puzzle locks (emphasis on "trying"). Class trips allowed for hands on learning experiences and were funded by the program. I even got to go to my first Viennese ball thanks to my program, that was a blast!

The staff in the program were also extremely helpful. The 3 receptionists were very friendly and very accessible for help. I am also a soccer player, and with a few of the staff, I was able to join their local soccer team. I also had to go to the hospital at one point to get an MRI for a problem I was having with my elbow and a staff member kindly accompanied me to help me navigate the hospital. It was nice to have someone to talk to while waiting and someone who spoke fluent German with me. Also, as a side note, I was able to afford this MRI because my program had great insurance that covered any medical costs after the first 100 euros, so my insurance covered the entire MRI.

Finally, Vienna is an incredible place to study abroad. The public transportation is on point, with a fantastic Subway, bus, tram, and train system (that the program provides you with student discount cards for). Music is very affordable thanks to standing room ticket opportunities, and the music is obviously incredible. A few highlights for me were being able to see a new opera premier, see the Vienna Phil, see a Hans Zimmer concert (AND HANS ZIMMER WAS THERE), and seeing the Czech Philharmonic. I was also abroad in Fall and got to experience the adorable Viennese Christmas market. These pleasant markets were a fun place to be social but keep toasty out in the cold. I enjoyed these with my friends from the program and my language buddy (my program had a great language buddy program to help us be immersed in the culture, improve our German, and make friends). As a Californian it was fun to experience real winter there!

It is hard to put into words the amazing experience I had in Vienna between the Musical experience and the friends I made there, but none of those experience would have been possible without the help of my program in helping me squeeze the juice and teaching me how to.

My trip to Vienna, Austria was nothing short of life-changing. Out of all of the countless insights I have gained, I will say the most important things I have learned through my time abroad would be trusting and believing in myself, and realizing the possibilities for my future are limitless. Unfortunately, throughout most of my Undergraduate degree as a French Horn Performance Major, I had been dealing with a prolonged lip injury. This past Spring semester, I was not sure whether or not I would be able to do the abroad program. Through my persistence and hope, I have continued my degree and had progressed enough to apply for the summer program. Through my program in Austria, I was fortunate enough to take lessons with a renowned horn player in the Vienna Philharmonic. My teacher was generous enough to allow me to watch rehearsals for operas and orchestra concerts and even let me borrow a Vienna horn! Through his teaching and guidance, I have made enormous strides in recovering from my past injuries. This truly was a huge revelation for me that has changed my outlook on my future. I was nearly ready to give up on being a musician all together after finishing my Undergraduate degree. However, through the help of my teacher and being in a city immersed with a love of music and the arts, I have gained more confidence and strength in my abilities than I ever have before. I realize now that possibilities for me are limitless and I am incredibly passionate about returning and studying music further in Austria! Without this life-changing experience, I may have already given up on my dream to be a professional horn player.

The IES program was absolutely amazing. The staff members were incredibly helpful, supportive and kind. I was nervous about not knowing German before arriving in Austria, however, I learned a lot of German through the IES courses and was able to speak at a basic level to natives! Not to mention, everyone in the bigger cities speaks English. Through the program, I was able to visit so many historical sites (such as seeing where some of the most famous composers in the world lived and were buried), and have made lasting friendships. I would recommend studying with IES to anybody! It truly changed my life, the staff is incredibly kind and wonderful, and I had the time of my life!