Motivation
I studied German in High School, so when some of my friends told me about the Austrian Arbitration Academy it sounded like the perfect experience to combine two of my passions: the German language and law. It also seemed like a great opportunity to do some travel, as well as get ahead in my degree.
Personal Development
I met some amazing people from the University of Vienna while I was overseas, and even met up with a couple of them after the experience before I flew out. I also developed my confidence, as I was travelling for 7 weeks in total (including travel before and after the program). The campus was beautiful and it was a lovely place to study.
Academic Development
The course was much more intense than a regular UQ course as it was full time for 2 weeks, though the exam was easier as they gave us a very good idea of what would be on it, and emphasized that they wanted all of us to pass. This encouragement was great, and I found that all of the course staff from the university of Vienna were very friendly, and happy to help where possible. It therefore felt a lot less pressure than what I have experienced in the UQ environment.
Professional Development
I found it difficult to pay attention for such long periods each day as the first session was from 8:30am until around 1pm, then there was another 2-hour session in the afternoon. This was difficult to balance with the social activities, which I tried to participate in as much as possible. To cope with this, I made sure to get plenty of sleep.
Costs
I spent approximately $8,000-$9,000 for 7 weeks travel. The program cost half of this, flights cost another $2,000, accommodation was a bit over $1,000 and then I spent around $1,000. My advice would be to stay in hostels (when not at the host program), shop around for flights and to buy meals from the supermarket.
Funding
The funding basically covered the whole of my expenses. Though I will need to pay back my help loan eventually, it was still beneficial so that I didn't have to dip into my savings.
Accommodation
The University of Vienna accommodation was great, but there wasn't enough for everyone which we didn't know until after we applied. This meant some people had to stay off campus. I was very lucky and was on campus and food was included, but if I had been of campus there would have been significant challenges.
Highlight
The highlight of my experience was getting to know my roommate, as well as swimming in the lake and exploring the town.
Advice/Top Tips
I would make sure to get your application in as soon as possible and start communicating with the host. I would also apply for the scholarship that they offer (it's only one per year for one person, but still worth trying). Do as many of the social activities as possible, and focus on having fun, not stressing about how intense the content is (as the teachers gave us a lot of guidance about the final exam).
