Details

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

1. Preparation

I would recommend starting the preparation for your semester abroad as early as possible. In the beginning, it really helps to take some time to look through the different partner universities and read the exchange reports from previous students. These reports give a very honest impression of what studying and living at the host university is like and can make it much easier to decide where you would like to go. For the application process at WU, it is definitely helpful to prepare a bit for the interview. Thinking about your motivation for going abroad and possible questions in advance makes it much easier to answer confidently during the interview. At the same time, the interview is not something to worry too much about – the coordinators are mainly interested in getting to know you and understanding why you would like to spend a semester abroad. Once you receive your placement, I would recommend starting the organizational steps early, such as completing the application at the partner university and preparing the visa process for the United States. It is also important to organize travel insurance and make sure you have a credit card or debit card that works internationally. Some cards charge relatively high transaction fees abroad, so it is worth checking this in advance. Before starting my semester, I spent some time traveling and therefore first flew from Frankfurt to Los Angeles and then continued to Madison. However, if you want to travel directly to Madison, the easiest option is usually to fly to Chicago. From there, buses run to Madison roughly every hour and the journey takes around two to three hours. The bus tickets are affordable and easy to book, which makes this a very convenient way to reach the city. Flying directly to Madison is possible as well, but flights are usually more limited and often more expensive, as most international connections arrive in larger hubs like Chicago.

2. Accommodation

Finding accommodation in Madison can be one of the more challenging parts of preparing for the semester abroad, so my biggest recommendation is to start looking as early as possible. Housing in Madison is very competitive because the city has a large student population and limited housing capacity. Although new student apartments are constantly being built, demand is still very high, especially if you are only staying for one semester. One mistake I made was waiting for the housing information email from the partner university before starting my search. While UW–Madison does provide some information and there is the possibility to live in university dorms, they were already fully booked when I received the email and only offered a waitlist. I personally did not know any exchange students who lived in the official dorms, but they are generally cheaper than private housing (around 800–1000 USD per month). Most exchange students therefore live in privately operated student apartment buildings. From my experience, Oliv Madison and The Hub are among the best options. Other popular buildings include Chapter and Waterfront. The rent is relatively similar in most of these buildings, but the amenities can differ quite a lot. For example, Waterfront is located directly on Frat Row, which is a great location if you enjoy going out frequently, but the apartments themselves are usually not as modern as those in Oliv or The Hub. One challenge is that many of these apartments primarily offer full-year leases. I would recommend contacting them directly and explaining that you are an exchange student staying for only one semester. Some of them offer semester leases, but the number of spots is limited, so applying early is very important. Another option is searching for sublets in Facebook housing groups. There are several groups where students post available rooms or apartments every day. However, it is important to be careful, as scams unfortunately do exist. In terms of location, I would strongly recommend living close to State Street, which connects the university with downtown Madison. Most bars, restaurants, and student activities take place there, and many exchange students live nearby. Living in this area makes it easy to walk to campus and join spontaneous activities with friends. Private student apartments are definitely more expensive, I personally paid around 1,800 USD per month, but they often come with great amenities such as gyms, study rooms, rooftop terraces, and fully furnished apartments. In my case, I also ended up living with other exchange students, which made it very easy to meet people and quickly build friendships. Overall, the most important advice is to start your housing search as early as possible and try to find a place near State Street or campus, as this will make your experience in Madison much more convenient and enjoyable.

3. Academic life at host university

Academic life at UW–Madison is quite different from what I was used to at WU Vienna. One of the biggest differences is the relationship with professors. In Madison, professors are very approachable and genuinely try to support you. Some even share their personal contact details and encourage you to reach out if you have any problems, even outside of university. This creates a much more personal and relaxed learning environment compared to Vienna. The structure of the courses is also different. Most of the classes I took had mandatory attendance, which can sometimes be a bit annoying, especially if you want to travel and maybe leave earlier or come back during the week. At the same time, just showing up to class already helps you collect a lot of points towards your final grade. In general, there are many smaller assignments throughout the semester. They can take some time, but are usually quite manageable. Exams do not count as much as at WU and are often more like short tests. In my experience, it was usually enough to study one evening to do well. A very helpful tool when choosing courses is the website Madgrades. There you can see grade distributions for each course, which makes it easier to estimate how difficult a class might be. For example, if a very high percentage of students receive an A, it is usually a good sign that the course is manageable. This helped me keep my workload relatively low while still getting very good grades. In terms of courses, I would definitely recommend International Business and Management Consulting. One thing to keep in mind is that for many exchange students, grades do not really matter and they only need to pass. If you want to get good grades, you might need to put in a bit more effort than others, but it is still much less than what we are used to at WU. Besides academics, UW–Madison offers amazing campus facilities, especially for sports. There are several gyms that are included for students and they offer pretty much everything you can think of. You have fitness areas, swimming pools, basketball and volleyball courts, soccer fields, ice hockey rinks and even golf simulators. It is a great way to stay active and also meet new people. Overall, studying at UW–Madison feels more continuous and interactive, but less stressful when it comes to exams. With the right course choices, it is very manageable to balance university, traveling and enjoying your time abroad.

5. Every day life in the host country

Since I had classes every weekday, I was moving quite a bit between campus and home. Everything is so close that I could easily walk to all my classes, which made daily life really convenient. Occasionally, I took the bus for a stop or two. The bus system works very well within Madison, is safe, and is mostly used by students, so it feels very different from public transportation in larger cities like Los Angeles or New York. In my free time, I often went to the gym or met friends at the Lake Café, which became one of our favorite places to hang out. A big part of life in Madison happens in the evenings. Especially at the beginning of the semester, there is something going on almost every night. Going out is a huge part of the social scene, and the busiest days are usually Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. State Street offers countless bars and clubs, so there is always somewhere new to go, and it’s easy to meet people. At the same time, it’s important to be aware that ID checks are taken very seriously. We even witnessed bar raids where people got into trouble for using fake IDs. As an exchange student, that’s definitely not something you want to risk, since it can have consequences for your visa. I would strongly recommend only going out if you are 21 or older. Sports are another huge part of life in Madison. Football games in particular are a highlight and take place almost every weekend. The atmosphere is incredible, with tailgating before the games and people celebrating all day. It’s also worth experiencing a frat party at least once. It can be a bit harder to get in as a guy, but if you know some people, it usually works out. UW–Madison also has hundreds of student clubs, which makes it really easy to get involved and meet American students. I joined the wakeboarding club, which was an amazing experience. We spent a lot of time out on the lake while the weather was still warm, and it was something completely different from what I would normally do at home. Other than that, we often spent time on the rooftops of student housing, grilling and hanging out with other exchange students, especially during the warm first weeks of the semester.

6. Testimonial

My exchange semester at UW–Madison was one of the best experiences of my life. It gave me the opportunity to travel around the U.S., explore different cities, and experience a completely new lifestyle. I met amazing people from all over the world, and many of these friendships will last far beyond my time in the U.S. What made it especially unique was getting to experience the American college life exactly as you imagine it, with a strong sense of community and countless social and academic opportunities. It is an experience that will stay with me for a long time.