Details

• United States of America
• BaWiSo-23
• Undergraduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 5 months

1. Preparation

It is important to attend the information events and the AG presentations at the WU campus and, ideally, to talk to people who have already been to Illinois. That is where you actually learn everything important you need to know. In addition, there is a regular get-together where the WU x Illinois community meets. This is an ideal opportunity to get to know students from UIUC even before going abroad, which is very important because once you are in Illinois, you already know locals who can give you lots of tips. Unfortunately, I personally missed the chance to attend these meet-ups, but my roommate in Champaign took advantage of this opportunity and therefore had a much “easier” start. Of course, it is also recommended to research the university online so that you already have an idea of how things generally work there and what opportunities are available (courses, housing, sports programs, intramural activities (= recreational sports teams)).

2. Accommodation

I remember that it wasn’t easy to find proper accommodation because obviously you don’t know which companies are serious and which locations are good. But together with my three roommates, we did a lot of research on the internet and read lots of exchange reports to get an idea of what could make sense for us. I personally stayed at 304 E Daniel Street, which is a student housing building run by a private company called Smile Student Living. Overall, I was happy with my housing situation because, despite the staircase looking pretty much like a prison, the building was super close to the campus, the rent was rather affordable compared to other buildings (695$), and the apartment itself was clean and comfortable. The only big disadvantage was that Smile only offered a 12-month contract, even though we only stayed in Champaign for five months. This meant that we had to find subtenants, which was much harder than expected. I was lucky to find a subtenant for a discounted price of $600 instead of $695, but I know many friends who had to sublease their room for an even bigger discount, and some didn’t find a subtenant at all. There are only two ways to avoid this situation, since, as far as I know, all private companies only offer full-year contracts. The two options are either booking an Airbnb for the entire stay (four friends of mine did that, but they were a 15-minute bus ride away from the main campus) or living in a student housing building run directly by UIUC. However, in that case, you would share a room with a stranger and would be required to purchase a meal plan.

3. Academic life at host university

The campus has a lot to offer: not only teaching buildings, but also several libraries, lots of food spots, two large sports centers where you can practice pretty much every sport, a huge gym, swimming pools, and many other leisure activities. Compared to WU, it was much easier to get good grades, but that is probably also because I personally took rather easy classes, as I wanted to travel a lot and therefore didn’t have that much time to study. Additionally, the teaching style was much more practical and relaxed compared to WU, where courses are often rather theoretical and formal. The units were structured more like a discussion group than traditional monologue lectures. Sometimes students would even go to class in their pajamas, which was very unfamiliar to me in the beginning coming from WU. But I noticed that students are generally more motivated and hardworking than in Vienna. This is probably because in the United States students have to pay thousands of dollars for university, and many of them have to take out student loans, so they obviously want to get the maximum out of it. Another highlight was the diversity and variety of courses. There is a class for pretty much every topic you can think of.

5. Every day life in the host country

There was a very well-functioning bus service around campus, but honestly, I didn’t use it very often because everything I needed was within walking distance, and I personally like to walk. Regarding safety, I felt very safe, and there was no situation in which I was scared or felt uncomfortable. However, only a three-minute walk away from my home, somebody was shot and killed on the street. Both the perpetrator and the victim were not students, and luckily, I was not in Champaign when it happened, but it was definitely difficult to process at first. There are endless social and sports options for students. In the basement of the main building, there are multiple bowling lanes, pool tables, and other fun games. Additionally, there are two so called "ARCs", including gyms, pools, basketball halls, and much more. Furthermore, there are several tennis courts, soccer fields, outdoor volleyball courts, and more. There are also many sports events that students can attend, especially university football and basketball games. Every match day is a huge and very fun event.

6. Testimonial

My stay abroad was very special and unforgettable for me and helped me develop both academically and personally. Most importantly, I met so many amazing people and made lasting friendships along the way. There was a large exchange student community with students from all over the world that made my stay very special. We shared more or less the same interests, such as traveling, attending social events, and going to bars. UIUC is probably one of the best universities in the US for partying and having fun. As already mentioned, I traveled around the country a lot during my stay, and I would recommend everyone to do the same. There is a bus service that I always used called Peoria Charter, which brings you directly from campus to both airports in Chicago for about $45. The campus and surrounding neighborhoods look exactly like something out of a TV show or movie. If you’re looking for the real American experience, UIUC is the perfect destination for you!