Budapest, Hungary: Finding Comfort in an Unknown Culture Past Review
By Kelly K (Sociology., Tulane University) for
CIEE: Budapest - Business + European Studies
I learned a new language, found comfort in a new city, and met great new friends.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Some of the courses were difficult to follow and covered too much material. Overall they provided a great background to Hungarian history and culture. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I can not speak highly enough about the two program directors. They spent time really getting to know every single person, went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable, and were always available. They were one of the highlights of my study abroad experience. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived with a Hungarian girl and an Indian girl. I shared a bathroom with three other Hungarian girls. It was really nice being with Hungarians who were my age that I could ask questions. The dorm was very nice and a 7 minute walk from the academic buildings. It was a great location and easy to get to from all public transportation. |
| * Food: |
There is a public market that sells everything that you could ever imagine. Everything is inexpensive and fresh. Cooking is easy and cheap. Eating out is also inexpensive. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I just had an amazing time going to events in Budapest like their wine festival or Christmas markets, and traveling all around Europe. I went to 10 different countries in my four months which was an incredible experience. I loved my trip to Transylvania that was organized by my program. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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? | Overall I spent around $3000 on food, travel, and personal expenses. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Be smart about spending money on food. Many times cooking is less expensive. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I learned the most in this course but it was also very difficult. I was able to practice my Hungarian in everyday interactions and with my Hungarian roommate, but almost everyone spoke English. |
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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