Personal Development
Personally I gained so much confidence throughout my exchange semester. I now feel confident in my independence and ability to problem solve, as well as my skills in presenting. This experience has definitely made me have a greater appreciation for other people's cultures and languages. It has also changed my perspective of how people learn, the different values we hold, and the different lived experiences of other students across the globe. I have a greater appreciation of history, art, food, and the European languages and culture.
Academic Development
I definitely feel a lot more confident in my academically ability after my exchange semester. The University of Vienna psychology department focusses heavily on student presentations as assessments and over the course of my semester I gave over 7 different presentations which allowed me to really hone my public speaking skills. I was also able to work on my collaboration and teamwork skills. I now feel that I have the ability to take a vast amount of information and present it in a very clear and concise manner.
Budget
Vienna is an expensive city and with the current Australian exchange rate it's important to budget well. Austria is also experiencing some of the highest inflation rates in Europe which can make groceries quite expensive. Overall I budgeted $20,000 but my exchange (including flights, visas, travel insurance, accommodation etc). The public transport in Vienna is fantastic and very cheap for students. However, if you are over the age of 26, as I am, you are ineligible for any student discounts and therefore the cost of public transport, museum tickets, movie tickets almost doubles.
The funding was incredibly beneficial and I used it towards my accommodation costs.
Highlight
Highlights of my experience were learning German and being able to travel to so many incredible places. However, my main highlight was securing a six month internship with the United Nations.
Advice/Top Tips
Go with an open mind and be willing to try everything. It is a fantastic opportunity to meet new people and immerse yourself in another culture. I highly recommend taking classes in the local language and meeting and interacting with locals whenever you can.
