Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Experience, Perspective and Maturity Noticeably Increased Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 09/05/2018 to 12/19/2018 with

Aquincum Institute of Technology / AIT - Budapest: - Creativity in Computer Science & Software Engineering

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
We all learn about the world, but it is a privilege to get to experience the world.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Professors I had were good!

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Language barriers are tough.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did not use any healthcare system, but it felt difficult to navigate due to the Hungarian system being foreign and not as friendly towards english speakers.

* Safety:

Budapest is much safer than any of the cities I've been to in the US.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

The program was academically solid, good staff, good support, cool people etc.

Finances

* 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)

Budapest is cheeeaaaaap. I probably did around $50 a week, not including traveling.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $50ish
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Buy groceries and eat avoiding Tourist places

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

Budapest is fairly english friendly.

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? None
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? none
How many hours per day did you use the language? 0

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? Exchange

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • People
  • Classes
  • Professors
* What could be improved?
  • School is far away
  • Food options got boring
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Nothing, it was fun to figure everything out on my own.

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 Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Cryptography
Course Department: Computer Science
Instructor: Levente Buttyan
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Difficult class, but rewarding. Super nice professor, morning lectures were a bit difficult to stay involved in.
Credit Transfer Issues: Haven't tried, but I don't expect issues as my advisor informally approved it via email.
Course Name/Rating:

Theory of Computing
Course Department: Computer Science
Instructor: Balas Patkos
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Challenging course, but professor was good and my classmates were helpful.
Credit Transfer Issues: This is a pre-approved course so it shouldn't be an issue.
Course Name/Rating:

Networks
Course Department: Computer Science
Instructor: Peter Csermely, Daniel Abel
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Super cool course. Was unique and covered everything from philosophy to math to the practical coding involved with Networks. An interdisciplinary masterpiece.
Credit Transfer Issues: I found it on a pre-approved list, but my advisor did not immediately think I could get credit when I emailed.