Lucia Huang ‘26

The following post was adapted from a conversation between Lucia Huang ‘26 and Nela Loftin ‘28, an intern with the Global Engagement Office (GEO).¹

Lucia is an English major with double minors in linguistics and German, who studied in Vienna on an IES Abroad program with a focus on “European Society & Culture.” From exploring cemeteries to operas, Lucia recalls her experience in Vienna and how it shaped personal growth.

How would you describe the atmosphere of Vienna to someone who’s never been?

One of the main things that stood out to me was the city’s emphasis on the arts. Vienna has a history of producing some pretty famous painters, musicians, and writers.

Our program center was this 18th-century palace with gold designs along the walls and ceilings. It never stopped being unbelievable that we got to take classes there.

A lot of my classes went on excursions to museums. And I spent a lot of my free time going to operas and ballets. The tickets were super cheap because of the student discounts. I could sit in the front row at the opera for 15 euros. It was wonderful.

Even though we had lots of public transport options, I know sometimes people would just take the half-hour walk to get home after class, because it was so pretty outside. There were lots of parks and churches and really ornate buildings.  In the winter, a bunch of streets had string lights hung across them, which created this incredible scene.

What were some of your favorite places?

It might not be a typical answer, but my favorite place to visit was the Saint Marx Cemetery. There were lots of trees and a nice little pathway. Personally, I sought out opera venues, but I know a lot of people were really into the art museums. My apartment was also next to an amusement park with a Ferris wheel and roller coasters. There was so much to do and see. 

What were your living arrangements like? 

I was in an apartment. I had a single with my own bathroom, which was amazing. (When I got back to campus, I was like, oh, we’re really back, right?) My apartment building had the entire first floor dedicated to students from the IES Vienna program. The other floors were for other residents. All of the rooms were incredible, especially the kitchens. 

One unexpected experience was that almost half the people in my program were from the same school/fraternity. So even though we were housed together, the program felt, at least for me, more independent than Swarthmore. But I found my people; and I still stay in touch with them.

Can you share a bit about your academic experience?

Something I focused on when choosing a program was language immersion for German. At the same time, I was intimidated at the thought of being in a program that was strictly German. I picked my program because it offered both German and English. 

I took a total of five classes. My theatre and German courses were taught in German, and my music, art history, and literature courses were taught in English. 

Going in, I expected taking classes in German would be difficult because some of my course descriptions recommended four to five semesters of college-level instruction, and I only had three.  But it was surprisingly doable. Some students came in without prior German and were still able to take a full course load of classes [in English]. There was also an optional language contract for students who wanted a more German-intensive experience.

I found the workload to be very different abroad. For most of my classes at Swarthmore, it feels like you need to come in already knowing things about the subject. In Vienna, I was able to come in not having any expectations for myself, and I liked that. The professors were very understanding and kind.

What are some lessons of personal growth for you?

Two main things come to mind: one from an academic perspective and the other personal. 

Before, I always had really bad impostor syndrome. I was scared going into classes because I had such high expectations for myself. While abroad, everything was completely new, so I didn’t think about “how” I was supposed to be doing my work. Instead, I could focus on actually doing it. Then, after finishing, I was like, wait, I’m enjoying this. I’m figuring things out.

Also, I became more comfortable with chaos. Traveling back and forth. Having to wake up at 4 am to go to a different country. I’m way better at that stuff now.  We had a series of chaotic days at the end of the program because our finals were scheduled for the very last week. I only started packing and cleaning up the night before we had to leave. It was so crazy; I was running around all over the place. I thought oh my god, I’m gonna die. But then I didn’t die. I was like, wait, this is pretty fun, right?

If you were to do it all over again, any advice?

I would definitely want to do it again, that’s for sure. When I came to Swarthmore, I was kind of on the fence about studying abroad. I knew I wanted to do it, but it’s also so scary. Then, suddenly, all of my friends were preparing their applications. It was peer pressure, but in a good way. I’m really glad I did. 

When I started out in Vienna, I was just tagging along with my friends.  I could have started exploring by myself earlier. But it took me a little while before I was brave enough to go exploring on my own. I realized I’m more capable and have more control than I thought, like I can just go wherever I want, whenever I want, and I’m allowed to ask for help or leave if I want.

My advice is a bit cliche, but enjoy every moment. Don’t miss out on opportunities because you are overthinking it. Many things didn’t go perfectly. But you still come back in one piece, plus with an exciting story to tell. It’s not every day you get to run around a city you barely know with people you barely know, at some random hour of the night. Don’t be what holds you back from making the most of your experience. 

1. The views and/or opinions represented in the GEO blog belong solely to the student(s) and do not represent Swarthmore College; students are not liable for any errors or omissions in the personal experiences they share. ↩︎