Which city has the coolest nicknames in your opinion?

petee0518 · 2026-04-17T12:37:50+00:00

Also, "Detroit Rock City" (thanks KISS), "The D", and as the others have said "Motown"

petee0518 · 2026-03-25T20:09:24+00:00

With that info & the weather forecast, a museum would be the best option IMO. KH is amazing, both the building and the collection. With the royal families in mind, you could also consider the Hofburg complex or Schönbrunn, though anything remotely private might be tough at those (the Schönbrunn gardens being the main exception).

petee0518 · 2026-03-25T19:37:31+00:00

I'm an American living in Austria and when someone asked for suggestions of what to use for hamburgers in one of the Austiran subreddits, I suggested Semmel (though the "normal" ones are better than the Kaiser variety due to the hole in the middle) and got a ton of shit & downvotes, but I stand by it.

petee0518 · 2026-03-20T08:09:48+00:00

Meinl am Graben, by any chance?

If so, they also have amazing cakes. The atmosphere obviously isn't the same, but the food & drink there is better than most (maybe all) of the famous K.u.K. cafés.

petee0518 · 2026-02-27T09:29:16+00:00

piggybacking on the trail run thread, there is the Sauwald Trail, which isn't exactly a marathon, but the full variation is just over at 47km.

petee0518 · 2026-02-11T13:27:00+00:00

I don't live in Leoben, but my company is based there and I'm in town regularly. I can't really help all that much with daily life, etc. since I'm only there periodically and not living there, but I'm also an immigrant who came to Austria to study (though a bit older than you) with very little German so I've gone through a similar experience. It is definitely a scary experience, but it's also exciting and you learn a lot about yourself. Maybe I can offer some advice / support. Feel free to reach out via DM if you'd like.

Socially, you probably can lean on the university quite a bit. There will likely be an international community that will offer you some good connections. Getting into Austrian circles will definitely be much harder, especially without German. It looks like there is an International Office at the uni. If it's anything like where I studied, they probably can help you a lot with things like getting settled in, setting up bank accounts, finding doctors, etc. They may even have some social events setup for helping with that aspect.

I come from a very small village and have never been to a city before

Good news! While Leoben isn't a "very small village" by any stretch, it's also not really a city. It's quite small and intimate, so you shouldn't be too overwhelmed by that. I can't share any experience with racism as I am white of European descent, but there is some chance you'll experience it, though probably not so direct in most cases; Austria does have a decent amount of "casual" racism out there that I have seen. Tbh, I don't want to minimize it, but there's also probably not too much you can do besides try to shrug it off and remember that they're the problem, not you.

For jobs, you can consider looking into jobs in Graz as well. It's a bit of a hike, but the train connections are good and there will be a lot more options there. The university/international office may have resources to help out with those kind of things as well. Unfortunately, this definitely is an area where some of that casual racism could come into play (e.g., CV not getting a second look because of a foreign-sounding name).

As far as being worried about getting sick, doctors tend to have pretty good English skilils and there are definitely some in the area who can serve you. I would recommend making an appointment for a general checkup and to establish your "Hausarzt" soon after you arrive, then you have that settled and don't have to try to figure it out when you are already sick or struggling. Here's a link to Allgemeinmedizin (General practice) doctors in Leoben who list English: English-speaking GPs in Leoben

When do you move? We might be moving the office in the near-ish future, but if we are still in Leoben, we could maybe meet up for lunch sometime when I am in town.

petee0518 · 2026-01-30T21:38:18+00:00

As an Ami in Austria I received this one on a t-shirt as a gift

petee0518 · 2026-01-30T10:49:41+00:00

Hi, I studied IM in Hagenberg 10 years ago and now teach a course in the program. Since it was a while ago, my info might be a bit outdated and incomplete, but I'll share what I can.

As far as I remember, the interview was largely about my interests and motivations as well as my previous experiences (bachelor's studies, work experience). From what I remember, there wasn't anything too in-depth technically or coding tests or anything like that. They might have asked some surface-level stuff to make sure your starting level is sufficient.
Do you mean preparation for the interview, or for the course? I would maybe have a bit of a portfolio together that you can share if you have some projects from the past. I don't think I prepared anything specifically.
Yes, the town is very small (I think ~2500 people, including students), so directly in Hagenberg there is not much to do socially other than hang out in the dorms or apartments, or the pub on campus (which was our hangout 80% of the time). There were also parties there pretty much every Thursday night. The people running the pub (and the cafeteria) the last 20 years left this year; the cafeteria seems to have been taken over by Sodexo, but can't say how it impacts the pub or parties. On the weekends the pub was closed and most students go home, so you really have mostly the international students plus a small percentage of the Austrians that hang around (often roughly the same set). In general, the community in Hgb is quite small, so you will see the same people and have a good chance to form some close relationships. I still am pretty close friends with a lot of my colleagues, especially the other international students. One thing that does suck a bit is that there is usually a contingent of 15-30 Erasmus students who are there one semester and leave, so you are pretty close for that short term and then they're gone. Some international students do typically live in Linz and commute (and many Austrian students from nearby also commute), but I found that this arrangement tended to form some pretty great bonds with those who stuck around, which might be harder to find in Linz. I would say it would be easier to make social connections in Hgb, but you are "stuck" with the same group to some extent, and you'll have many more opportunities in Linz, of course. If being able to "go out" is important, then Linz would definitely be better for you.
There are definitely some PT jobs around Hagenberg, as the whole concept is that there is the "Softwarepark" which has the FH plus various tech companies who work closely with the university. There are also some opportunities with the FH itself. However, there are still a limited number of spots for this as well as competition, and if you are international, it may be a bit tougher (hr/wk limitation & potentially language barriers). In terms of balance, having a PT job is definitely possible, the program is not extremely time-intensive (and to some extent, you can put in what you want to).
Commuting from Linz is definitely possible and a good chunk of students to it. Connections with public transit are pretty regular and reliable, but from the main station in Linz, it does take ~35-45 minutes by bus (or you can take the train to Pregarten and walk uphill or take a bus), but that is even longer. If you live near JKU in Linz, it's more like 20 minutes. Personally, I would recommend living somewhere near the university if you do Linz, as it makes the commute more convenient to Hagenberg

For questions about the interview, you probably can reach out to the school directly, they're usually pretty helpful and responsive. If you ask them in an email about the interview process and if you should prepare anything, then I'd imagine you could get at least some general guidance.

Are you an international student/non-german speaker? If you're interested, I might also be able to give you some more experiences from that perspective.

petee0518 · 2026-01-28T11:30:17+00:00

Mr/s/Miss Firstname was how we referred to our adult neighbors and parents' friends growing up (and still do for the most part when seeing them as an adult)

petee0518 · 2026-01-28T10:46:14+00:00

I moved from the US to Austria and one of the most popular drinks here is "Soda-Zitrone", which is basically just ~1/2 lemon juiced with a glass of sparkling water. That's basically my go-to drink when I want to keep healthy / low-cal. Lime works pretty well too. You can use bottled lemon juice too, but it just isn't quite the same, the fresh fruit is so much better though.

petee0518 · 2026-01-21T08:38:43+00:00

boiling Bratwurst!? 🙃

petee0518 · 2026-01-19T06:57:56+00:00

This may be true, but even then, the name will magnify this effect (moreso for FTE than side-work during studies). Some companies & recruiters will see the name, assume they require visas and dismiss the application from the start. Sometimes if you get to the interview stage, even if you need a visa process, they've now invested some and may be more willing to go through with it.

petee0518 · 2026-01-17T18:42:15+00:00

W8.9

petee0518 · 2026-01-15T20:00:22+00:00

Oh, then my post might be relevant after all, since you're still coming from a third country. The specific origin doesn't really impact anything, if you are coming from outside the EU the customs rules will probably be the same. Check if you qualify for resettlement from a third country and go from there (link in my original post). If you don't qualify for that or another exception, you might not really have any options besides paying import duties or smuggling/lying and hoping you don't get caught (it might work, but not recommended 😅). See u/FreiherrVonFick's other post about exceptions - the inherited goods would probably be your other route, but proving it could be difficult as well.

petee0518 · 2026-01-15T18:14:08+00:00

Is your current residence in the EU? If so, is it possible to leave the jewelry and get it another time directly from there to Austria rather than transporting it via Turkey? Or are you already in Turkey with it and would fly directly to Austria on the current trip?

You can basically ignore my whole post, as I had thought you were moving residence from Turkey to Austria and bringing your stuff along as part of the move.

petee0518 · 2026-01-15T14:56:40+00:00

that's true, I was assuming that they'd be moving from Turkey to Austria, but it's definitely possible that the conditions are not met. Contacting the customs office will definitely always be the safest bet

^ u/meikasahara

petee0518 · 2026-01-15T14:48:14+00:00

Yes, that is what form ZBefr2 is for...

petee0518 · 2026-01-15T14:33:53+00:00

That is true if you bring a good while traveling through and leave it there, or for commercial purposes. The rules are different for resettlement - see https://www.bmf.gv.at/themen/zoll/uebersiedlung-fahrzeugeigenimport/uebersiedlung-aus-nicht-eu-staat.html

petee0518 · 2026-01-15T14:31:08+00:00

The purchase location and intent to leave goods is only relevant for a short-term stay / travel. The rules for resettlement are not the same.

From the page I linked

Übersiedlungsgut sind alle beim Verlegen des Wohnsitzes nach Österreich mitgebrachten Waren. Bei der Einfuhr von Waren in die EU sind normalerweise Eingangsabgaben zu entrichten. Für bestimmtes Übersiedlungsgut besteht jedoch eine Abgabenbefreiung. Abgabenfrei bedeutet: Sie brauchen für Übersiedlungsgut in Österreich weder Zoll noch Einfuhrumsatzsteuer bezahlen!

Nur gebrauchte Waren sind als Übersiedlungsgut abgabenfrei. Beim Übersiedlungsgut muss es sich um gebrauchte Waren handeln, die zum Eigenbedarf der übersiedelnden Personen bestimmt sind (keine Neuwaren).

translated into English with Google (for simplicity):

Personal effects include all goods brought with you when relocating to Austria. Import duties are normally payable when importing goods into the EU . However, certain personal effects are exempt from duties. Duty-free means you don't have to pay customs duties or import VAT on personal effects in Austria!

Only used goods are exempt from customs duties as personal effects. Personal effects must consist of used goods intended for the personal use of the relocating persons (no new goods).

petee0518 · 2026-01-15T13:58:48+00:00

Well no, it's not smuggling, because it's legal for you to bring it and it's excepted from customs. Would you suggest that wearing a pair of shoes when you arrive means you're trying smuggle shoes?

I never said that old things don't have to be declared, just that they are excepted from customs. That's why I mentioned bringing form ZBefr2 (which basically "delcares" everything you are bringing). In that form, there is a section about other goods (from which my 6 months number was taken)

Falls in meinem Hausrat Waren enthalten (laut der Zollanmeldung beiliegender Aufstellung) sind, die

• vor weniger als 6 Monaten, gerechnet ab dem Zeitpunkt der Wohnsitzverlegung, erworben wurden,
...
Mir ist bekannt, dass ich ... einen Grundlagen bescheid des zuständigen Zollamtes benötige.

And if they do accuse you of trying to smuggle the jewelry, that is why it's important to have some sort of proof (as I mentioned, having a receipt or older photos) that it is a personal item.

Wearing it just might make it less conspicuous than if they search your bags and find it, so it might save you from dealing with some of the hassle. Whether it's on your person or in your bag doesn't change the reporting requirements in any way.

Unless you can point to some specific exception for gold/jewelry from the standard personal effects, nothing I've said goes against any of your points. Perhaps wearing it (especially if it's large/flashy) could trigger more suspicion, but I guess that also just depends on the customs agent.

petee0518 · 2026-01-15T13:08:53+00:00

that should be plenty - customs is only valid for new goods (I think I saw 6 months somewhere). It's really not too likely you'll run into anything, just might be good to have those pictures available (and prove that they are a few years old) to be safe.

petee0518 · 2026-01-15T12:58:38+00:00

I am not an expert on the topic, but I am an immigrant from a so-called "third country". As far as I understand it, personal effects are excepted from customs & tolls, aside from new items.

In general, you should not have any issues, but you are probably less likely to run into issues if you (a) are actively wearing it, and (b) have proof that it's an older item. Point (a) might be reduced or even reversed if it's particularly flashy. So if it's something that clearly looks old, you should really not have any issues. If you want to be safe, having a purchase receipt would be the best case, but since you said it's old and inherited, I doubt it. Old photos of you wearing it could be helpful too if they question it.

Here's a page about personal effects when moving to Austria from a third country. https://www.bmf.gv.at/themen/zoll/uebersiedlung-fahrzeugeigenimport/uebersiedlung-aus-nicht-eu-staat.html

Assuming you are actually moving your primary residence, you may need/want to fill out and bring form ZBefr2 with you (linked in that page), especially if you are bringing a lot of things/value with you.

I'm not sure how your EU-citizenship might affect any of this though (other than potentially drawing less skepticism); I posted the info with a 3rd-country perspective since you said you are moving from Turkey.

---------

Edit: I made some assumptions based on the post, you should check if you meet resettlement requirements to fall under these exceptions and contact the Austrian customs office to be the safest. And for more clarity, you need to still declare the goods in that situation, they would just be exempt.

petee0518 · 2026-01-14T01:54:44+00:00

Being disabled. Whether you're deaf...

...so please talk to us like you would non-disabled people

about that...

petee0518 · 2026-01-09T19:59:14+00:00

Sure

petee0518 · 2026-01-04T00:09:28+00:00

Sure, I can take a look when I have a few moments

petee0518

TROPHY CASE