Details

• United States of America
• BBE-18
• Undergraduate
• WS 2024
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months
• Contact: Login to see contact information

1. Preparation

Tips for preparing your exchange (incl. your travel choice to the partner university) I would recommend starting the preparations for the exchange as early as possible, especially regarding the visa, accommodation and health insurance. It is also useful to check the course options and important university deadlines well in advance. For accommodation, I would recommend looking early, as housing close to UCF can be limited and relatively expensive. For travelling to UCF, flying to Orlando is the most convenient option. From Orlando International Airport, the easiest way to get to the university or your accommodation is by Uber/Lyft or rental car. In general, having access to a car is very useful in Orlando, since distances are large and public transportation is limited compared to European cities. I would also recommend arriving a few days before orientation starts to have enough time to settle in, buy everything you need and get familiar with the campus and surrounding area.

2. Accommodation

I stayed at Northgate Lakes, a private student housing complex within walking distance of the UCF campus. I paid around $1,200 per month including utilities. The apartments were furnished, clean, and the bedrooms were quite large. The complex also had facilities such as a pool, gym, and common areas. I did not have a car, but my roommate did, which was very useful. Walmart was the closest option for groceries, around a 10–15 minute walk away. There was a bus going there, but no convenient bus back. A car is therefore not essential for getting to UCF, but it makes everyday life and exploring Orlando much easier.

3. Academic life at host university

The teaching style was quite similar to WU Vienna, with a mix of lectures, assignments and exams. The UCF campus is very large and offers many facilities, although I found it less modern than WU. Walking times can vary significantly depending on where the class is, but there are free student buses around campus. I would especially recommend the Entrepreneurship course. It was very practice-oriented: every week we learned new theory and directly applied it to developing a startup idea. The course included a startup pitch and a final video presentation. The Finance course was also recommendable and provided a solid foundation, although it followed a more traditional format with lectures and a final exam. The Management course was less interesting for me, as much of the content was already familiar and the teaching was fairly standard.

5. Every day life in the host country

Everyday life in the host country Public transport around UCF was quite limited compared to Vienna. The university provides free shuttles around campus, but for most places outside campus you usually need a car or Uber/Lyft. I felt safe around campus and in the student housing area. There was always something going on at UCF, especially around football games and campus events. The university also offers many student clubs and a very large recreation center with a gym, pools, basketball and volleyball courts, climbing facilities and other sports options. Orlando also offers plenty to do outside university, and weekend trips to places such as Cocoa Beach, Miami, Daytona Beach or the theme parks are easy if you have access to a car. However, you can use Lyft (like Uber) wich is way cheaper than in Austria. We also traveled a lot to other states, like California, New York, New Orleans,etc.

6. Testimonial

My exchange at UCF was mainly defined by the people, the vibrant student life and the opportunity to travel. What made it special was that almost all exchange students were highly motivated to experience new things together, which created a very active and social atmosphere. Some of my highlights were trips to New York, New Orleans, San Diego, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami and Key West, as well as a camping trip with other exchange students. The football games and especially the tailgating and party culture before them were another highlight and a great way to experience American college life.