Ellie Walters (electrical engineering)
“Have you ever been to a ball?” No, have you?” I replied. “No, I believe it’s an Austrian tradition,” Vic, one of the international students remarked as we sat around a table surrounded by other wide-eyed international students trying to take in all the dancing, music, and technology that surrounded us. I was at the Graz University of Technology ball, an annual event, apparently one of many balls in Austria that happen annually. That evening in mid January I ended up meeting many international students, as well as other Graz locals whom I would end up going hiking with in the coming weeks. The student life in Graz is absolutely incredible!
Traveling to Austria
When I first got to Graz, Austria, just two hours south of Vienna, I had no idea what to expect. I knew the language spoken was German, that there were lots of mountains, and the family friends I stayed with over the time of my co-op. I was completely blown away by the opportunities for new experiences, people, and work experience I got.
A new country
On January 8th I walked onto the University of Technology campus, and made my way towards a three story orange building, took a deep breath to calm my nerves, and walked into the lobby. I was kindly greeted by a receptionist, who soon took me upstairs to officially sign my contract at Virtual Vehicle Research Center.
After getting my photo taken for my ID, I was shown to my desk and greeted by my supervisor. He gave me the rundown of how the office worked: we had flexible hours, coffee breaks, and he even asked me what I wanted to work on. Culture shock was still hitting me hard, and I was expecting that I would be told what to work on.
After some discussion and asking what the possibilities were, we decided I would work with ROS (Robot Operating System) to filter and simulate LiDAR sensor data collected from an autonomous vehicle. To gain a better understanding of my project, I was lucky enough to ride around in an autonomous vehicle.
Embracing a new culture
As I settled into my new life in Graz, I soon discovered a new favorite food: Styrian bug beans! These are large beans that are usually served with pumpkin seed oil, cold, and are a local delicacy that you can find at the local farmers market.
I was shocked by the amount of produce that you can find fresh in the winter, and as it has turned to spring, there is even more. You can even go into the countryside for wine tasting at a “Buschenschank” in which homemade bread, my favorite bug beans, and local meat from a nearby farm is often served.
In one of my weekend trips to Ljubljana (the capital of Slovenia) I saw many milk vending machines, which I learned people simply brought a bottle and filled it up with milk from local farmers. This abundance of local foods in the winter was one of the many things that surprised me.
Tips for other students
If you’re considering an international co-op, be prepared to be homesick at times (I’m looking forward to having a big plate of sushi), but also be prepared to try new things and say yes. This advice has led me to some of the highlights of my trip: bouldering, salsa dancing, a weekend trip to Budapest, a ski jumping competition, and the famous Austrian Spas.
Try and learn some of the native language before you go, you’d be surprised how little goes a long way, and how much you can pick up if you have a bit of an ear for it. Mostly everyone speaks English, but there have been some cases where speaking a little bit of German has helped me immensely, especially at the grocery store.