A Maymester Program Leads to A Semester Abroad in Austria

Nicholas Neuman, a junior in agricultural economics and political science from Rushville, IN, spent the Spring 2025 Semester studying abroad in Vienna, Austria. His interest in a semester abroad was sparked when he first went to France and Monaco for a Maymester program after his freshman year. Nicholas quickly added the Global Food and Agricultural Systems Minor and started planning for his semester abroad!

The official program at the Vienna University of Economics and Business began on February 3 with a pre-cultural orientation program and a German class. Classes started in early March and run through the end of June. After classes wrap up, Nicholas heads to Galway, Ireland, for the summer to conduct rural development research for his undergraduate thesis.

Nicholas has found the academics in Vienna to be quite different than those at Purdue. Classes only meet once a week for much longer durations (2-3 hours), and they are very heavily test- and group-project-based. He finds the “Austrian/Viennese straight to the point culture” very refreshing, loves their large coffee culture and will miss the availability of Mediterranean (specifically Greek) food.

He shares, “I am trying to see as much of Europe as I can during my exchange semester. This experience has definitely increased my desire to travel.” By early April, Nicholas had already visited Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary and Spain, with plans to visit Italy, Malta, Croatia, Portugal, the UK and Slovenia before leaving in June! His favorite place so far has been Hallstatt, Austria, which was the inspiration for Disney’s Frozen.

Nicholas summarized his experience, “This study abroad program has increased my independence and willingness to be uncomfortable. Moreover, it’s opened my eyes to varying political and economic systems and how they compare to the United States.” His advice to students considering a semester abroad is, “Do it! Many students are worried about making friends. Going to a University with a large exchange program will ensure that you can make friends from all over the world.”