Mail from … Budapest Matice Neumann and Zoe Müller report on their Erasmus+ exchange semester in Hungary

General Information

This is where we live at the moment:

In Budapest – in the very heart of Europe and on the banks of the Danube.

This is what we are doing in Budapest:

We’re studying industrial engineering with a specialisation in civil engineering. In Budapest, however, we’re taking courses in engineering management – an exciting complement to our programme at TU Braunschweig! We’re enrolled at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME).

Our stay will last a total of:

… a total of five months and is part of the Erasmus+ exchange programme.

That’s why we decided to go abroad:

We wanted to escape everyday life, gain new perspectives, experience different cultures and forge international friendships. Neither of us had ever really been to Eastern Europe, so Budapest seemed like a brilliant opportunity – and it definitely proved to be the right choice!

Local life

Here’s how we live in Budapest:

Budapest is divided into its Buda and Pest sides. We both live in shared flates on the Pest side – Zoe in District 7 and Matice in District 6. Both neighbourhoods are centrally located and well connected. We found our flats via a platform for shared flats. Zoe shares her flat with two German flatmates, while Matice lives with one Hungarian and one German–Hungarian flatmate. Matice’s flat is in a relatively quiet area, whereas Zoe lives right in the heart of the bustling bar quarter.

What distinguishes studying in Hungary from that in Germany?

One thing we immediately noticed: attendance is taken very seriously in many courses – you even earn bonus points for it! The study system is structured differently too: instead of one long exam period, most courses have two exams – one at mid-semester and another at the end of term. Since we couldn’t transfer many credits, our timetable was thankfully quite relaxed.

Particularly typical of our host country is:

There was a lot going on in Budapest right from the start – the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) organised a whole orientation week, including welcome events, city tours, crash courses in Hungarian and parties. There was also a joint closing event at the end of the semester. In addition, we went on many trips on our own – for example, day trips to Vienna, hikes in the mountains or spontaneous weekends at Lake Balaton, the largest inland lake in Europe.

Here are a few things we learned during our first three days:

Budapest is enormous – and the number of things to do seems endless. Thankfully, public transport is excellent and very cheap (you can get a monthly ticket for under €6). The cost of living is similar to that in Germany, which surprised us. We’ve found that you can get by perfectly well with English everywhere in the city.

The biggest challenge we’ve faced during our stay so far:

The stay itself was straightforward. The biggest challenge lay in the run-up: finding suitable courses and clarifying which ones would be credited. Once we arrived, however, we were well supported and received early reminders of the key deadlines.

That’s what we will take home with us:

It sounds cheesy, but above all, many wonderful memories, great new friendships and a feeling of gratitude. We have experienced and learned so much – no course plan in the world could have taught us that.

Good to know

Our top tip for anyone travelling to Budapest:

Anyone visiting Budapest should definitely take a Prosecco boat tour on the Danube – ideally at sunset! A trip to the Fisherman’s Bastion and up to Castle Hill is also highly recommended. From there, you’ll enjoy a spectacular view over both sides of the city – Buda and Pest.

This is a local dish you definitely have to try:

We are both vegetarians or vegans, and meat is still much more important in Hungarian cuisine than in Germany. So we can’t say much about goulash and co. But there are some restaurants that are already copying Hungarian classics with alternative products. Langos, a fried dough dish, isn’t for everyone, but you should definitely give it a try!

This is a tip we give to other students and researchers who want to go abroad:

Go for it – it’s worth it! The effort involved in spending time abroad may seem daunting at first, but the experiences you gain will more than make up for it. Don’t worry too much in advance – once you’re there, many things will fall into place by themselves. Most students are extremely helpful, and you will quickly grow into a small international community where everyone supports each other.