Hungary: Decidedly Hungarian Past Review
By Paul C (Math, Carleton College) for
BSM: Budapest - Budapest Semesters in Mathematics
Oh my yes. In so many little ways. I don't know that I can name them.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload seemed to be quite a deal heavier than most study abroad programs. If I wasn't actively pursuing a philosophy of "I'm young and in Europe and don't want to spend my four months abroad studying," then I could've easily spent my four months abroad only studying maths. The courses may have been a bit more difficult than comparable classes at Carleton. The grading system varied wildly depending on the professor. All said I learned a lot and was able to explore central Europe pretty freely. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I guess it's good because I didn't really notice it. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived with "friends of friends" who I was put in touch with. They were in another program, and everything worked nicely enough. My apartment was in a great location, was spacious, had most conveniences included. |
| * Food: |
Interestingly, I think I now know why Hungarian Cuisine didn't take off around the world quite like Italian or French... But it's a major city, you can find good food at really cheap prices if you look around a little bit. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Fozde Feszt was a highlight, as was the Borfesztival, but I didn't really participate in any of the program sponsored events. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
There were a number of break ins of students apartments, but I never felt unsafe. I did manage to injure myself to the point of not being able to walk for a couple days, and I had no idea what to do... I called my parents instead of the program and made it work, but the concept of a Hungarian hospital scared me a little. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I'm a cheap guy, most of the money I spent was at bars. There were days that I lived on 1000 Ft (<$5) easily, though it was also easy to rack up 30-40 dollars a day. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Getting a phone cost me around 80 bucks total |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | If you like math, you'll like this program, because I have no doubt that you'll find a way to enjoy Budapest. |
