Studying abroad offers a unique opportunity to gain a new perspective on the world; it's a chance for discovery and soul searching.  We caught up with Kiera Gillock and Masha Paul, currently studying abroad at McDaniel College's campus in Budapest. 

     Hungary is a small country and Budapest is an even smaller but lively city. Buda and Pest are two parts of one city separated by the Danube River. The Pest side is known as the more metropolitan area of Budapest while Buda is more suburban and low key; that is where you can find the mountains and scenery. Budapest is a beautiful city and the buildings that us McDaniel students reside in throughout Pest are centuries old. We are surrounded by opera houses, lakes, bridges, wine festivals, monuments, etc. 

     From my observations I can tell you that Budapest seems to be a popular place for college students in Europe to study, especially for medical and law programs. When I had to make the big choice with CV on which college I would choose to attend, I chose McDaniel for its Budapest Program. Because McDaniel has a sister school in Hungary, the financial aid I receive from the school transfers without any problems and the credits for classes are easily transferred onto my transcript. I started to play with the idea of doing the Budapest program in the beginning of my second semester at McDaniel. By then I declared my communications major and knew that if I wanted to study abroad it would be better to do it earlier than later. It would also be a great way to learn about myself and how independent I could be in a foreign country. 

     After talking about it with my mom I went to the study abroad office and had a consultation. I also talked with friends who experienced the program and got their opinions and advice. Before I knew it I was saving up money and writing letters asking for support from family and friends to go to Hungary and if it weren't for them I wouldn't be here expanding my perspective of the world. It's totally beneficial going to a less popular (at least I think for American student) country for studying abroad because it seems to be less touristy and more cultural. Also the fact that I would be poor in any country that has the Euro currency doesn't hurt at all. 225 forints to a dollar, not bad! - Masha Paul

     The curriculum here is a little different. Although, since it is an American school, they try to mimic the American system. The classes are highly discussion based, which personally I really like. The classes are also a lot smaller offering a more intimate feeling to the class. This helps you get a better grasp of the material since it's more interactive and if you feel like you don't understand anything it's easier for the professor to stop and clarify instead of getting lost in a crowd of people. - Kiera Gillock

     Here in Budapest, I don't get half the amount of small assignments I would normally get at McDaniel, but class participation is highly encouraged...scratch that, necessary. My classes range from 4 to 12 students.  Needless to say, if you decide to sleep in or not hand in that term paper, your professor will know. Some would probably hate this, but I kind of like having to participate. Even in my lecture classes, I'm bound to be more engaged than I would if the professor didn't know my name. The classes are all taught in English. One thing that amazes me is in my Hungarian class the other students are learning a third language through their second language. Being bi-lingual is basically the norm here. My favorite class probably has to be European Film Art. We watch the most obscure films, certainly ones I would never rent on Netflix, and we analyze them. One thing I have learned, surrealism is NOT my taste in regards to film genres. - Masha Paul

     Here, they put us up in flats around the city. We live in two-person apartments, and we're all spread out so we don't all live in the same building. It's good because we get used to going around the city to meet each other, which means we've seen more of the city and get out a lot more. Plus, it's more comfortable than living in dorms, because it's YOUR bedroom and YOUR kitchen and YOUR bathroom. You don't have to share them with a bunch of different people you probably don't know and it's much more convenient. I love being able to cook for myself and socializing with my neighbors. - Kiera Gillock

     One of the many aspects about being abroad is having the opportunity to befriend people from all around the world. I have classmates from China, Nigeria, Germany, Iran, and of course Hungary, just to name a few. Everyone is so open about meeting people from different backgrounds and cultures that it easy to make friends. Locally, it's very easy to find a new place to go to every weekend like a karaoke bar or a salsa club. It's funny because in most public places you're more likely to hear American top 40 rather than Hungarian pop music. 

     I love the theatre so I made sure to be a frequent patron of the Hungarian Opera house located just one metro stop from my flat. So far I've seen the Italian opera "Rigeletto" and the ballet 'Csajkovszkij' both for only 1000 forints each. That's a little under $5 per performance. One of the things I love about Budapest is that the arts are easily accessible and affordable for college students, and anyone for that matter. They might not be royalty class boxed seats, but as long as I can see the stage that is good for me. I've also attended performances at the Palace of the Arts. 

     Visiting the Great Market Hall is one of my favorite activities. They sell fresh fruits and vegetables; meat, fish, and cheese; fresh baked bread and pastries; and Hungarian wine and entrees like Langosh and Goulash. It's so awesome! It is also a great place to buy souvenirs. Our current hotspot though is the local Christmas Festival open every day up until the end of December. 

     My favorite activity so far though has probably been the group study trip to Venice and Vienna. I would never think that I would have been able to go to these places, especially during college. I can actually check eating pizza in Italy off my bucket list (though I found that I still prefer my Antonio's. Go Providence!). The cities were just so full of beauty and history. I loved visiting the Habsburg palace in Vienna and learning about the family. They gave us personal audio guides that would lead you through the palace and tell you their story. It was like walking through a documentary. The funniest thing about visiting other countries is when we found ourselves trying to communicate with people first in Hungarian, and then remembering that we weren't in Hungary anymore. The fact that it's so easy to travel from one major city to another by bus is among the reasons why I love Europe! We will definitely miss it here, but can't wait to be home for the holidays! - Masha Paul

     If you get the chance, definitely study abroad. It offers this unique perspective that's just irreplaceable. Meeting so many new people and, if you have an open mind, learning about other peoples' cultures is truly amazing. It's an experience I wouldn't trade for anything. But know the country you're going to at least fairly well. You don't have to know their history from top to bottom, but know the general customs, (e.g. do they think it's rude to look them in the eyes while talking or to talk too loudly in public, do they feel uncomfortable with strangers saying hello, know how to say simple things like thank you, excuse me, etc). It's like when you go to someone else's house. You wouldn't just immediately treat it like you were in your own home; you'd be careful to note if they want you to take off your shoes when you walk in. Know what the country is like and how they feel about Americans. Here, because it's a part of their culture, they look down on drinking a lot, or socializing in the home. They feel that hanging out with friends should be done in public and being at home is for you and your neighbors to rest after a long day of work. My favorite part is that people in Europe tend to be more social. They like to get to know others and love to talk to new people.

     My best advice is this: Be respectful to your host country and its people, have an open mind about different cultures and ideas, and most importantly have fun and see as much as you can! - Kiera Gillock