Classes at Salzburg College are split into two six-week quarters. The first consists of our mandatory classes, those being Understanding Austria and whatever German level you are at. The next quarter gives you more options. I chose to take Economics and Politics of the EU, Intercultural Communication, and an independent study course covering Romantic music in order to get my Arts 1 credit. Other options available were Art of Propaganda, Art History, and Austrian Literature. Most of the courses meet twice a week and last around two-and-a-half hours.
My favorite class so far has been Intercultural Communication. It has proven to be a good mix of anthropology and history. Though it is more of an evening class (it ends at 6pm on Mondays and Wednesdays), the teacher is amazing and it never feels as if we are trapped in the classroom. For example, last Wednesday we took half of the class to go wander the streets of Salzburg and people-watch. We have the freedom to focus on any countries we wish to in terms of presentations. It is a very interactive class that just has us question our experiences in different cultures.
In terms of study habits, I have not had to worry too much about this issue. We have midterms the third week in of classes meaning there is not that much to memorize and the majority is based on our own experiences for a lot of classes; as long as we can evaluate said experiences through the lenses taught in class we show that we have learned the lesson. Strategy-wise I have found that sitting in a cafe and just reading or writing essays is the best tactic. Austrian cafe-culture allows one to stay as long as they want and provides excellent fuel for focusing. Sitting on the banks of the Salzach River is also very nice and full of other young people studying.
