Details

• United States of America
• BaWiSo-23
• Undergraduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months

1. Preparation

In general, I would suggest informing yourself not only about the city in which the university is located, but also conducting thorough research before adding it to your preference list. Important aspects to consider include the weather, housing situation, academic workload, and nearby activities, as you should be satisfied with any university you might ultimately be assigned to. In particular, housing conditions can differ significantly from one university to another. First, I informed myself about the requirements for Bentley University. There is only one: a B2 level of English, which every Austrian student at WU already fulfills. It is important to get an overview of all deadlines early on, as there are many administrative tasks to complete before starting your studies abroad. I would also recommend not delaying the appointment at the U.S. consulate, as it is often quite busy. In my case, however, the visa process only took about one to two weeks. Lastly, I would advise not to pack too many clothes. If you live on campus, you will have the opportunity to do laundry, and storage space in the rooms is limited, but of you might travel so dont forget about that.

2. Accommodation

Search At the beginning, the housing search process was quite overwhelming. Although the campus is not very large, it consists of many different buildings, so it took some time to understand how everything was organized and how the housing allocation process worked. The university asks students about their preferences, such as single room or double room, as well as apartment or suite. An apartment includes a kitchen, whereas a suite does not. Type My accommodation type was standard on-campus housing in a suite. I was lucky enough to receive a single room within a six-person flat. The layout was as follows: on each side of the suite, there was one single room and one double room. All residents shared a common living area as well as a bathroom and shower. We did not have a kitchen, only a sink and a freezer. However, a kitchen was not really necessary, as it is easy to eat on campus. Location My suite was located in the building Copley North on lower campus. The university is built on a hill, which means that students usually have to walk uphill from lower campus to reach the academic buildings on upper campus. However, there is a very convenient shuttle service that makes transportation easy. I felt very safe living in Copley North and never experienced any problems. Overall, the location is decent; while there are a few buildings closer to the Student Center that are better located, there are also several residences that are much farther away. Tips If possible, I would recommend trying to get a single room, as having your own bedroom is very comfortable and provides more privacy. Although the chances are not very high, it is still worth trying. Exchange students often arrive before their American roommates, so I would suggest not buying too many shared items in advance. In many cases, your roommates will already have most common items, such as cleaning appliances and basic household supplies.

3. Academic life at host university

Infrastructure There are two main buildings that are used for classes. Smith- technology center and jennison hall. Next to those buildings there is La Cava Cafe, where you can get different kinds of food. Culture- teaching style The academic culture at Bentley University places a strong emphasis on class attendance and active participation. In my courses, attendance was taken seriously and contributed to the overall grade. Compared to WU Vienna, there was a much greater focus on group work and presentations, which required continuous engagement throughout the semester to get full points. Additionally, not every course included a final exam. Out of the four courses I attended, only two had a traditional final examination, while the others were assessed through projects, presentations, and ongoing coursework.

5. Every day life in the host country

Boston is a great city for exchange students, and I felt very safe whenever I was there. There is always something going on, especially if you are interested in sports. Boston is known for its strong sports culture, and attending games like baseball, ice hockey, or basketball is a must during your stay. It is also possible to visit an American football game, although the stadium is a bit outside the city. Besides sports, Boston offers many bars, cafés, and parks where students like to spend their free time. Especially on weekends, these places are very popular and great for meeting people and relaxing. The city has a nice mix of student life and city life, which makes it easy to feel comfortable quite quickly. Getting around Boston is also very easy. Public transportation is reliable, and you do not need a car. The Bentley shuttle is especially convenient, as it takes you directly to Harvard Square. From there, you can take the subway and reach downtown Boston or other neighborhoods without any problems. Overall, Boston is a very student-friendly city and a great place to experience everyday life during an exchange semester. Watham where Bentley University is actually located is not very special. I would suggest to go to Boston as much as possible. It is just a 20-30 min shuttle ride.

6. Testimonial

What made my exchange really special were the opportunities to travel around the US and even Canada. During my semester, I visited San Francisco, Las Vegas, New York, Providence, and Toronto. Traveling within North America is much cheaper than flying across the ocean, which makes weekend trips or short vacations much more accessible. Boston itself also has a lot to offer throughout the year. The semester starts with a fairly warm summer and ends with a snowy, cold winter, with everything in between. This way, you can really experience Boston and nearby Waltham in all its different seasons and atmospheres. The sports events were probably the highlight of my exchange. With teams like the Celtics, Bruins, Patriots, and Red Sox, the games are really entertaining, and the atmosphere is amazing. The fall semester is especially perfect for sports fans because almost every season is going on at the same time, so there are always exciting games to catch.