Start saving money now!  Your first paycheck will not arrive until mid-November (that is when you will get your salary for October and November), so bring adequate funding to cover all of your expenses until then. Bear in mind that these expenses will likely include a security deposit for your living space. From November on, you will receive a monthly net salary of approximately € 1,100.00. This will be deposited directly into an Austrian bank account which you will open immediately upon arrival in Austria.

Do not neglect domestic financial obligations. Apply for student loan deferments while you are still in the US.

Collecting Teaching Material

If you have some pamphlets, menus, yearbooks or postcards from your hometown, please bring these "meaningful artifacts" along to enrich your lessons! However, your school will provide you with teaching materials and the internet will do the rest, so there is no need to bring excessive reference materials. Please note that US DVDs are incompatible with Austrian DVD players, so it is generally better to rely on YouTube and other internet-based materials.

Check with your school(s) to see what facilities are available (accessible internet in the classroom, projectors, Smart Boards, etc) and to ask any further questions you may have about teaching materials.

Although appropriate teaching attire tends to be fairly casual in Austria, it is a good idea to ask a teacher at your school(s) about what teachers generally wear there. Compared to the US, clothing in Austria is relatively expensive, so you may want to avoid buying your 'teaching wardrobe' on site. You will most likely have at least one occasion here for which formal attire will be appropriate, for example your school's ball (prom), concerts, the opera, etc.

Austrian winters can be quite rough, so bring warm clothing, especially if you will be in the mountains. The climate will vary a bit, depending upon the region in which you teach.

Europe has differently-shaped plugs and a different (much stronger) voltage system (240V) than the one used in the US. Thus, you will FRY your electronics (and possibly yourself) if you try to plug them in here without ensuring that they contain, or are hooked up to, an appropriate converter. If you bring a laptop, it should contain a converter, and many cell phone chargers do as well. Hair dryers and curling irons typically do not. In any case, remember and check the voltage difference before packing any electrical appliances, and consider buying cheaper ones once you get here.

It is strongly recommended to make photocopies of all important documents such as birth certificates, passports, etc. should you need to present them to the Austrian authorities upon arrival.