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Click here for the previous article, “The Charms of Living in Vienna.”
This time, I am going to tell you about my exchange university and daily life.
My university is called FH BFI Vienna in Vienna, Austria. It is relatively new and opened in 1995. It is a little bit small. However, it has eight majors and international programs. Also, there are full-time and part-time programs, so a wide range of people attend. There are almost 30 international students, and the only Japanese are APU students.
There are two campuses. The main campus is located near Prater Park, which is a popular amusement park. The second campus is on one floor of a building where broadcasting companies and other businesses are located. Each major has its dedicated campus, but international students can take any courses at either campus.
Most lectures are about 3 hours and include 15-minute breaks.
It is different in each class, but most of these are interactive because of the small number of students and many discussions. The assignments are varied, such as individual projects, group projects, and presentations. Last semester, one of the film class's final assignments was a video shoot with a group!
German classes are offered mainly for international students and have three levels. I didn't understand German when I first arrived in Austria, but I learned to speak it well enough for daily life because of the careful instruction. Students can ask questions anytime. I highly recommend these classes.
This university does not have a dormitory, so I found a place to live through a dormitory management company recommended by the university. I live in a room where two people share a kitchen and bathroom. It is nice to live here because it is close to the city center and has good transportation.
I lived away from my university, so I always use the tram and subway. If I didn’t make it on time, the next train came after a few minutes.
There is a buddy program for international students, and you can interact with a buddy and participate in ESN, a group of international students from all over Europe.
Many exchange students leave after six months, so I was sad when the spring semester ended. However, I was also happy to make new friends in the fall semester. To get to know local students, I recommend taking classes other than those for international students. Also, to get to know Japanese students or students studying Japanese, I recommend attending events at the University of Vienna, where there are many Japanese people and people in the Japanese language department, as you can exchange a lot of information with them. I had been into touring Christmas markets with friends and seeing operas and musicals. Although the days are shorter and the time for activities is limited, I was not bored because I can have fun in this way.
APU is also a wonderful environment full of diversity. However, I hope that you will take advantage of the exchange program to further expand your horizons and challenge yourself to a wider world! I'm cheering for you!
For more application information on APU's overseas exchange programs: https://en.apu.ac.jp/abroad/
Hello, I am Manari Shimamura (Graduated in March 2024). I love to travel and last year I visited 15 countries in Europe. This year, I will be traveling around Asia and Japan. APU and Beppu are full of interesting things to do! I will share with you the charms of APU and Beppu through articles!
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