Hey, my name is Melina and I just finished SIMC. To give you an impression of what life will be like as a SIMCie, I will try to show you what a day might look like during your first two semesters (as many students go abroad in the third and/or fourth semester, obviously your schedule will be quite different). Since most courses do not take place at the same time on the same day every week throughout the semester, not every week will look exactly the same. I also have to admit that I did not work during my first semesters, since I was coming from a different city and wanted to adjust to my new life first – which is what I would suggest for anyone coming from abroad. I’ll also try to give you some insider tips for your daily life at WU and in Vienna in this blog ☺
6:45 am: My alarm clock would ring me out of bed. I am an early riser so I don’t mind getting up at that time. For Vienna, I would say this is rather early since most people start working at 9 am, and university classes also start at 9 am at the earliest. I would have breakfast and then bike to the gym. There are gyms basically at every corner of Vienna, and particularly at the beginning of the semester they bombard you with special offers so make use of it if you can! I would bike right to university afterwards, which is only a 5 minute ride. Biking in Vienna is really easy, because there are bike lanes in most parts of the city and you get to enjoy the beauty of Vienna even more by bike. Another plus of biking is that you get to avoid the hot, smelly subway in the summer :D
8:50 am: I mostly got to university around 8:50, since classes would start at 9. For the fundamentals courses in the first two semesters, you can choose either morning class or afternoon class. As I don’t mind getting up early, I would usually go for the morning courses. The three-hour long class would consist of lectures mixed with group work and more interactive group discussions, with mostly two breaks. The fundamentals courses mainly teach you basic business knowledge, since they are meant to bring everyone to the same level. However, their interactive nature makes them quite interesting even if you know already enough about the subject itself. Additionally, the group work ensures that you get to know your fellow SIMCies quite well.
1 pm: After class, me and some of my fellow students would go to the Mensa. The Mensa is WU’s very own cantine, where you can get a soup, main course, salad and drink for 6€. Compared to other Viennese university Mensas, it is rather expensive but still cheaper than most lunch places on WU campus. The Mensa also offers certain main courses every week – for instance, Wednesday is Schnitzel day, and Thursday is burger day. Mensa is a great place to get to know your peers better, discuss coursework and make plans for the weekend.
2:30 pm: In the afternoon, I would sometimes go to WU’s main library or some of the smaller libraries to study, work on individual assignments or meet with my group mates to work on group assignments. I particularly enjoyed working at the law library, since it is rather small and there are project rooms which you can use by yourself. To get into the law library, just like into the main library, you need to put your stuff into a locker and use your matriculation card to pass the entrance. Unfortunately, food is prohibited - which also means you cannot snack while studying. However, this could result in a more efficient studying session, which leaves enough time to go for coffee breaks to the WU library café with your study buddies.
5:30 pm: Enough studying. In the late afternoon, I would bike back home to prepare dinner and maybe watch some Netflix. But not for a long time, since there would always be something planned in the evening.
8 pm: Some fellow SIMCies and me would meet at the Donaukanal for some drinks, fun and talks. This is an area on the banks of the Danube canal, which is a former arm of the river Danube and is now a water channel bordering Vienna’s city center. During summer (and basically anytime the temperature rises above 15°C), Donaukanal is packed with young people who either visit one of the many bars and restaurants, or just sit on the banks with their friends.
11 pm: After a long day, I would get home and fall into bed.
