EXCHANGE REPORT Tse Yi Nok Marketing and Operations Management WU (Vienna University of Economics and Business) 2015-2016 Fall Part 1 - Monthly Activity Log September Since I have joined the Orientation and Cultural Program, I arrived Vienna on 1 Sep. As my buddy was not free to fetch me from the airport and I needed to get the key from OeAD office (Guesthouse) before 2 pm which it did not match my arrival time, I decided to pay for the iHouse service that they will get your key prior to your arrival and give you the key and a package of tips and discounts about staying in Vienna in a counter inside the airport. A driver will also drive you safely from the airport to your guesthouse. However, the price is quite expensive, around 110 Euros. There is a couple of things to be done when I arrived. I have rented one of the OeAD guesthouses and needed to go to its main office to get the Residence Registration Form which should be taken to one of the registration offices located at the municipal district offices within three days. Second, I have purchased the semester ticket of transportation. Thirdly, I have opened a bank account for the convenience of monetary transactions within Europe. The orientation program started on 4 Sep. We were guided to travel different places in Vienna and famous cities in Austria. I have met different exchange students from all around the world. We had chances to know each other during the visits and parties held in the program. Some of them have become my travelling partners. At the end of Sep (after the end of orientation program), I have travelled to Prague for four days. October The Fall semester started on 1 Oct but my classes started on 6 Oct. Therefore, I joined one of the EBN activities, Octoberfest from 30 Sep – 2 Oct. We travelled to Munich, Germany by night train from Vienna and arrived there the next morning. We gathered in a venue sited in an amusement park in Munich. We can order a half chicken and two liters of beers. I have also travelled to Salzburg, Hallstatt, Budapest and Bratislava during weekends in the rest of the month. November Since I have taken 6 courses, I was very busy during November and didn’t go travelling. There were two presentations and a piece of Homework on average per week. I have worked closely with my groupmates in group projects of every course. As I was the only Asian in the group, it gave me chances to speak English more often and built my confidence to get along with foreigners. December & January There was no fixed exam period in WU. All exams were usually scheduled during the last lesson. I have finished all the courses on 18 Dec. Then I started travelling within Europe. During the late December, I have been to Iceland. From the Early January, I have travelled to Spain (Palma & Barcelona), Italy (Milan, Venice and Florence) and Paris within two weeks. It was very tiring to travel non-stop for two weeks. I suggest never travel more than two weeks. Part 2 - General Exchange Information Visa Procedures You need to apply for an Austrian National Visa “D”, which is for studying in Austria for a duration of 3-6 months. The required documents for application are as follows: Please, submit your application at least THREE WEEKS prior to your planned departure. All documents should be submitted with original and photocopy in person. All foreign language documents must be presented in original along with a legalized German/English translation. Website to download visa application form: http://www.bmeia.gv.at/en/embassy/hong-kong/practical- advice/travelling-to-austria/visa.html Orientation Activities I have joined the Orientation and Cultural Program during the whole September. It offers incoming exchange students the chance to know about Vienna, Austrian cultures and each other. It is a three-week program includes a variety of activities including Vienna’s most famous sights and attractions and also day trips to two cities of Austria. I strongly recommend you to join this program for two reasons. It would provide a chance to meet friends who will support each other during the whole exchange life such as travelling. Another reason is that there will be professional guides to lead you around Vienna which you will not have time to visits those places in the following months yourselves. Joining this program will give you a clear picture of the lifestyle of Vienna and help you get adapted to the environment in a short period of time. The price of Orientation Program is 250 Euros. Accommodations I have rented an OeAD-Guesthouse in Gasgasse for 5 months which is located near the central area of Vienna. There are many shops such as boutiques, post office, supermarkets and restaurants around. However, it takes around 30 minutes to go to WU by metro. My dorm is in Category A+ which is a single room in living community with a private bathroom and shared kitchen. The rent is 530 Euros per month. Courses Registration You will receive an email from the course coordinator reminding you to register courses in the early August. You are allowed to register for courses worth maximum 36 ECTS plus one German Business Communication course. Please note that you can only drop courses before the semester starts. You need to contact your instructors if you would like to drop courses after the courses start. You are allowed to have a few clashes among lessons and do not worry about not registering courses that you want. You can always ask the course coordinator for help by email. I have studied the following courses: Global Branding, Global Consumer Behavior, International Marketing, Introduction to Supply Chain Management, International Supply Chain Management II and German Business Communication 1a. Teaching and Assessment methods Instructors encourage in-class participations and cooperation among classmates. Group projects are common among the courses. However, the class duration is a bit long ranging from 3-5 hours per lesson. Exam is usually scheduled at the last lesson of the course. Costs and expenses (in HKD) Flight Ticket 10200 Insurance (Zurich) 2380 Accommodation 24300 Transportation in Vienna including iHouse service and 1870 semester ticket Travelling (12 cities) including Orientation Program fee 23238 Daily expenses (food and shopping) 16064 Total 78052 Health & Safety If you are sick during the exchange, you can search for doctors in http://www.praxisplan.at. If you purchase travelling and medical insurance in Hong Kong, you should keep all the receipts and doctor’s certificates to claim the medical expenses when you are back. Vienna is a relatively safe place. Even I went out at night, there were no drunk and strange people wandering around the streets. Food Dining out in Vienna is quite expensive. Therefore, I usually cooked in the dorm. There are many supermarkets such as Merkur, Bila, Spar and Hofer. Schnitzel and Beef Goulash are famous dishes in Austria. Diary products are cheap and fresh. Milk is always my breakfast in Vienna. Transportation By providing the Proof of Residence and Letter of Acceptance, you can apply for a semester ticket at 75 Euros. You could travel on the Wiener Linien transport network i.e. metro, tram and buses for unlimited times throughout the whole semester. Climate The climate of Vienna is dry and windy. It starts to get colder in late November. Sometimes it snows starting from the late December. The average temperature in Winter is below 5 Degree Celsius. To keep you moisturized, you should apply facial and body cream. Communication Austria is a German speaking country. Except some bigger shops and restaurants, not many staffs could speak English well. It is advised to learn some basic German before you go to Vienna or take a German course during the semester. Travelling tips It may be difficult to find wifi when you are travelling. You can download an offline map in Google Map by selecting your destination and typing “ok map”. Then you can find your way easily. Part 3 - Items to Bring and Contacts • Lan cable • Wifi-router • Water-proof & warm jackets and trousers • Power Bank Other clothes and daily necessities are easily found in Vienna. You can buy all those items when you arrive. Being an exchange student is one of the correct decisions I have made so far. It does not only broaden my horizon, but also trains me to become a more independent person. Making like-minded friends is the bonus of this trip. If you would like to start this adventure, start prepare now! Feel free to contact me by email [email protected] if you have any questions regarding WU and Vienna. Hope you have an unforgettable exchange experience! .