2013 May
Life at Karl Franzens University, Graz (Austria)
"I arrived in Graz with the pamphlets my university had given me, all about how I had made a great choice by being an Erasmus student. One that really caught my eye was the pictures of Graz, frankly nothing likewhat I had expected, and heralding the fact that this city was the cultural capital in2004." Chris N."You can buy tickets for the buses and trams in tabaks or on the bus/tram itself. Once you buy a ticket it is valid on both, so you can hop on and off as much as you like. There are various durations of tickets available; hourly, daily, weekly, monthly and possibly yearly. You simply get the ticket and stamp it (only once) using the time stamp machines on the tram or bus. The bus/tram numbers are shown on most of the maps. Trams are numbered 1 7.
The main train station in Graz is Hauptbahnhof. This is located on Eggenburgergurtel, which is the other side of the river to Hauptplatz, at the end of Annenstrasse. From Hauptbahnhof you can get pretty much anywhere in the vicinity. The prices of trains are cheaper than in England, and it is worthwhile signing up for a Vorteilskarte, which is the equivalent of the Young Persons Rail Card.
Then there is Graz airport. Not much to say here as it is tiny. However, it is very modern and rarely busy. Those of you flying from London Stansted to Graz will get to know the airport very well! There is a bus service from the airport calling at Hauptbahnhof, Jakominiplatz and Griesgasse amongst other places which costs the price of an hourly bus/tram ticket. If you are travelling to the airport and have an existing bus/tram ticket, you can use the bus for free. The other options from the airport are a taxi or a train from the airport to Hauptbahnhof." Richard M.
"My first impression of Graz was the efficiency of the transport system. On arriving at the Airport, I took a bus directly into the city centre. Travel within the city itself is not only incredibly easy, but also extremely cheap.
Also one of the greatest benefits of choosing Austria is its location with regard to Europe. This is coupled with a rail system that allows travel from Graz to any major city (even as far as Barcelona) very cheaply. Austria actually boarders 7 countries, and cities such as Milan, Prague or Zagreb are only a few hours away." Chris N.
Getting to know the city
"Graz lies in a valley enclosed by mountains. It is a vibrant modern city on the one hand young and innovative, whilst on the other, steeped in tradition. Wide pedestrianised streets, spotlessly clean, are flanked by tall majestic buildings displaying red clay coloured roofs,tory burch handbags, and dominated by the castle, with its tall clock tower being a focal point. It is not just a beautiful city, it is unexpectedly wealthy too.
The city also has a rich tradition which is paired with the Germanic aptitude for engineering. A perfect example of this is the castle in Graz, which is located about 150 feet on a hill above the city. Access to the Schloberg is provided by a high tech elevator that whisks you straight to the top,kate spade, and not just a restaurant but also a garden of roses have been built which highlights the view.
Graz has also 2 rather distinct but nevertheless unique tourist attractions. The first is a museum called the Kunsthaus, built in the shape of an alien spacecraft, located about a 3 minute walk from the town hall. The exhibitions vary between months with set themes, mostly modern art. The more I travelled around Austria,marc jacobs handbags, the more I noticed that modern art seemed very popular and prevalent in all areas,chanel purses, attracting attention from all age groups.
The second building that was erected in 2004 is a steel dome resting in the middle of the river with walkways on either side, called the "Mur Insel". After reading about it I thought it would be unsightly, but actually proved to be quite appealing. Inside this dome is a caf,karen millen, a children's climbing frame, and a small amphitheatre designed for small concerts. It signified to me that Graz wanted to progress but at the same time retain some of its heritage." Chris N." in Graz is generally quite good when it comes to clothes and electrical goods. However, large supermarkets like Tesco are few and far between. Instead there are lots of smaller metro style supermarkets where the range of items is adequate but not great. Be aware that on a Sunday pretty much everything closes down as Graz comes to a standstill. The only places open are some Turkish stores and the Spar at Hauptbahnhof. So don't get caught short needing to buy groceries on a Sunday!
In the mini markets you can buy most of the things you would normally buy in England with a few exceptions. Despite their obsession with pork products, the Austrians have yet to discover the art of making good or any bacon. English style bread is also quite hard to come by, and is often labelled as American! Tea bags are rare and expensive and Marmite doesn't exist. Apart from that it's bearable.
There is a big shopping centre including an Ikea at a place called Centre West. This is located some way out of the city and it accessed by a combination of tram and then bus. In total it is about a 20 25 minute journey from Jakominiplatz." Richard M.
Social Life
"As a city,ralph lauren, Graz has one of the highest numbers of foreigners, boasting over 2000 Erasmus students every year,michael kors purses, and their influence creating a vibrant, cosmopolitan atmosphere. Coincidently I got the impression that cities in Austria tended to be quite closed, definitely a lot less multicultural than England, and in a way I appreciated the ability of seeing a culture without being swamped by outside influence.
I made a very conscience effort to have friends both in the local and Erasmus scenes. The differences were very extreme, in every lifestyle aspect. KFU did a really amazing job at organising parties and meetings for Erasmus students, and this is the best way to meet new people. However this does not reflect the traditional way of life in Austria, and this was something I was keen to explore." Chris N.
"Graz has quite a good number of bars and clubs. Most of the latter are found near the university on Elizabethstrasse. Certain nights are dedicated Erasmus nights which are always good fun. Bars and pubs are dotted all over the city. A favourite amongst the English speakers are the two Irish pubs Flann O'Brien (Flanns) and O'Carolans. Both of these can be found just off Hauptplatz and have a great atmosphere with genuine Irish bar staff! Flanns is open all day and in to the early morning whilst O'Carolans is open from 7m until around 4am. Trying the food in Flanns is a must, especially the Fish and Chips. Although once you have been there,vans, you will probably be back most days!
The beer in Austria is one thing I will miss the most, along with the service! You just walk in to a pub, sit down and get table service all night and a tab to pay at the end. The local beer is Puntigamer, with the brewery at the end of the no. 5 tram. You can go on a brewery tour with free beer and food at a low price which is a definite must. Doing the tour with a hangover was maybe not the best idea to make the most of it though! The drinking age in Austria is 16 so don't be alarmed to see lots of little 'kids' in the pubs. Although they aren't allowed to touch anything stronger than 11% until they are over 18.
KFU also has its own sports centre and field called USI. At the start of each semester they offer a huge amount of classes to sign up for, ranging from football to darts. Again,hermes birkin, the classes are a great way of meeting people but be aware that not all classes are based at the USI and require some travel around the city." Richard M."I lived the majority of my year in a state of the art flat with 2 Austrians, a Bosnian and a Lithuanian,michael kors purses, and of course this resulted in a great improvement in my German speaking. I arrived having done the top level of German from the foreign language centre in Exeter, only to find myself in the class just above the beginners. A little demoralizing to say the least. However by the end of the year I was taking all my classes in German and understanding the teachers, some of whom had strong accents." Chris N.
at KFU Business School
"It was during the classes that the real hard work ethic was shown, and at first I struggled to keep up,chi flat iron, in particular trying to adapt to the rigidity of the Austrian system. I had been given the impression that Erasmus would be an easy year abroad, but in reality I have never worked so hard in my life. I remember a stressful 4 hours on the computer trying to find courses to apply for, each with different registration windows and timetables. Any clashes simply were not taken into consideration, and perhaps worst of all,newbalance, every degree program,north face outlet, whether a masters, doctorate or bachelor, were all mixed together. I unfortunately found this out the hard way when I discovered my Financial Instruments course was for master students. In spite of this,lululemon canada, the majority of class were taught to a very high level and were clear and understandable. Personally, the luxury of being able to choose my own courses benefited my understanding, as I found them a lot more interesting." Chris N.
"There are actually four universities in Graz and Karl Franzens University (KFU) is one of the biggest. It is a stunning campus university with really impressive buildings, although the campus isn't quite as big as Exeter. The Business school is very modern and stylish. It offers an extensive range of courses taught in both German and English.
On arriving at the Business School I was introduced to the Erasmus co coordinator who gave us a talk on studying in Graz and various other things. There is also an Erasmus co coordinator who looks after all the incoming Erasmus students, who was incredibly helpful for any problems that I had. KFU has a dedicated time for the Erasmus students so help is never far away,herve leger, although they are only open for about 3 hours per day so check the opening hours carefully!
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