Once the euphoria of passing the Matura has been digested after what were probably the best summer months in the lives of young Austrians, autumn already heralds the next chapter. The beginning of the study.
For many of the more than 10,000 freshmen who are drawn to Vienna’s universities every year from all corners of Austria, this means one thing above all: leaving the familiar home of their parents and moving into a student dormitory. Despite the freedoms gained by this move promises, however, there are plenty of other reasons besides the loss of a regularly replenishing refrigerator that can cause headaches. To keep your head clear and ensure that nothing gets in the way of a successful student life, we have summarized the most important steps for finding the right dormitory for you.
Step 1: Find the right dormitory
Not all dormitories are the same. Especially in a city with a student population like Vienna
, dormitories can be found in all districts, sizes and price categories. It is worth comparing different offers in advance to avoid a nasty surprise right at the beginning of your studies.
For friends of a cultivated nightlife, for example, the student dormitory in Pfeilgasse probably offers more possibilities to forget one’s studies than even the most experienced pleasure drinker would like. Other homes, however, such as the House Upper Austria, in addition to regular drinking sessions, distinguish themselves by renting rooms only to students from certain federal states. Hurts diversity, perhaps, but provides a home for all those who want to make the move to the big city in a familiar dialect for the time being.
Also what the location you should think about a few things in advance to save yourself unnecessary long walks to unnecessarily long lectures. You can usually find various student dormitories near all universities, so it should not be too difficult to find a suitable home.
Perhaps even more important than the location, since Vienna’s public transport network is already well developed, is the price of the dormitory. This is naturally dependent on many factors. In most cases, however, you are in the range of about 300 – 400 euros. However, if that is beyond your financial means, there are also residence halls that provide cheaper rooms for less comfort. Also with housing subsidies and other subsidies, such as from studium.at summarized, can be used to remedy the situation if necessary. On the other hand, there are also student residences in the range of 400 – 700 euros, where you can sometimes also move into modern apartments with bathroom and kitchen included.
Also provided by studium.at, you can find here a listing of all Viennese student residences including location and price . A more detailed listing of the top 10 dormitories can be found at vienna.at.
Step 2: Secure a place quickly
Once you have chosen the right dormitory, the next step is to secure a place. Here it is advisable to start as soon as possible, as the rush for certain homes is enormous. The already mentioned Pfeilheim, for example, has rooms available again in January 2021 at the earliest and it is advisable to start with an application already now. As a rule, the application involves very few circumstances, but in certain cases documents such as proof of income from parents are required. It is best to inquire about the details directly on the dormitory’s website.
Depending on the time of application, you will either get a room immediately or you will be put in a queue, where it may take several months until you finally get your desired room. Therefore, it is advisable not to consider just one residence hall, but to apply for several acceptable options right away. So if you apply early and for different student residences, there is not much in the way of getting a room at the right address.
Step 3: Research in advance
Once the right room has been found, it’s time to prepare for the upcoming move with a little research. This not only serves to build anticipation for the new phase of life, but also saves a lot of time and energy once you’ve arrived at your dorm. A look at Google Maps, for example, quickly reveals the best shopping, bars and other venues that can be found in the immediate vicinity of your new home address. The websites of various student residences also often provide useful tips on activities in the immediate vicinity, or give general information on life in and around the student residence. Getting to know your future residence hall and its immediate surroundings better in advance definitely pays off.
Step 4: I pack my suitcase…
Quite a few have already made the experience that with the move not only the comfort of parental care is lost with the move into a student dormitory. Also, in terms of the space available in the rooms, in most cases you will find yourself in a significantly smaller room than was the case earlier. So where to put all the stuff that has been painstakingly accumulated over the years and the nursery to what it is now? Well, from the dusty trophy that you get when you’re 11 years old in the school ski course most people can probably still get rid of it relatively easily. With other things, such as the lovingly cared for potted plant or the acoustic guitar, this could be considerably more difficult.
Basically, it should be said that most rooms in student dormitories are already furnished, which makes the move much easier. Bed, desk, closet and chair are standard equipment in and of themselves, and smaller items like bedside lamps or wall clocks are often included as well. However, it is advisable to inform yourself in advance about the exact conditions in the student dormitory.
Since you usually have to make do with a shared kitchen, where dishes and utensils are usually all available, you don’t have to worry as much about that. However, having a kettle and a microwave in your own room is a tip that is recommended to everyone. Thus, tea is provided in the cold season and you can prepare small things in your own room without having to use the (sometimes not so clean) communal kitchen every time. Slippers for the common area are also recommended. If you are a light sleeper, or even if you are staying in a double room, you are advised to pack earplugs. A snoring roommate or a late night after party in the next room should never be ruled out in a student dormitory 😉
Step 5: The move
Once your new room is finally ready and all your belongings are carefully stowed away, all that’s left is the final step in your student life: The move. However, in order to successfully overcome this last hurdle, it may be advisable to call on outside help.
Instead of filling up your parents’ car three times to transport the bulky moving boxes and other valuable artifacts to the new home, we offer a moving service
which is not only easy on the wallet, but also on the nerves. Our experts in moving and transportation take care of the entire process, so that a carefree start to a new life has no stones, and certainly no moving boxes are put in the way.
However, we offer more than just turning your move from all over Austria into a relaxing journey. As Austria’s most modern self-storage company in the south of Vienna you can store everything that is dear and valuable to you close to you, instead of having to do without it due to lack of space in your dormitory. You can use our app or website to digitally manage your belongings in a relaxed manner at any time, or have them delivered exactly where you want them.
The step into student life holds countless challenges and hurdles. Don’t let moving to a new life and storing your belongings be one of them. You are welcome to ask simply and without obligation for a removal service at STORE ROOM request. We look forward to doing the rest for you.
Your STORE ROOM Team 🤖
