MEIN LEBEN IN GRAZ - AUSTRIA (Sabrina Cyndi Azhari Pasaribu)

Hi! My name is Sabrina Cyndi Azhari Pasaribu, I’m 21 years old and I was a third-year management student of Universitas Sumatera Utara, Indonesia, when I went to Graz, Austria within the ERASMUS+ student exchange program in FH JOANNEUM. I still remember the day that I read this student exchange program opportunity through our class LINE group and then I asked for my parents’ permission to let me apply this program. On August 2017, I got the email that could change my life! FH Joanneum mailed me that I got the one semester-student exchange program for Summer Semester 2018! I was grateful and speechless for a while, back then, I always have had this dream, to study abroad since I was in Junior High School and God answers all of those prayers on my very very last bachelor semester! It was unbelieveable!
The International Relation Office of FH JOANNEUM are likely to send every information that I need by emails before I arrive there. All the paper and administrative things have completed well-informed by them. They were so responsive, helpful yet so friendly. They really try their best to figure the problem out. Finally, I got my first passport and Schengen Visa and on February 9th, 2018, after 17 hours flight, I arrived in Graz, Austria. I couldn’t help myself to stop looking at the window from my seat, see that everything was covered in white, it must be SNOW! It seems that the snow wait for me because even this called “Summer Semester” but the snow still there and I was grateful that finally I could experience my first snow in my life.

View from Frankfurt to Graz

Before my arrival, I registered for a Buddy Program in Graz that organized by ESN (Erasmus Student Network), a program where local student make friends with incoming student and also help them to start their time in there, so I paired with Emma. We met in Graz airport and we went to IKEA to buy some items that I would need for my 5 months stay in Graz. We also share our stories and had so much fun.
The next Monday, the Orientation Week started by Welcome Lunch in FH Joanneum. Still clear in my mind there was snow falling and I felt so excited yet so nervous in the same time since I used to be a little bit shy for meeting new people, especially with my low level English skill and in addition when I realized that I’m the only woman with hijab. It was really challenge me how I can represent myself as a Muslim, as an Indonesian, as a student and the important thing was represent me as myself with all of those stereotype I heard. Totally I have no idea how this semester will be feels like. But then, all those fears just gone since I stepped my foot on the third floor – International Relations Office. The staffs welcome me with their smiles and then I found myself having some conversations with my new friends all over the world. They made sure that all the international students get along in order to have a wonderful start to the semester. It truly felt like a home away from home.

Half of Summer Semester Exchange Students after Welcome Lunch

I was in Global Business Program (GBP) and took 5 courses. Even Austria is a German-speaking country, but all the courses in this program taught in English. This program has special system that the student will have only 1 course everyday for 1 week or 2 week so the weeks are literally empty that you can have time to travel. The lecturers were well prepared, professional, friendly and let you feel engaged during classes. The teaching methods were a bit different from my home university and required a lot of case study, discussion and interaction between the students and also the lecturer. Also that each student have their own FH account so I get the access to all of the presentation slides, cases and material of each courses and it made me well-informed and more focus during the class. GBP invites professors from different countries or universities and also from FH, so I can taste quite different kind of courses every week because every professor has a different teaching style.

 After the class with Prof. Otmar Varela, Organizational Behaviour Lecturer

The fact that the classroom was composed of people from all over the world allowed me to interact and make friends from places I previously never thought I would. I liked this aspect because it gave me a different experience, had engaging tasks which are either done as individually or group work in a multicultural setting by being in the same room and group with other international students and also can learn about their country, cultures, languages, people, and perspectives. Moreover the local students and lecturers are very nice and helpful. All of those differences and diversity amazed me and teach me to be a better person every day ever since.

World Cafe method, like a  group discussion in class

Besides improving my English skill through everyday conversations, I also took A1.1 German Courses offered by FH to improve my language skills and truly experience the local culture and people. I learnt speak simple basic sentences in my daily activity such as greeting, thanking people and order food, drink or Kebab auf Deutsch! Ich bin glucklich. Even now I keep learning deutsch by myself in my sparetime with YouTube and internet.

German A1.1 Class having dinner together. Wir bestellen Essen auf deutsch

FH Joanneum frequently made some events for the students so we can participate and find friends there. The International Relation Office provides all the information needed. I joined the Cultural Evening, Tandem+ Program, International Fair and Vienna Excursion. The students also like to attend some parties and events in Graz. Graz city always have the way to entertain the citizen through many events. It’s a remarkable experience meeting and making friends in Austria with students from many countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, England, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Holland, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Korea, Mexico, Pakistan, Poland, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Uganda, Russia, and of course Austrians. We were united in Graz!

Cultural Evening of Indonesia - presentation

During my stay in Graz, fortunately I met Indonesian people who lives in Graz. Once a month we had Muslim gathering when we can recharge our iman and share some foods together. I also got the chance to meet Indonesian people from the same ethnic with me, Bataknese, in Austria. These year was my very first Ramadhan abroad, when I am as a Muslim should fasting for a month. It was challenging since the fasting time in Austria was 17 hours long, which is a bit longer than in Indonesia but as the time goes I enjoyed it and also attended some Iftar Party in Graz. I celebrated Eid Fitri in Indonesian Embassy, Vienna, surrounded by my new Indonesian friends.

Attend Klanglicht event in Graz with my Indonesian friends

With Indonesian Bataknese, on an annual meeting in Austria

Another amazing opportunity from this ERASMUS program was travelling! Once we are studying abroad for the exchange program, travelling becomes a part of everyday life. My first trip was ice skating in Budapest, then a day walking trip in Maribor. Then, I planned 2 weeks-straight travelling around Europe together with my friends during Easter Holiday. We went to Vienna, Berlin, Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris and a 6 hours transit in Switzerland. We set a student-budget-frienldy trip from our grant. I also have a day trip in Hallstatt and Salzburg in Austria. We cook our breakfast and lunch during the trip together to save more money. Every country in Europe feel so close to reach supported by very good transportations and infrastructures. In most of our destination we also visited the Mosques as our place to go. I made my mini Vlog on Instagram and on my YouTube Channel to share the videos of our trip experiences.

Ice skating in Budapest, Hungary

In front of Reichstag in Berlin, Germany

Eiffel Tower at night, Paris, France

 

Vienna Excursion with FH Joanneum

I looked back at those five months spent abroad and realized it was the best thing I had done so far as a student and a truly memorable inspiring experience. Everything that I experienced obviously beneficial for me not only academically, but also for my self improvement. My life in Graz as an exchange student was awesome and unforgettable. I really satisfied with my time not only in FH Joanneum, University of Applied Sciences, but in Graz in general. The city is so green, clean, organized, everything is within walking distance, the tram, bus and train were on time, there were also a lot of students from all over the world, different cultures, nice people and also I have never experienced any racism as a Muslim during my stay in Graz and Austria. One of many things that I learn from people in here was how to do work-life balance, they know how to enjoy their quality time and not work overload. I experienced the chance to see what it means and feels to manage those things that a responsible adult deals with every day especially because I have to do all thing in a foreign environment and deal with different people, culture and mentalities, totally out of my comfort zone. I have gained new qualities such as being more confident from the old shy me, self awareness, more localize yet internationalize ourself, got fresh new eyes and perspectives in seeing diversity in the world and more international knowledge about places and people, which is far away from Indonesia.

 Goodbye Picnic at FH Joanneum

It was a wonderful thing to know that we made friends beyond the borders of our country, with whom that we will always have a lot to share and memorize even though we don’t see each other every day now, but still keep in touch through social media and technologies this day. I extremely recommend this program to every student! It helps us understand our own potential better and get a wider perspective of thinking and understanding. Trust me, get out from our comfort zone and just do it! Now, I am back in Indonesia but my time and memories spent as a student of FH JOANNEUM remains with me forever. I believe that the beauty of studying abroad is we get the opportunity to gain these experiences, relations and qualities early in our life as a student and I am so much grateful that I had the opportunity to spend mine in Graz, Austria. Vielen dank FH Joanneum und ERASMUS! Thank you for helping me to make this possible. Ich hab euch lieb. Terima kasih