You Want to Go to Budapest, You Just Don't Know it Yet Past Review
By Caroline A (Political Science and Psychology, Wellesley College) for
CIEE: Budapest - Business + European Studies
YES! I learned about this fascinating new culture and city, met interesting people from Hungary and from across the US, and I had a break from my stressful academic experience. Now I am happier in my college and I have made new friendships that I hope to keep for a long time.
Review Photos
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. |
There was almost no homework, and if there was, it was fun work. The teaching methods were the hardest to get used to because professors are not as organized as they are in the US. I did learn a lot about Hungarian culture, which is fascinating, but it was difficult to put all my notes in order. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Everyone was amazing, so helpful, so interesting, so kind. We loved our resident director and coordinator so much, and also all the professors. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Our dorm was in excellent condition, and a 5 minute walk from school. It was on a really popular street with lots of restaurants, and it was close to 2 tram stops and 2 metro stops. The tram runs all night so it was very practical for going out. The dorm was also protected with a doorman, so it was very safe. |
| * Food: |
We ate a lot of fried meats and potatoes. It was harder for vegetarians, so they ate a lot og fried cheese (which is really good). Get ready by eating lots of vegetables. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Our program arranged such great trips. We went around Hungary, visiting old capitals, castles, villages, local manufacturers, wine tasting, meeting people... We also had a long weekend in Transylvania and went to a Flea Market, a salt mine, and stayed with the locals. Those were my best memories. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The city is very safe, I never felt uneasy, even in the middle of the night. Some people got their phone or camera stolen, so you just need to stay vigilant, like you would in any city. |
| 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? | Hungary is very cheap. I maybe spent $20 on food per week, even if I went to the restaurant. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | At the beginning you will spend a lot more than you will throughout the semester. You might want to buy kitchen utensils, bed sheets (the dorm gives you some but we wanted to buy our own), snacks for your room, but everything is very cheap. I wish though that they would have informed us that American students need to pay $60 for a residence permit stamp. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | N/A |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
People did not really speak English in Budapest, so we had to learn the basics to get around. It was lots of fun. My biggest accomplishment was giving directions to a Hungarian who asked me where the bus stop was. |
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? | This program is great for people who are open-minded and willing to change their opinions about their own culture (by that I mean accept friendly criticism). Budapest is a fascinating city for politics, culture, history, and also business. The CIEE classes are at a business school, but CIEE offers its own liberal arts classes. |
