When I got accepted at the Academy ..

When I got accepted at the Academy, I was very happy. However, when the semester started, I got a bit confused because everything was completely different from my previous university and the system I was used to. So I gave myself time and communicated with older students and our assistant in the class.

It took me one semester to understand how the website works, how to apply for courses, and how the student plan works. In the beginning, I told our assistant that I needed a place to paint, and even though I didn't have any place in the class, I tried to show up there to demonstrate my motivation.

I like the freedom that we have in the academy, but I realized that if I don't have discipline for myself, I might lose everything. However, with a little bit of self-discipline, you can get a lot of opportunities.

The German course that the academy offers is great. Before I got to the academy, I took some language classes in a language institute, and it cost me at least 400 euros each semester. I proved B2 level of German knowledge before the beginning of the third semester instead of B1 because I think that for living in Vienna and if you are want to have a student job, B1 is not enough.

One challenging thing during my study was my student visa. I had to register for that 3 1/2 months before the expiration date, and preparing all documents and amounts of money that I had to have in my account was challenging. But the good thing about the Academy was that I knew that if I had problems with the visa process, I could count on the university to help me.

I took lots of different workshops when I was in the first part of my studies, so in the second one, I was more focused on my painting. I almost got my own class, two practical courses, and one theory each semester. It is good to have an overview of the student plan.

I had student jobs from time to time at the academy. I always checked my e-mail account and found information about work and open call opportunities. I also received some funding from the academy, which was great and helpful. I enjoy the yearly open house event called Rundgang, which is great for showcasing the works that we’ve done during the semester. One more thing that I like about the academy is that although I study painting, I can take courses in other departments such as sculpture and photography.

 Donya Hosseinivand Aalipour studies at the Institute of Fine Arts in the Studio of  Art and Image | Expansion. https://www.instagram.com/donya_h.aalipour/