Jai Sessions – BSc International Hospitality and Tourism Management

My semester studying at MODUL University Vienna was undoubtedly one of the best experiences ever. I loved exploring and living in this beautiful city and meeting people from around the world. Overall, I am so thankful that I have been able to experience this and I encourage anyone thinking about a study exchange to just go for it!

Despite the pandemic making studying abroad uncertain, I managed to fly out weeks before the semester started so that I could spend as long as I could in Vienna and to get settled. MODUL University Vienna is an excellent private university with many international students and it is located in the north of Vienna on a stunning mountain, Kahlenberg. The view there is incredible and the vineyard is amazing in the summer! Despite half of the semester being online due to a lockdown in Vienna and rising COVID-19 cases, I still learned a lot and had fun in the city. I am proud that I managed to adapt to a different university system with higher pass rates for the modules which made me learn more.

Living in Vienna, a cultural city in central Europe, meant that I could visit Hungary and Slovakia and get to know Vienna well. My friends and I went to Budapest for a few days over Halloween and we visited Bratislava for a day in January. I had so much fun, met new people and made a lot of memories!

Vienna is a wonderful city for many reasons:

• Public transportation is very cheap and efficient and I paid around €80 for a semester pass.
• There are always things to do and see because of how cultural the city is. Visiting palaces, museums, coffee houses, parks, and shops are some of the many things that Vienna has to offer. 
• The nightlife in Vienna was pretty good too and my friends and I loved to go to the techno clubs, pubs and bars. 
• The Christmas markets are a must-see! 

A Käsekrainer, which is a cheesy hot dog and Austrian wine, Grüner Veltliner, are probably my favourite things about the city!

Studying abroad is a great experience to discuss for future interviews and professional settings as it demonstrates adaptability, interpersonal skills and confidence. Vienna became my home for 5 months and I am so grateful that I was able to study abroad!