Karolina

In my role as support for a student abroad in the FH Technikum Wien’s Buddy Program 2023, I had the great opportunity to guide Princess Rosette, also called Rose, through her academic but also cultural journey in Vienna. Our communication started with an exchange via first Email, then WhatsApp and at the end Instagram, where we introduced ourselves and dived into the essentials of living in Vienna,such as navigating public transport and choosing the right SIM card which won’t cost too much.

Our first problem was: that Rose initially faced challenges with obtaining the appropriate public transport ticket due to a postal code error, but we solved this together in a short time. I guided her to a resourceful website for selecting the most suitable SIM card provider based on her specific needs. Our discussions covered various public transportation ticket options available in Vienna, aiming to identify the best fit for her.

It was a great experience to learn about Rose’s personal interests, the reasons behind her decision to study in Vienna, and her challenges at FH Technikum Wien. I found it interesting to see the view of the image of FH Wien from the perspective of an international student. She was really happy with her studies, only the online courses in her Master’s program made her a little bit sad, because she wanted to make new friends.

Rose and I met in person on November 24th in a typical vienna coffee. While drinking coffee, we exchanged stories about our personal lives. She shared many stories of her past in her home country, her dreams, and her future plans after her master. I also shared my side, finding it fascinating how she admired the european mentality, noticing small things that had never occurred to me (like the benefit of having a whole weekend free, meanwhile in her country, they also have to work on saturday and sunday).

The regular contact continued in many forms, including assistance with study materials and leisure activities. The collaboration with Rose was really positive. We exchanged valuable tips. Our personal meeting deepened our bond and provided deeper insight into the study and everyday life in Vienna. I learned a lot about her life in her home country. The mentorship concluded with the end of Rose’s stay abroad, but we maintain a friendly contact, continuing our friendship hopefully over the next few years