When you get an opportunity to do something that you have never tried, you really should take that opportunity! I had five-month exchange in Wels, Austria, and now I am going to give you a little peak to that. I studied at the FH Upper Austria University of Applied Sciences, and I got many stories to tell later to others.
Studying here in Wels has been quite an experience. I am a Bioproduct Engineering student back home, but since they didn’t have a program that matched my studies perfectly, I got to choose courses quite freely from different engineering fields and even some marketing classes. The courses are not very extensive, only 1–3 ECTS credits, which is a big contrast to Finland where courses are usually 3–5 or even up to 10 ECTS. That meant my calendar had been packed with many different subjects. The schedules were sometimes intense, because sometimes classes go until 8 PM or even on Saturdays, but the quality of teaching was usually good, and everything was taught in English.
When I had spare time from school, I tried to make the most of Austria’s beautiful nature. Wels itself is located by the Traun river and offers great running and jogging paths right outside the door. I spend most of my free time outside and running was my favourite activity to do. But the absolute highlight for me was heading out towards the Alps. As a snowboarder, going on a trip to the mountains in Bad Gastein was an incredible experience with perfect winter weather. The sun was shining so warmly, and slopes were difficult enough and in very good shape. I also spent a lot of time hanging out with other exchange students at our dorm yard, playing football or snow fights, and visiting local events like the traditional Krampus parade in the city center. We also had Krampus’ in our school once, which was funny thing to experience.
When you compare studying here to Finland, there are a few big differences. In Finland, student life is full of massive events, student overalls, and structured parties. You can find parties or other events pretty much every day, if you want to. In Wels, things are much more low-key. Instead of big parties, the student union hosts these “Standl” evenings, which are just cozy music nights in the school courtyard where everyone hangs out together and drink beer. But that is pretty much it. Another difference is the schedule flexibility. In Finland, courses rarely overlap badly, but here you really must play Tetris to build your calendar because attendance is strictly mandatory. There is also so many places that doesn’t accept cards, so you must pay by cash in every smaller places.
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