Exchange Report

In regard to preparation, I would make sure you have your visa and your shots finished (make sure to take your rabies vaccine). Aside from that, it should be pretty straightforward regarding the accommodation (which IIM provides and secures for you). Once you get your visa, tickets to Ahmedabad are usually pretty affordable (especially when you book earlier).

Regarding the accommodation, the university handles it. You usually get more information about 2-3 days before the actual program start date. Admin is pretty fast in replying to any questions you may have. The student accommodation is on campus, which is very convenient. Ahmedabad is a pretty safe city; however, most students typically don't really leave the campus as the campus is like a city of its own (there's a small clinic, a few cafes and eateries, and basically anything you need is on campus). Otherwise, you can use apps like Swiggy and Blinkit that deliver quickly and are quite affordable.

In regard to campus facilities and academic culture, it's pretty standard. They teach using a Harvard business case study basis and put an emphasis on in-class participation and less theoretical teaching. The only thing to note is that they grade on a bell curve in comparison to the absolute grading style that is prevalent at WU Vienna. I would highly recommend taking consumer behavior and operations courses, as the professors not only have a wealth of experience in these fields but also bring in guest lecturers who give you real-life exposure.

Every day life was pretty calm and chaotic all at the same time. Regarding public transport, you could use the autos (rickshaws) and Uber taxis. You can either use Rapido or Uber to book the rides since most local vendors will most likely try to rip you off. As mentioned earlier, Ahmedabad is a very family-centered city, so it's pretty safe, and it's within a sober state as well. Within the campus, most of the students are very extracurricular-based, so there's a bunch of sports groups you can join (volleyball, badminton, table tennis, basketball, football, frisbee, etc.). There are usually events that happen regularly on campus (garba for ex.) and quite a few options on campus as well as off campus to explore the city as well!

In a nutshell, India is an amazing place to go visit you not only get to see so many different things you're not usually exposed to but it teaches you a lot about yourself. I definitely recommend India as a place to visit. The people are lovely, and there's always something new you can learn and see since india is such a vast country that encompasses thousands of languages and cultures. You also get to meet people from all over india and learn so much about india from them as well. Overall, a life changing experience.