One of the most interesting things about building nodeck is seeing people use it in ways we didn't explicitly design for.

Recently, we noticed that applicants to WU (Vienna University of Economics and Business), one of Europe's largest business universities, have started using a shared nodeck page to connect while preparing for admission. To be clear, this is a community created by applicants themselves. It is not affiliated with or officially supported by WU Vienna.

Instead of waiting until orientation week, they're meeting each other months before they know where they'll end up.

Some are preparing together for the entrance exam. Others are helping one another navigate visas, residence permits, and moving to Austria. Many are sharing housing tips, looking for potential roommates, or simply getting to know people who may soon become classmates.

It's a simple use case, but one that solves a very real problem.

Applying to a university abroad can be overwhelming. You're preparing for exams, dealing with paperwork, figuring out accommodation, and making plans for a move, often without knowing anyone else going through the same process.

Having even one familiar face before you arrive can make that transition much easier.

Whether it's finding a study partner, someone who speaks your language, or a future roommate, those early connections often become the foundation of your experience.

What makes this community especially interesting is how international it already is.

The page currently brings together applicants from 21 different countries, including Belarus, Algeria, Nepal, and many more. They all have different backgrounds, but they're connected by the same goal: applying to WU Vienna and preparing for the possibility of studying there.

This is exactly the type of community nodeck is built for.

At its core, nodeck is a simple page where people can discover others around a shared context. Instead of scrolling through long group chats or social media posts, you can search for exactly the kind of person you're hoping to meet.

Maybe you're looking for someone who speaks Hindi and is also preparing for the entrance exam. Maybe you want to find another applicant from your country, someone interested in the same program, or someone who's also searching for housing in Vienna.

The point isn't to build another social network.

It's to make finding the right people a little easier.

We're excited to see communities like this emerge organically, and we'd love to see more applicant groups, universities, and student organizations create similar spaces for incoming students.

If you're part of an applicant community, a university, or a student organization and would like to set up a nodeck page for your own community, we'd be happy to help. Reach out to us at [email protected].

And who knows? Maybe someone's future roommate, co-founder, or lifelong friend is just one search away.