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Unit 1: Start smart

Before we talk apps, let’s talk survival.

🏙️ Wien as your new playground​

First things first: Vienna isn’t just where you’ll study, it’s where you’ll live, breathe, and probably have your first “too many Spritzer” moment.

So let’s get you oriented.

📍 Bezirke & where to live​

Vienna’s split into 23 Bezirke (districts). Each with its own vibe:

  • 1st (Innere Stadt): Fancy AF. Tourists, luxury stores, diplomats. If you live here, you’re either rich or renting a closet.
  • 2nd (Leopoldstadt): Prater park, Augarten, hipster cafés popping up. Student-friendly near Vorgartenstraße.
  • 3rd (Landstraße): Central, calm, great connections. Solid choice for students.
  • 7th, 8th, 9th (Neubau, Josefstadt, Alsergrund): The Ring of cool. Packed with students, bars, indie shops, and Vienna’s hipster HQ. Great if you like coffee served in mason jars.
  • 10th (Favoriten): Cheap but mixed reputation. Improving fast though.
  • 18th/19th (Währing/Döbling): Leafy, bougie, quiet. Perfect for a Zen lifestyle or retired professors.
  • 20th (Brigittenau): Budget-friendly, decent links to WU.
  • 21st (Floridsdorf): Residential, further out than most student hubs.
  • 22nd (Donaustadt): Vienna’s biggest district. Cheaper than inner city, solid connection to WU via U2.
  • 23rd (Liesing): Quiet, residential, mostly locals, no direct subway to WU.

🎯 TL;DR: Want student-heavy areas? → 7th, 8th, 9th, 2nd, and parts of the 3rd.

🗺️ WU Campus 101: Where stuff actually happens​

Your new home base = the spaceship-looking WU campus.

Here you will find the “most important locations” in our opinion (besides common lecture areas):

🍝 Where to eat?​

  • Mensa (Get Mensa+): Not really cheap, but solid. With Mensa+, you get a 2 € discount on every meal. More on this in a later unit.
    Mind “Schnitzel-Mittwoch” when it feels like the entire WU lines up for their Schnitzl. You either love it or hate it.

  • 🛒 Spar: Quick snack runs or emergency Red Bull before your 8 AM lecture. Just don’t go around noon unless you enjoy queuing with half of WU.

  • Lia Coffee: Coffee shop in the LC (building with the library) also offers fresh meals (veg & meat/fish). A bit pricey but worth it.

Other options like Bashly’s, Finn, Das Campus, and L’Osteria exist, but let’s be honest: Student life = broke life. The options above give the best ROI.

Sunday Pro Tip: On Sundays, “VAMOS” Kebab near U2 Messe Prater is the go-to option.

🛰️ Where to stay?​

Spaceship (Library & Learning Center): That futuristic building = study heaven… or hell if you forget to reserve a spot during exam season.

Each floor has its own vibe:

  • 1st & 3rd floors: Mystery zones. Great to hide from humanity.
  • 2nd floor: Language center – Sprachkurse live here.
  • 4th floor: Group work central. Louder, lots of PCs, perfect for team projects.
  • 5th & 6th floors: Quiet sanctuaries for deep work. 6th floor = favorite for solo study.

🍷 Spritzerstände​

The unofficial student embassy. Almost every Thursday (sometimes even Wednesdays), the Spritzerstand turns WU into the place to be. Summer = Cocktailstand, autumn = Sturmstand, winter = Glühwein.

📌 Quick note: WU building labels can be confusing at first. Don’t worry – we’ve all been there!
View the official WU Campus map here.

📚 Sommeruni & Winteruni – your secret weapon​

WU runs Summer and Winter University: short, intensive courses during the semester break.

Don’t worry, it’s not just for wannabe overachievers. Loads of students use it to get ahead without sacrificing their summer.

🔥 Fastlane Pro Tip: Knock out VWL (Economics) in your first Sommeruni if you can.
🔥 Secret Weapon: Many find the VWL ÖH Course very helpful.
🔥 Other option: If VWL feels overwhelming, start with EÖR (for WISO students only).

Fastlane recommendation for first semester students: Join the Welcome Days. Great chance to meet people early.

💸 Free Money? Scholarships!​

You’re a broke student. Embrace it. But also hustle:

  • Austrian grants: check oead.at for options.
  • For Germans: Stiftung der deutschen Wirtschaft (SDW). You’ll get: ✅ Mentoring
    ✅ Financial support
    ✅ Access to a great network of future leaders.
  • For others: Contact studieninfo@wu.ac.at for info.

Apply early. Future-you will thank you.

Leistungsstipendium: A one‑off scholarship (€750–€1,500) for top academic achievements. Check requirements here: WU Stipendien. Reapply every September.

🧪 Micro-Challenge: Get your bearings​

Tonight:

✅ Google your Bezirke. Where do you want to live? Or if you’re settled: explore your district.
✅ Save WU’s campus map to your phone.
✅ Check Sommeruni course list (wu.ac.at).
✅ Research scholarships and set a reminder to apply.