An informative PowerPoint presentation regarding studying abroad in Graz, Austria for Seattle University students.

1. Studying Abroad in Graz! SiemacheneinenAustauschjahr? Dannwilkommen! 

2. First things first… A quick video introduction Where is Graz?? Why is Graz so important? How big is Graz? How many people are in Graz? How close is Graz to other cities?

3. Welcome to Graz(Click to start video  )

4. Where is Graz? “The Green Heart of Austria,” Steiermark Southeast Austria, about two hours from Vienna Austria borders Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, and Switzerland. Zagreb, Croatia is also only 2 hours from Graz

5. Why is Graz so important? 2nd largest city in Austria From 1379 to 1619, Graz was residence to the Hapsburg dynasty (the ruling family until 1918) During the Napoleonic Wars, the citizens of Graz managed to protect the symbolic Glockenturm and Uhrturm (bell & clock towers) on the Schlossberg With 5 universities, Graz is an academic hotspot in Austria Arnold Schwarzeneggar (former Governator of California) grew up around here! Graz was named the Cultural Capitol of the World in 2003 For more information about Graz’s history, see www.graz.at

6. How big is Graz? How many people are in Graz? The area of Graz, 40% of which is “green space” is 127.58 km2 The city has about 257,900 long-term residents Nearly 40,000 students live in and attend one of the universities in Graz

8. Venice, Italy (4 hours by bus)

9. Vienna, Austria (2 hours by bus)

10. Zürich, Switzerland (11 hours by overnight train)

11. Prague, Czech Republic (6 hours by train)

12. Budapest, Hungary (4 hours by train)

13. Also Close By:

14. The Balkans (Zagreb, Croatia only 2 hours away by bus)

15. Slovenia

17. Well I’m there… now what? Get your key from Moserhofgasse How to register in the city Where is the WIST Housing Büro? How to get internet through WIST-Housing Where is the university? How should you get around? If you need a cell phone… How do the banks work?

18. Get Your Key from Moserhofgasse But where IS Moserhofgasse? The easiest way to get there is to head to Jakominiplatz(South of Hauptplatz) From there, hop onto Tram #6 headed Southeast (generally, if you’re on the West side of the street, you’ll board the tram in that direction) Tram #6 makes only a few stops before it will stop RIGHT on Moserhofgasse. Walk East on the opposite side of the street, and you’ll come to Moserhofgasse 52, where the WIST Büro is

19. An example of where you might live…

20. What do you mean “register in the city”?? In Austria, you must be a registered resident in whatever city you live in, otherwise you’re considered a squatter To register, you must fill out a form called a “Meldezettel” (application sheet) This form can be found in the housing office where you pick up the key for your dorm OR you can find the form online here. You must then bring the Meldezettel to a Registrar in the city with your passport Try the office on Schmiedgasse (one street west of Hauptplatz/Herrengasse), which is in the same building as the Altstadt Police Station The housing office can provide you with addresses, phone numbers, office hours, etc. Don’t worry if the door is closed!! Austrians don’t keep their doors open, even when their offices are open!

21. How to Get Internet in WIST Dorms You cannot get internet until you’ve: 1) bought an internet cable 2) paid your dorm fees electronically (wiring is easiest) Definitely try to pay for your room BEFORE you come to Graz, to lower stress Students have 25-30 GB of free internet data Skype uses a lot of data, so use video sparingly Until you have Internet, or if you run out of data, Tribeka café near Hauptplatz is a great place to go for FREE Wifi!  They also have awesome coffee!

23. From Lendplatzor the train station, buses 58 and 63 will take you right to the university

24. From Jakominiplatz, bus 39 can take you to KFU

25. The university is about two streets away from Stadtpark, which is about a 5-7 minute walk from Hauptplatz

26. Marked bike paths make walking and biking to the university extremely easy and safe

28. Getting a Cell Phone You need a cell phone plan… Because you’re only in Graz for a little while, you should look for a phone without a binding contract Popular plans for exchange students are “Big Bob” (€9,90 for 1000 minutes, 1000 SMS OR pay as you go), or “B.Free” (pay as you go) More information about these plans can be found with the ESN office or at Niedermeyer (an electronics store) Where to get an international, unlocked phone… It’s technically not allowed to unlock phones (the same it’s “not okay” to do it in the states), but that doesn’t stop most Europeans If you go to a Turkish cell phone shop, you can usually buy unlocked phones there OR they can unlock it for you for € 10 - 13

29. How does the bank work? During welcome week, the two most popular banks, Raiffeissen and Sparkasse, have kiosks set up in the Main Building To withdraw money with your Austrian card, you’ll have to learn the ATM vocabulary (ask a bank clerk to help you with this) Some basics though are: Eigenerlag/Einzahlung = Cash deposit Auszahlung = Withdraw To withdraw money with your American card, a screen will appear that prompts you to pick a language (pick English), and it’s all pretty self-explanatory from there on Remember, most banks charge about $5 per international withdrawal, so withdraw more money at once

30. Well it sounds like German… but I don’t always understand what they’re saying…. Austrian-German is a little different from Hochdeutsch, so you might find the following advice helpful: Intensive Course!! & Courses offered during the year… Common phrases

31. How to improve your German while you’re here… When you first applied, you probably picked if you wanted to come early for the intensive course or not The Intensive Course is a great option because you’ll meet a lot of other international students, and it’s 3 weeks of German for 4 hours, 5 days a week If you didn’t choose to take the intensive course, definitely look into Treffpunktsprache’s German courses (there are at least 5 going at one time)

32. The Intensive Course offers you… International Peers and (more importantly) Friends! A firmer grasp of the language to make your way around Graz on a daily basis!! 60 Hours of Intimate Classroom Instruction with an Austrian German language Professor

33. Some Common Austrian German Phrases Hochdeutsch Bisschen (a little bit) Die Aubergine (eggplant) Die Sahne (cream) Das Abitur (high school) Die Treppe (stairs) Das Brötchen (bread roll) DerPuderzucker (powder sugar) Die Aprikose (apricot) Die Kartoffel (potato) Die Tomate (tomato) Das Päckchen (a package) DerPilz (mushroom) Das Bonbon (candy) Spülen (to do the dishes) Das Pausenbrot (a snack) DerStuhl (chair) Austrian-German Bisserl Die Melanzani Das Obers Die Matura Die Stiege Die Semmel DerStaubzucker Die Marille DerErdapfel DerParadeiser Das Packerl Das Schwammerl Das Zuckerl Abwaschen Die Jause DerSessel

34. Life In Graz What to do if anything is stolen Things to do on a lazy Sunday Places to eat or get a good coffee Place to go out! Going to the movies! How to get to IKEA (or Interspar) Where to get groceries & other necessary stuff

35. What to do if anything is stolen… Fact is, things happen, and you might lose something or having something stolen in a club. It’s not the end of the world, just stay calm and do the following: Go to the nearest police station and make an official stolen items report (be sure that if you’re born in Washington, to specify the Bundesstaat, not the city, D.C.) You lost your student ID? Make a police report, pay €15 at the Buchhaltung und Bilanzierung (Halbärthgasse 8, 1 Stock aka 2nd floor), bring a passport or other form of ID with you to the Unigrazcard office and they’ll reprint the new card for you Credit/Bank cards? Cancel them immediately!! For US cards, contact your bank and follow their procedure. At Austrian banks they’ll charge you about €30 to cancel and create a new card, but it’s worth it. Your ÖBB Vorteilskarte? They’ll charge you €15 – 20 to issue you a new card. You’ll have a temporary for about 4-5 weeks before the official card arrives in the mail. Passports? Contact the embassy ASAP!!! And shoot Mary Beth an e-mail! Other cards? Talk to the specific stores about their policies.

36. It’s Sunday and everything is closed! If you need groceries, head to the train station or to a Turkish shop. They’re generally open till about 8 PM on Sundays Museums tend to be open on the weekends, so catch up on art then! Hockey and soccer matches are often on Sundays, so google the Graz 99ers! It’s lots of fun! Go on a bike ride, walk or run along the Mur. There are paths on either side, and you’re bound to see a different side of Graz.  Cafes tend to be open on Sundays, so meet up with friends! Visit the farmers markets!! Most movie theaters tend to be open on Sundays!

37. Craving a sandwich or a cup of joe? Coffee (Warning: there’s no Starbucks!): Barista’s (Heinrichstrasse 29 or Sporgasse 34) Tribeka (across from the Kunsthaus) The Beanery (around the block from the Uni) Food: In student restaurants all around the Uni are places where you can customize Pasta, Pizza, Sandwiches, Salads, etc. for under €5 The 3 Kügel: For super cheap, you can have traditional Austrian Schnitzel served to you in minutes! Turkish Kebab!! Delicious, inexpensive and easy, most Turkish vendors know English, too! For just a quick croissant, head to Auer Brot or Craving American? McDonalds & Subway are both in JakoPlatz **Remember: You can leave your dishes/trash at the table!

38. It’s Friday Night!! Head to the UniViertel to find clubs galore Club Orange, The Three Monkeys, Kattolinski, and more!! Explore around Haupt- and Jako(mini)-platz Riff The Steirer Pub, Hasenfeuer, The Office Pub (“English” Trivia Night on Tuesdays), Glockenspiel, and more!! Elsewhere in Graz: Postgarage (a popular club near Grießplatz) Exil (a relaxed pub in Lendplatz) **Note: on Saturday nights, some clubs are only for 21+ guests!!

39. Where Can I See a Movie? Most cinemas in Graz offer current films already translated into German. If you don’t mind watching the movie in German, go to: UCI Kino (West of the Kunsthaus, just follow the Tram #6 line) CineMaxx (near IKEA, reachable with the 67) For English films, there is one specifically English cinema called Royal Kino Get there by getting off Tram 4 or 5 at the first stop after Jakominiplatz (headed South) The Kino is across the street, and tickets are generally about €4

40. I need furniture, a trash can, a wider food selection, etc. But where do I get that stuff?? Monday-Saturday, you can take Bus 67 from Lendplatz to City Park, a shopping mall with many clothing stores and an InterSpar (the Austrian Fred Meyer) Take Tram 5 to Puntigam, where you can take a 2-minute bus ride to IKEA for household needs, or one stop further to Shopping Mall West (like City Park)

41. Groceries & Other Stuff… Grocery Store Chains: Spar, EuroSpar, InterSpar(Bigger and wider selection as the name gets longer ;-) ) Billa (cheaper than Spar with good deals if you have a Billa Club Card) Hofer (cheapest and open latest, best option for basic grocery needs) Merkur (probably the biggest grocery store) Zeitpunkt (the cheapest option) Turkish shops (super cheap with a slightly different selection) Farmers Markets (fresh produce galore!! And a chance to practice your German) All medications, cold medicines and aspirin are only sold at an Apotheke(pharmacy) Toiletries & Cleaning Supplies can be found with the widest selection at Drug Stores: BIPA (Get a BIPA Card), DM, or Schlecker Buy school supplies at LIBRO (Remember to get a Libro card for discounts!!)

43. SUNY (The State University of New York) has many study abroad programs all over the world.

44. They offer frequent excursions inside and outside of Graz just for fun or for reasons that pertain to curriculum of some of their courses offered exclusively to Americans.

46. Austrian Traditions Auf Steiern Festival Every September in Graz Taste traditional Styrian cuisine Observe traditional Austrian dress (Dirndl’s and Lederhosen) Advent Markets The entire month of December! Warm up with a mug of Glühwein or Kinderpunsch! Krampus Parade Every December 5th St. Nikolaus comes to reward well-behaved children, but the Krampus and Pechtern come to “punish” those who have been bad! Watch out for their whips!

47. Getting Your Courses Approved What information do you need from KFU? Who should you contact? How should you ask for this information? How many ECTS points will you get for this course?

48. SU needs you to get the following info: Institutional document stating exactly how many credits the course is worth. This is important, but likely documented on a course description as opposed to a syllabus. How many course contact hours or how many hours students are in class. Course objectives and topics to describe what students will learn in the course. Course literature/text used in the course. Assignments, activities, quizzes or exams in the course. How the learning is assessed or how the course is graded. And if this information can be provided in syllabus form, that would be great (and easiest for you!!) 

49. Who should you contact at KFU? If you look in the course directory, the course description online lists “Contact information” Generally an office assistant or teaching assistant is listed Contact them FIRST before you try to email professors for information Most professors do not answer emails to students E-Mail etiquette is also not the same as in the States, so most people suggest that you actually go to the offices of the professors/their assistants if you have questions

50. How to ask for the information: English To whom it concerns: [Introduce yourself] The course [course name and number] seems interesting, therefore I am requesting documents or links to information. The information I need follows: [See previous slide for translations] [Any other information you’d like to share with the assistant or professor] Thank you for all of your help. I look forward to your response. Sincerely, German An die zuständige Abteilung: [Stellst du dich vor] Der Kurs "Grundlagen der Wirtschaftsinformatik 332.160" scheint interessant, deshalb bitte ich Sie, ob Sie mir ein Dokument oder Links mit Informationen schicken könnten. Die Informationen, die ich brauche, folgen: 1) Ein Institutionelldokument, das erklärt, wie viele ECTS Punkte der Kurs wert ist. 2) Wie viele Semesterwochenstunden hat dieser Kurs? 3) Was sind die Kursziele und der Inhalt des Kurs (detailliert)? 4) Welche Pflichtliteratur gibt es in diesem Kurs? 5) Gibt es Hausarbeit, Aktivitäten, oder Zwischenklausure außer der Schlussexamen in diesem Kurs? 6) Wie ist Lernen bewertet? (Oder) Wie ist der Kurs benotet oder bewertet? [Andere Informationen] Viele Dank für alle Ihre Hilfe. Ich freue mich auf eine Antwort von Ihnen! Hochachtungsvoll,

51. How many ECTS points will I get? And how are contact hours calculated? According to the Office of International Relations in Graz at KFU, exchange students will receive the maximum possible ECTS points offered for a course If you want to know how your grades at KFU will transfer back, see: Comparing ECTS and American Grade Transcripts

52. For more information, contact… The Seattle University Education Abroad Office www.seattleu.edu/studyabroad Suabroad-info@seattleu.edu The Karl-Franzens University Office of International Relations international@uni-graz.at Christa Graussauer, christa.graussauer@uni-graz.at

53. We look forward to seeing you soon in Graz!!

54. Photo Credit to… AjlaAljic Arielle Newcomb Christine Newcomb Kalen Ramey Katie Breiwick Laura Green LindziVanBrocklin GrazTourism.at