After You Have Been Accepted to the Austrian Teaching Assistantship Program

Necessary Preparation While Still in the United States

	Finding Living Accomodations
	Packing for Austria

Preparation While Still in the U.S.

Finding living accomodations

The best way to begin your search for housing in Austria is most likely by contacting your Stammschule. (If you will be teaching at two schools, then your Stammschule is the first school listed on the memorandum sent to you). Either the director or a teacher at that school should be able to aid or direct you in your search. However, the Housing Information page gives you more detailed information about finding the right place to live.

Packing for Austria

Teaching Supplies:

Many American media products, such as various reading materials, audiocassettes, and videocassettes, provide excellent potential for the Schüler to practice and improve their English in an enjoyable manner. It is generally appropriate to plan to incorporate such materials into your curriculum here in Austria. However, we recognize the great incentive to pack as little as possible, to avoid loading yourself down with any excess luggage that might easily be bought in Austria. Thus, only in certain cases do we suggest that you bring media materials from the U.S. (All non-media materials should be available in the area surrounding your school.)

Here are a few things to consider before lugging any media materials from the U.S.:

	If you will be teaching in one of the larger cities, e.g., Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Graz, you will indeed be able to find many types of media material in English (e.g., newspapers, magazines, books, tapes, CDs, and movies) there. (However, be forewarned that American tapes, CDs, and movies in particular are more expensive in Austria than in the U.S.) NOTE: If, however, you are teaching in one of the more rural areas (which is likely), it may be a good idea to plan either to bring a few materials with you from the U.S. or to try to buy them when you are in one of Austria's larger cities.
	Unfortunately, U.S. videotapes and DVDs are incompatible with most European VCRs / DVD players. A few schools will have equipment that can play both the American and European format, but by no means all. (Again, check with the school(s) at which you will be teaching to learn more about their accessible equipment.)
	You may want to consider bringing a few taped television programs with you from the U.S. (and see if you can find a VCR upon which to play them). It IS possible to get CNN through Austrian cable television. Yet, not all schools have cable, so you should check with your individual school if you are considering that as an option.
	Check with your school(s) to confirm the above information and to ask any further questions you may have about teaching materials.

Clothing:
Though appropriate 'teaching' attire is generally considered to be casual in Austria, it is probably a good idea to ask the director or a teacher of your individual school(s) about their specific dress codes (or customs) for teaching. Compared to the U.S., clothing in Austria is relatively expensive, so (depending upon your funds) you may want to avoid simply waiting to buy clothing once you get here. You will most likely have at least one occassion here for which formal attire will be appropriate (e.g., many of the older grades have a Schulball, a formal dance sometime during the school year, to which TAs are often invited, or you may go to a nice opera, etc.). In terms of clothing in relation to weather, Austrian winters can be pretty rough, so also plan to bring some warm clothing. The climate will vary a bit, depending upon the region in which you teach.

Electrical Appliances:
Europe has a different (and much stronger) voltage system (240V) than the one used in the U.S. (and the plugs look different, too). Thus, you will FRY your appliances (and possibly yourself) if you try plugging them in here without making sure they contain, or are hooked up to, an appropriate converter. If you bring a laptop, it should contain a converter (namely, that box-thing-- for those of us who are electrically-challenged-- that is a part of the cord to plug the computer in). Some hairdriers also are made expressly for use in both U.S. and European voltage (upon which there should be a switch to convert between the two voltage systems). In any case, remember (and check into) the voltage difference before packing any electric appliances. You may just want to buy some of the cheaper appliances here.

Money:
Your first paycheck should arrive in November, so bring adequate funding to cover all your expenses up until that point. From then on, you will be receiving a monthly net salary of around € 990.00. This paycheck will be deposited directly into your Austrian Gehaltskonto, the type of bank account which you will have to open up immediately upon arrival in Austria.

The Austrian-American Educational Commission (Fulbright Commission) endeavors to update
the information on this site on a regular basis, but cannot guarantee its accuracy at all times.