A Program that Lacks Diversity and Academic Resources Past Review
By Keertana (Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/16/2017 to 05/26/2017 with
BSM: Budapest - Budapest Semesters in Mathematics
I learned how to live and cook in an apartment for the first time in my life, along with travelling extensively and navigating a city where I didn't speak the language.
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. |
This program is a rigorous, intensive mathematics course and while I found the classes to cover all the material needed for an upper-level class to count in my host institution and transfer credits, there were NO resources at all. The professors I took classes with did not have office hours or tutors to aid students and, as a result, the educational experience was very tough. I only recommend this program for naturally brilliant mathematics students. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I think this program does a VERY poor job of including diverse students. Far less than 50%--maybe 20%?--of the students were students of color and there was, in my recollection, one or two female professors out of about thirty total. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Honestly, this city isn't that safe at night and many of the housing areas are not in safe neighborhoods which I think is dangerous for a lot of students. I was put in an apartment with two other girls in one of the most dangerous districts in Budapest so...not safe for three girls to be living there alone. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I would definitely chose to do this experience over again because I love, love, LOVED Budapest. This is SUCH a cool city! But, I would do this program again keeping in mind that the harder classes have little to no resources attached to them, so I would try to take "easier" or more elective-level math courses instead of upper-level ones. |
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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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
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? | I wish I had known that this program really doesn't help students who are struggling. I am a mathematics major who loves math but works very hard to do well and I need guidance from my professors to be able to understand the material and solve problem sets. Unless you can work well on your own, I'd avoid this program's academically rigorous classes and try to find the easiest possible ones to take. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
