Studying Abroad in Budapest Past Review

By Rachel J (Tourism and Travel Services Management., Barnard College) for

CIEE: Budapest - Business + European Studies

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

This is honestly a very easy program to enjoy. I can't imagine anyone not being satisfied. The dollar is VERY strong here, so you can easily live like a king, or at least live comfortably if you're under an extremely tight budget. If you want to party, alcohol here is absurdly cheap. If you hate Budapest, you can leave for a brand new country every chance you get.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	Some of the classes are truly excellent, others are truly a waste of time. If the CIEE director warns you about a course, don't sign up for it. They'll only say positive things about their CIEE-offered courses though, and while many of them are good (all History and Politics courses are great), some of them are singularly unpleasant. Don't be afraid to enroll for courses offered by Corvinus University! They're usually very good, and you'll be in much more international classroom. Although, as an aside, Hungarian students cheat without much skill or subtlety; it's apparently a cultural thing that's 100% expected.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	Kata, the assistant director, is a saint. I'm don't think it's physically possible to dislike her. The director Elisabeth was wonderful and lots of fun in the fall semester, when our group was more or less well-behaved and civilized. Spring semester students were a much rowdier group, so she was way more stressed although she did her best to be kind and patient.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	Raday is THE road to live on. It's pricey for Budapest, but the strength of the dollar means you won't notice. It's relatively quiet since there aren't any big clubs on Raday itself, but there are plenty nearby at Kalvin ter. It's a 10 minute walk from the campus buildings. Linens are provided, bring your own towel, and CIEE has hand-me-down cookware from previous students.
* Food:	If you are vegetarian, you may have some problems at first. Favorite dining spots: Thai place, start of Vaci at Fovam ter; Soul cafe (Hungarian fusion?) on Raday; Praga Cafe by Kalvin ter, THE study spot; Lord Teneson's between Fovam ter and Kalvin ter, amongst the best teashops I've ever been too; Korean-Chinese place down Zichy Jeno by the Arany Janos metro stop; Pata Negra, tapas place at Kalvin ter; Angelo's towards Kalvin ter on Raday, pizzas for 990ft/$5; Jaffa, right next to the dorm, decent food and good drinks, open late. The gyros shop closer to the church is the better of the two nearby the dorm.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	Field trips taken by CIEE are great, and the Transylvania excursion is not to be missed. Programs are hit and miss, but if you have time, you may as well attend anything Kata emails you about.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes

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)
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	Anywhere from about $50 to $100. You can easily live on $5/day or possibly less if you cook for yourself. I usually made myself lunch and went out for dinner. Lunch should cost about $5 anywhere on Raday where you live, and dinner+desert at a regularly priced place shouldn't cost you over $15.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Trains are not as cheap as you think, especially not once you're in Western Europe. Plan your trips as far in advance as you can, because if you book early, budget airlines are very possibly cheaper than the train. Buses (eurolines is cheaper than orangeways--do not book online, their website is unreliable) should be your first choice. If you're not planning far in advance, but you need a plane, Lufthansa is very likely cheaper than the budget airlines. eDreams is your friend.

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?
Language acquisition improvement?	I came here with one year of experience speaking Hungarian. Most of the city can operate in English, but it'll be much easier to get around with Hungarian. You're fine without it though.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Dorm
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Americans International Students Local Students

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Travel often. Budapest is quite possibly my favorite city in the world, but I didn't spend my weekends there if I could avoid it--not because it's not worthwhile, but because Budapest is located at a fantastic place to stay on the move. If you're American, you probably won't be living in so convenient a place with so much spare time ever again.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	19th and 20th Century Hungarian Art
Course Department:	AHIS 3001 BUDP
Instructor:	Beatrix Basics, József Sisa
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	First: this course requires effort, don't expect it to be a free A. It's not that difficult though, especially if you have any interest in art/architecture from romanticism to modern day. Bea teaches painting; Sisa teaches architecture. Both are obviously experts and experienced teachers, although both can be incredibly dry when lecturing. There are weekly field trips, which can be good (don't miss the Parliament trip with Sisa--if you're not taking this course, try to sneak your way onto the trip anyway), or really dull.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Political Problems of Transition in Central Europe
Course Department:	CEAS 3001 BUDP
Instructor:	Bánk Levente Boros
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Bank teaches a great class. If you're choosing between this and the Integrations course, the Integrations course is the better of the two, but I recommend taking both if you want/can. This course spends its first half discussing transitology itself and theories of governing; the second half's case studies of all the central european countries. Exams are straightforward and taken from his powerpoints.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	European Union Politics
Course Department:	ISP
Instructor:	Christopher Walsch
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	All of Walsch's classes are highly regarded here. He's not an expert on the European Union, and he opens the class with that disclaimer, but he's knowledgable enough for this introductory course (if he's presented a question he can't answer, he'll research it and get back to you asap about it). He encourages discussion and debate, and his assignments and exams are fair.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Contemporary Cultural Trends in Central Europe
Course Department:	CEAS 3002 BUDP
Instructor:	Géza Kállay
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Do not be fooled: this is a literature course with a survey of works from Polish, Hungarian, and Czech authors. It's a great selection of readings, mostly short stories, but there are also two novels, one movie, and a few poems. Under Géza, who taught the class in the fall semester, the class relies on participation and discussion, otherwise the professor lectures to himself, which isn't very interesting.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Hungary, European Integration, and European Security
Course Department:	POLI 3001 BUDP
Instructor:	Bánk Levente Boros
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Bank teaches a great class. If you're choosing between this and the Integrations course, the Integrations course is the better of the two, but I recommend taking both if you want/can. The first half of this course is mostly historical, discussing Western Euroepan integration during the communist era and the development of integration itself. The latter half is more about current politics, the process of integration, and the future.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Ethnicity, Rural Society, and Folk Culture in Historic Hungary
Course Department:	ANTH 3001 BUDP
Instructor:	Ágnes Fülemile
Instruction Language:	Englih
Comments:	Not recommended. The class is very dry and pretty useless. It's become a bit of a joke amongst the students.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Intermediate Hungarian
Course Department:	HUNG 2001 BUDP/HUNG 2002 BUDP
Instructor:	Varies, Gedeon Maria
Instruction Language:	Hungarian
Comments:	CIEE Budapest offers Elementary Hungarian, but there's no actual classes set into stone for anyone more advanced than that. They do their best to accomodate you, either by arranging a class at your level for you (and any other non-beginner students in your program) or by enrolling you into classes at other universities or institutes. It's a messy system, but it works. I was tutored 1-on-1 both semesters by a wonderful teacher, and I loved the class.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	History of Hungary and Central Europe: From West to East and Back
Course Department:	HIST 3001 BUDP
Instructor:	Attila Lengyel
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Attila is a great teacher, and this class is basically exactly what it's billed as. The exams are hit and miss, because he uses his study guide as a guideline rather than gospel.
Credit Transfer Issues: