Mobility specification

Country:Austria

Institution:University of Salzburg

City:Salzburg

Program:Erasmus+ for study

Activity type:Study

Academic year:2024/2025

MU faculty/department:Faculty of Informatics

Study level abroad:Master

🎓Hit the books! How do you rate the university experience?

Can you enroll in a course where you can learn the local language?yes

Does the university offer enough courses in English?manageable

Are your credits converted?no

Was there anything in the teaching methods that surprised you?Teaching is very disorganized, classes are cancelled ad hoc or even entire courses are cancelled (in the middle of the semester, without prior notice). Before enrolling in a course, the student does not know what he/she will learn in the course, as there is often no information such as the course outline or the form of its completion. They do not have a single IS, but each course uses a different online learning interface, from Teams to Moodle or Blackboard. The teaching (at least at the faculty I went to - Digital and Analytical Sciences) was embarrassingly simple and stripped down compared to FI MUNI - at times, I felt like I was in primary school. :) Most of my courses were online, and some courses even consisted of just taking a commercial online course. I don't feel like I learned anything new and interesting in the entire semester. However, the professors were nice and helpful, and English was not a problem for them.

Does the university offer international students' programs and activities outside of lectures and seminars to help them integrate more quickly?Yes, orientation week and getting to know each other during the various activities was. However, most of the activities were closely associated with drinking alcohol. If we wanted to spend our time a little more meaningfully, we had to organize it ourselves. ESN also organised a trip to Hallstatt, Munich, and a weekend skiing on a glacier.

In which areas does the university offer support for students with special needs and strive to be inclusive?Psychological counseling
Support for LGBTQ+ students (e.g., safe spaces, counseling services)

💸Did you have to rob the bank?

Try to take a guess at what your monthly expenditures were:25000 CZK/month

Did you stay in dorms?yes

What about unexpected expenses? Did anything surprise you?A student ticket for public transport for a semester costs 160 €. At the beginning of the semester the student has to pay about 25€ fee to the student union. In the dormitories/colleges there are then very high booking and departure fees. Groceries in the shop are much more expensive and sold in bigger packages than we are used to. Restaurants are incredibly expensive (lunch in the centre 20 €+, outside the centre 12 €+, students' canteen 8 €+). You can't rely on card payment; you need to have cash with you at all times.

Do you have any tips on how to save money?You can get a lot of stuff on Willhaben (kind of like our Bazos) for very low prices. From kitchen sets to chairs, bicycles to skis. Also, many people in the dormitories leave stuff behind for free when they leave. :) I highly recommend taking your bike with you, as it's much faster than public transport to get around town (and free :))) On the first day of the semester, they give out canteen cards - a 2€ discount on each lunch. However, they are very limited in number (in the lower hundreds for a university with thousands of students :)))), so I recommend running there the moment they start handing them out. If you don't happen to make it, try to get them from friends - it's a piece of paper that you show once to the canteen attendant and they unlock that discount on your canteen account. But they'll often leave you the slip of paper, so you can hand it to your friends afterwards and they'll match it to their accounts too.

🗺 Learn the ropes in a new city

How well did you manage to communicate in English?perfectly

How does public transport work in the city?neutral

And what about transport outside the city?runs like clockwork

Where to find connections? How to buy a ticket?The best is the Salzburg Verkehr app. It searches for connections, you can buy single tickets cheaper than with the driver. It also shows a map, even current delays.

Did you deal with any health issues during your stay?no

🤠Help create the perfect bucket list

What is a must-see in the city?Swimming in Almkanal
Museum der Moderne and the café there overlooking the whole city
Manner and Fürst confectionery shops (original handmade Mozartkügeln are sold there)
The Stiegl beer hall
Augustiner Beerhouse
Hangar7
Kowalski café overlooking the city
Historical study room and library in the PLUS Law School building
Hellbrunner Schloss with garden and fountains
Volksgarten
Anif Zoo
Waldbad Anif - free swimming lake
Leopoldskroner Weiher

Hiking:
Untersberg and ice cave
Gaisberg
Nockstein
Kapuzinenberg and the view of the castle from there

(the entrance to the city fortress Hohensalzburger Festung is expensive and not worth it, there is practically no exhibition)

What are the must-visit trip destinations?Salzburger Ring
Neuschwannstein (tickets must be bought well in advance (weekend tickets can be bought up to a month in advance))

Swimming:
Badesee Kuchl - free swimming lake
Eagle's Nest
Wolfgangsee

Hiking:
Fuchlsee and the climb to Frauenkopf
Gollinger Wasserfall and Bluntauseen
Bad Gastein (and Sportgastein)
Lichtensteinklamm

Skiing (many places can be reached by train, which is included in the price of the day pass):
Bad Gastein (and Sportgastein)
Zell am See
Kaprun
Schladming
Flattach
Grossglockner
Kitzsteinhorn

Towns in the surroundings (direct connections everywhere, either by train or Flixbus):
Hallstatt, Linz, Innsbruck, Munich, Ljubljana, Venice

Share your best experience:The sunsets coupled with the picnic at Nockstein were absolutely amazing. Being able to go skiing every weekend on a completely different hill, on glaciers - that was absolutely unreal for me <3

💅A nugget of wisdom to make the life easier

Did you need to handle a visa?no

How did you get to the place?Car

Is there anything to watch out for before the trip?Parking throughout the city for non-residents is limited to 3hrs/car during the week. Longer you have to park outside the city.

Can you pay by card?neutral

What not to forget when packing?Hiking boots, swimwear, ski equipment, climbing equipment (for ferratas).

🥳Summary

Whew, what a ride! 😮‍💨 Thanks so much for taking the time to complete our survey and for sharing your unique experience. Just one last thing. 🙏 How would you summarize your trip in one or two sentences?A fabulous trip in the heart of the mountains, with endless possibilities for sports - from cycling, skiing and hiking to climbing <3