Just like me, two friends of mine from the Business Economic program are currently doing a semester abroad. I thought it would be nice for you to hear not only about my experience so far, but also someone else’s. This time I’ll share with you an interview with Simone, in where he tells us a bit about his time so far in Budapest, Hungary. Simone arrived in Budapest since September and will stay there for one semester.
Why did you choose Budapest for your semester abroad?
Simone: “The reason I chose Budapest was mainly to look for a different experience, compared to other more Western countries in Europe I chose. I wanted a place with a different culture, different language, where I could feel lost and readapt myself learning from the city - where the cultural shock would be stronger.”
What do you think of Budapest and the Hungarian culture so far?
Simone: “Even though Hungary is still in Europe, the Hungarian culture is quite different from what I am used to, especially regarding the values and behavioral points of view; Budapest is of course more international than the rest of Hungary, but the gap with the older generations is easy to feel.”
Are you currently learning Hungarian? How do you deal with the language barrier?
Simone: “Unfortunately I am not learning Hungarian since no such course was offered to Erasmus students by my host university. I guess that they find it pointless since it is the hardest language I got in touch with until now and learning it for only 6 months could maybe not bring me that much. Nevertheless, I would have liked to learn some basics for the daily life, but with no proper stimulus it is not so easy, since the language is really different. The language barrier is present mainly with older generations and with some public services (and at the university secretary), where the workers do not speak any kind of English. Apart from the communication, in Budapest it is easy to find the English or German translations everywhere, e.g., shops, restaurant menus, etc.”
Which classes are you taking at the moment? What would you say is the biggest difference between studying in Halle and Budapest?
Simone: “I am taking the following courses: Sustainable Environmental and Natural Resources Studies, Sectorial Sustainability Studies, International Communication, Comparative Country studies, Marketing and Philosophy of Arts.
The main differences I could point out are the kind of topics offered, the way of teaching and the management of the exams and graduations. I was gladly surprised to find many studies offering courses on contemporary topics such as environment and sustainability, which are not considered that much in my own university and which I find really needed for current and future generations; on the other side many courses are offered in almost 4h straight lectures (with a short break in between), which makes it sometimes harder to follow; all of the courses (or at least those I am attending) are mainly concentrated on a theoretical part, which I found much different from those offered by my home universities, which are often based on formulas and calculations. Regarding the examination process, in here, almost all the courses require many small assignments (like mandatory homeworks), in half of the courses’ attendance is mandatory and participation in tutorials slightly influences the final grade. Moreover, exams are usually divided in different parts in different times of the semester offering mid-terms exams, which makes it easier to keep track of the subject and follow a constant study plan, instead of concentrating the whole material on a last big and difficult exam, like it is in Germany.
How did you meet new people and make new friends? Is there some time of association (like ESN) that organizes events and helps international students meet each other?
Simone: “In order to connect with other students there are organizations such as ESN and ELB (Erasmus life Budapest), which constantly organize events almost every day, including dinners, clubs, trips and other kind of activities. At the beginning both organizations also organized introduction weeks, which I unluckily missed because of my late arrival in the city. Nevertheless, getting to know people has not been a problem at all even if I am almost never taking part to the activities offered by the previously mentioned organizations. First of all, living in an Erasmus-student flat helps you immediately being in contact with other students, who are sharing the same experience as you and, in my case, I have been really lucky finding immediate harmony with all of my new flatmates (we are 6 from different countries), which I didn't know before. Also, taking part in the courses made it possible to meet many fellow students during the first week of studies, in where we mainly got to know each other; many activities in the university also require group work. Then obviously once you met some people, they introduce you to the people they know and in a couple weeks you can already feel home and randomly run into people you know on the street.”
What do you like to do in your free time in Budapest?
Simone: “In my free time in Budapest I try to do many different activities. At the beginning I focused mainly on discovering the city, by doing some tourism and trying different activities, bars and restaurants. Otherwise, I also do a lot of sport, in order to not lose some habits I have in my everyday life in my own country. When the weather is nice, I also like going to the park, where there is sun or at the river side. Spending time with friends and always finding new things in the city is also a must, since everyday there is always something new; the city is really vibrant! In the evening, the city is full of student nightlife, lighting up all the bars and clubs which are really unnumerable. When there are no exams coming up, some friends and me like doing some weekend trips to cities nearby, that we never saw before.”
What do you like the most about living in Budapest and what do you miss the most from living in Halle?
Simone: “What I like most of being here is that I feel like I am a bit in a long vacation; I feel less stressed and there are way less things troubling my mind. Also, the fact of getting to know new people, hearing different stories, and creating new connections is definitely a plus. What I miss about Halle is mainly the feeling of being home, that I created after a couple years and all the friends that constitute my new family and made me feel constantly loved and at ease; I was able to be completely myself and always feel accepted. Nevertheless, this difference felt stronger at the beginning, but it is already fading out after 2 months here.”
Why would you recommend other students to do a semester abroad in Budapest?
Simone: “As I always said, I had no big expectations when I planned to come to Budapest (for no particular reason), but this city really positively surprised me and is surprising me even further every day I spend here. Maybe it wouldn't be a city where I would decide to spend the rest of my life in, mainly because of the cultural and language differences, but for a Semester abroad, I think I couldn’t have made a better choice.”
I hope you enjoyed reading about Simone’s experience in Budapest so far. I’ve only been in this city for a day, but I absolutely loved it! So, I can imagine Simone is and will keep on having a wonderful and unforgettable experience. If you want to know more about how to apply for a semester abroad through Erasmus+, check out this blogpost.
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