Amanda Maiken

I've known that I wanted to study abroad since I first began to look into colleges as a sophomore in high school. Even back then, I knew it'd be a once in a lifetime opportunity that'd positively shape my undergraduate experience. As someone who definitely likes to play things safe and stay in my comfort zone, I saw studying abroad as a chance to push myself out of my shell. I chose Vienna in particular because it's a historically and culturally rich city with a lot of musical history, something that is also quite important to me. I remember seeing online that Vienna was voted to be the "most livable city" in the world, so that did actually factor in to my selection; it was important to me to be able to comfortably live in a new city without speaking the native language. Unfortunately, UCEAP doesn't currently offer any programs in Vienna, so the program I chose is hosted by an independent program (IES Abroad) which I found out about at a study abroad fair. I also really liked the fact that it's an immersion program which encourages students to discover as much as they can about Viennese culture and to live as a local rather than a temporary visitor.

As you may know, balls and galas are a huge part of Viennese history. They were typically something only the upper classes of society had the chance to enjoy in the past as a fun way to socialize and dance around in palaces during the cold winter months. Nowadays, there are balls offered to the public and all you need is a ticket and the proper attire to attend one. Attending the Red Cross Cross ball with all of the amazing people I met in my program is easily my favorite cultural experience I had. I mean, when else will I be able to wear a ball gown, white gloves, and waltz the night away? I had so much fun getting ready with all of my friends and even more fun getting to know strangers from all over the world at the ball. My friends and I ended up leaving the ball around 3 am during the first real snowfall of the season, which made for an even more magical experience.

As a transfer student to Berkeley, my initial first concern was whether I'd be able to study abroad or not. Since having this experience was important to me, I decided to petition for an extra semester in order to study abroad, which was thankfully approved! I was also worried that choosing an independent study abroad program would overcomplicate things for myself. It did take extra effort on my part to get courses approved through my department and academic advisor, but it was worth it in the end. Aside from the logistics of getting there, my biggest concern was essentially the fear of the unknown: Would I like Vienna? Would I make any friends? Would I get super homesick? I became very worried about those kinds of questions but realized at the end of the day those are concerns that everyone who studies abroad faces. Just about everyone at my study abroad orientation that I got to know were feeling similar apprehensions. I knew that I would just have to face those fears head on and put my best foot forward to make the most of my upcoming experience.

6am-8am: Wake up! I never used to do this at Berkeley, but since I got an internship as a teaching assistant at a high school in Vienna, it became part of my routine.
8am-10am: Taught English at a high school in Vienna. I'd prepare and teach a presentation on American culture for a few classes of students every week.
10am-12pm: Meet friends at a cafe (a very typically Viennese thing to do!) or go exploring before classes. Since public transit is so amazing in Vienna, it was really easy to go anywhere in the city before I had classes.
10am-4pm: Depending on the day, this is the timeframe when I had most of my classes. The classes varied from lectures to field trips around the city.
5pm-7pm: Grabbing dinner with friends! Over the course of the semester we found a handful of places that became our favorite meeting spots for dinner. Another part about Viennese culture that was great is that they really enjoy their leisure time, so it's very typical to stay and chat in a restaurant for hours.
8pm-10pm: More time to explore and hang out with friends. This could mean anything from walking around our neighborhood, hanging out at a local bar, etc.

On weekends, I usually traveled either throughout Austria or to a new country!

I took a basic German class, two upper division history courses, and a class on the business of wine (yes, that's actually a class). My history classes had a decent amount of reading, but also really emphasized going out and visiting the sites and locations we read about. I think the excursions were really what set my history classes apart from history classes at Berkeley. All of the professors I had were extremely knowledgable on the subjects they taught (and oftentimes had been teaching them to American students for 30+ years). It's important to know that in general, European professors have a much more hands-off approach to teaching than American professors. They expect students to do the readings and work without telling them. That also tends to mean that they don't quiz and test students as much, but instead place a lot of weight on the final examination and/or project as a way to gauge how well you absorbed the material throughout the semester.

The people I met! From meeting cousins for the first time, making lifelong friends in my program, and interacting with Viennese people on a daily basis. Vienna really transformed into my home away from home because of the wonderful people I met during my time there.

It definitely shaped me into a more adventurous and independent person. I've always been someone who is cautious and doesn't like to take risks, but going abroad allowed me to widen my horizons and realize that some risks are worth taking. My yearning for travel hasn't gone away either, so I plan on visiting more interesting places and cultures soon!

If you're even just considering it, I encourage you to look into it and be proactive about making it a reality for you! That means going to study abroad fairs, talking to ambassadors or study abroad advisors, starting to budget, researching where you want to study, etc. And if you are interested in Vienna (which I hope you are!), do your due diligence and communicate with your academic advisor and department about choosing an independent program to study abroad.