Allow us to introduce: Fräulein Flora

Eva Krallinger-Gruber, from Salzburg, studied Journalism and Communication Studies at AAU. She has worked in France, Belgium, America and Switzerland. Now she is her own boss, and spends her time showing what Salzburg has to offer in the online city magazine ‘Fräulein Floras Favourite Hangouts’. She runs the blog together with her husband and is planning to publish her own magazine soon. In the interview she explains why she chose to study in Klagenfurt and what advice she would give to students today.

You moved from Salzburg to Klagenfurt. Can you still remember your first week at AAU?

Yes, I remember it very well. I attended a tutorial for new students, where I made friendships that would last throughout my studies. In fact, many of them are still friends today.

You studied Journalism and Communication Studies. Was this subject helpful for your work today?

Absolutely. Not so much in terms of the actual content modules, but definitely in terms of how I acquire knowledge and manage projects. University is the best place to learn that; you don’t just passively learn information by rote, but you have to do research and find things out for yourself.

You and your team run ‘Fräulein Flora’. What tasks are you responsible for, and can you describe a typical day in the office?

We have just created a magazine all about Salzburg, and during the development process my tasks were very varied. I was involved in the design, implementation, financing, even writing the content – a little bit of everything, really! The thing I love most about my job is that I get to decide myself what I do and what I don’t do. Of course, I have to work very hard every day, and at weekends too.

How did you become such a good all-rounder?

I’ve tried a lot of things out, I’ve spent a lot of time abroad and have worked in big marketing offices. At the same time, I started a blog and that developed into a small agency, which is how I got to my current role.

Although you have always been keen to go abroad, you chose to study at a university here in Austria. What drew you to AAU?

I wanted to study at a small university, where you don’t have to fight for a place on each course. I really loved that about my time in Klagenfurt. The smaller uni atmosphere made me feel much more comfortable and whenever my friends in Vienna told me they had had to extend their course by another semester, I thought to myself: “Thank God I didn’t go anywhere else.”

So you would choose AAU again?

Absolutely. I would also be in less of a hurry to finish studying, and spend more time by the lake.

What advice would you give today’s students?

Enjoy your studies. You will never have as much time for yourself as when you first leave university.

Is there anything you miss from your student days?

Having lots of time, month-long holidays, the carefree daily student life, and the feeling of being afraid just before an exam. I always found that kind of exciting.

 

Quick-fire questions:

•     A happy moment at AAU was … every springtime, when the sun came out again and we walked down to Lake Wörthersee after lectures. Studying next to a lake is really something.
•     Something you still have from your student days … my laptop. Although water started leaking out of it the other day, so this answer may no longer be true.
•     Who inspired you? Larissa Krainer. She was my dissertation supervisor and always gave me great advice.
•     Describe your studies in three words: short, international, active.