Graz – an absolute dream
I’m so happy to report I definitely left ANOTHER piece of my heart in Graz.
I always thought it was a hyperbole when people said Year Abroad is the best year of your life, but I cannot underestimate how true this was. I felt so at home as soon as I landed and my time there only continued to get better and better as the months drew onwards.
I’ve met people in Austria that I consider to be my best friends, bonds that I’m sure will last a lifetime. This also means that I’m able to travel to so many more places (and stay there for free!) to visit these friends, I’m currently planning a trip to Oslo to meet my best friend who recently moved there for her Masters!
I was almost completely surrounded by German, which has made my confidence and ability in the language come on leaps and bounds. My classes and lectures were all in German, and I spoke German with my friends who took language classes with me. I also picked up a class in Swedish, which was surprisingly tricky considering I already understand basic Danish! I was also guided towards my 4th language, French, by being exposed to it by one of my best friends. I think this demonstrates that just because you’re in one country, it doesn’t mean you can’t also work on your other languages while you’re there!
I’ve travelled to so many amazing places and made so many memories that I will cherish forever. I was fortunate enough to travel to Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Czechia, as well as the beautiful cities of Copenhagen, Munich, and Strasbourg, and countless other fantastic places in Austria. I can’t remember how many times I ended up going to Vienna in the end, it felt like we were there at least once a month! And I’ll never forget the amazing ski trip to Mölltal or watching the Krampuslauf in Köflach in December. I was also very fortunate to spend a weekend a my friend’s cabin near Graz, hanging out by the campfire and grilling.
The university itself was amazing, modern and classical in equal measure. And don’t be afraid of the rumours of “strictness” in Austrian universities! In Graz at least we were on familiar/first names terms with all the tutors I spoke to face to face and they were all so lovely.
And Graz as a city? AMAZING. It’s the perfect size to traverse completely and big enough to always be able to find everything you need and to always have something to do! It’s not particularly expensive there and the public transport is an absolute DREAM compared to the UK.
The Turing Scheme, grant really helped to support my time in Austria. I could comfortably afford all my bills (including a lovely flatshare five minutes from the city centre and unlimited public transport in the state of Styria!) and still have spending money left over for myself without having to work.
In summary, my time in Austria was an absolute dream and I’m so incredibly thankful that Reading gave me the opportunity to live and study somewhere so amazing and somewhere that I feel really supports my hopes and dreams for the future
Austria Graz
