Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Pretty Good May 25, 2023

By (Computer Science, Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/16/2023 to 05/24/2023 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?
I learned a lot of cs stuff. Also got to meet alot of people

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

classes were wildly unbalanced. Applied Cryptography was substantially harder than all my other classes. Other classes like UXD which was a class that met once a week demanded a lot from students compared to other classes.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Very quick and expeditious resolution of problems

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

They were "cozy", i saw other people's apartments and realized they got much luckier and had extremely comfortable living spaces. Mine was okay. I enjoyed my roommates which made the experience.

* Food:

Had to feed myself. I ate gyro almost everyday or cooked. Eh.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

not very. speaking hungarian was helpful, but the advanced hungarian class was not fast enough to learn enough.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

N/A, seemed accessible but didn't use it

* Safety:

very safe

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

Because of the friends and connections i have made, i would do it again. But of course, otherwise i would prefer to explore somewhere else.

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)

i think about $100 a week on expenses at minimum

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? I think $150 on average.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Don't go to hungary as the dollar weakens. Also learn to cook

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

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

Eh, didn't encourage me too much because other students were not as excited to try.

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? Beginner
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? None in this language
How many hours per day did you use the language?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? Just practice at restaurants and bars. Be safe.

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

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

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • Food
  • Travel
* What could be improved?
  • Quality of Professors
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew how to set up travelling plans while abroad

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Computer Graphics
Course Department: Computer Science
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments: My favorite class. Small size and we did a lot of work with each other or homework help where we would ask the professor questions about ways to apply what we learned to our class.
Credit Transfer Issues: as far as i know, no
Course Name/Rating:

Applied Cryptography
Course Department: Computer Science
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Incredibly challenging, but also very dull. Class hours were 9-11 on monday and 4-6 on friday, and the professor was not engaging at all. He is clearly very knowledgable about his field, but he does not create an environment in which students want to learn more.
Credit Transfer Issues: N/A
Course Name/Rating:

Mobile Software Development
Course Department: Computer Science
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Not too challenging, but it allowed us to learn a LOT about mobile software stuff
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Hungarian
Course Department: Language
Instructor:
Instruction Language: Hungarian
Comments: My most favorite class. it was so much fun. I wish it went quicker, and that students wanted to learn more
Credit Transfer Issues: Do not think i am transferring credit for this