James Dohm visiting Vienna during his stay in Budapest.
Fellow California-native James Dohm was kind enough to answer some questions on his experience as a university student at Budapesti Műszaki és Gazdaságtudományi Egyetem—Budapest University of Technology and Economics--the "world's oldest Institute of Technology" with "university rank and structure" per Wiki. His answers in italics...
What was your area of focus while at BME?
I was enrolled in the Faculty of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology.
What school do you attend in the US, and how did you hear about the opportunity to study here?
I am a Junior at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. I am actually not sure where I initially heard about BME. My school’s study abroad webpage lists all programs available to students, and Budapest stood out to me first based on its location. Do I know why it stood out? Not really, it just did -- maybe it was the sense of adventure as Budapest is a less-traditional study abroad location. As I looked more into the program and city, though, Budapest quickly became my top choice.
Did you have to have a certain GPA or pass a test to attend?
Vanderbilt requires a GPA of above 3.0.
Had you known any others in the US who had come to Hungary to study?
Not directly, no. I have a friend-of-a-friend who is Hungarian, but otherwise I went in blind.
Were there many other foreign students at BME?
Depends on how you define foreign! At BME there were only five Americans. The entire Erasmus program, however, had about 450 European students, and BME itself is home to many students from Turkey and middle-eastern countries.
What was the main difference in how they teach here in Hungary compared to back in the States? Any other noted diffs?
Generally, Hungarian education (as seems to be the case with the rest of Europe) takes a more hands-off approach than does the US. Classes are scheduled only once a week and homework is nonexistent, whereas in the US classes are scheduled two to three times a week and homework is frequent. These contrasting methods point to Hungary’s model of expecting students to learn on their own. In the US’ model, learning is more of a dialogue between professors, TAs, and other students. The lectures themselves, though, were very similar in both Hungary and in the US.
Were you limited in what you could take due to most courses being in Hungarian, or were there plenty of English course options?
There were many English courses – at least 100. Because BME has many international students, most courses are offered in both Hungarian and English.
How would you rate the quality of education over all as well as difficulty (challenge) level?
The quality of education in Hungary was similar to what I’ve experienced in the US. Educational quality varies more so from professor to professor than from country to country. However, the difficulty level of education in Hungary was much lower than in the US. Full-time Hungarian students at BME insist that their classes are challenging, so I’m inclined to believe that my perception of academic rigor is skewed to the easier side because I was studying abroad and taking a lighter course load.
It is worth noting here that European students are more tolerant of low-passing grades than are Americans. Pass grades, or 2s in Europe, are equivalent to Ds in the US. In the US, Ds significantly lower one’s GPA, and many students are pressured to earn Bs or As so that they can earn high GPAs. While your everyday Hungarian student would probably not be happy with a 2, the impression I got was that a few 2s here or there in difficult classes is at least acceptable. The apparent difference in difficulty, therefore, could be due not to the actual classes but to the performance standards to which American students hold themselves relative to European ones. European academic life, especially for Erasmus, is much less stressful.
(I touched base with a number of Hungarian students who were a bit taken aback by the claim that 2s would be acceptable, but I also realized James was talking about his fellow Erasmus participants from Europe, who are known to definitely take it easy while studying in Budapest. Apparently, it’s more about the experience and having fun. I’ve also been told that English language courses are easier as the teachers may not be able to command the material as well in English but also simply because they don't want to have to fail kids who are supposed to return home after the semester ends—meaning, they can’t stick around to give it another go.)
James also followed up in an email with additional details regarding American and European expectations:
Yes, for many Americans, study abroad is graded on a pass / fail basis. However, Vanderbilt directly transfers grades (e.g., 5 = A, 4 = B), so I worked hard to ensure I got straight 5s across my 7 classes.
In Europe, the jump from 1 (failing) to 2 (passing) is usually significant, so it is very possible to fail BME's engineering classes. Europeans of course recognize that a 5 is better than a 2, but Europeans wouldn't react to a 2 in the same way Americans react to a D. In the States, the increased number of homework/participation grades makes it less likely that one gets an F (equivalent to a European 1), and most Americans consider Cs poor. (This is why B is the most commonly awarded grade in American universities, even though B is supposed to indicate "better than average" — in fact, many jobs require a 3.0 GPA, and some up to 3.5, just to apply for positions.) Unlike the core classes, study abroad courses are apparently made easy to pass, although they are not necessarily easy in difficulty (my Hungarian language class, for example, was extremely challenging).
It is certainly true that both Americans and Erasmus students take study abroad as a time to unwind. In my opinion, the focus of study abroad is less so on the "study" and more so on experiencing other cultures by being abroad. However, there are some students, in particular Americans, who do abuse the lax academic standards and lower drinking age. The students who do misuse the intent of study abroad, though, would be no less likely to behave differently at their home universities.
(I was also informed that although supposedly some employers here do not look at actual grades, some key jobs as well as graduate-equivalent programs (especially say in Medicine) do look carefully at grades. Another thing that was emphasized to me was the insane testing to even get into university here in Hungary in the first place. Students have to pass rigorous oral and written exams in numerous subjects, and these scores are absolutely looked at by local universities. Additionally, to get into the top programs, only the highest scores are taken. Otherwise, students may have the option to pay their way or otherwise attend vocational schools, easier higher-education programs, or simply get a job.)
How did you like living in Budapest? What was your most favorite and least favorite part/aspect of the city?
I loved Budapest!! I honestly really don’t have any negatives for the city and culture / people, just positives. Of course, the excellent public transport goes without saying. I found the city clean, safe, easy to navigate, and scenic. There was always something new for me to do in Budapest as well – whereas I felt I had fully explored some European cities in just a few days, Budapest continued to surprise me even during my fourth month there. In particular, as a musician, I greatly enjoyed and routinely took advantage of the almost daily 500Ft ($1.80!) orchestra concerts held in the Mupa and Liszt Academy concert halls.
Hungarians were consistently friendly to me and communication in English was seldom an issue. They were sometimes more direct or impatient than Americans tend to be, but certainly far from rude. I actually found many conversations with Hungarians to be more meaningful than conversations with other Americans, because Hungarians generally engaged in less small-talk and went straight to the point of a discussion.
Would you recommend other students to come here?
Absolutely! In fact, I already have been actively recommending study abroad here.
Will you be returning?
Yes, not sure when, but yes.
Do you know what you intend to do with your degree?
Honestly, with my Chemistry degree, not entirely sure yet! Last summer I interned at a refinery, and this next summer I will be in management consulting.
Lastly, what Hungarian word (if any!) did you learn?
I took a Hungarian course at BME, so I tanultam ("studied") many Hungarian words! One of my most-frequently used words was fáradt (tired), which accurately sums up how I felt waking up for 8am lectures after having explored Budapest until 1am the night before. Szia!
What was your area of focus while at BME?
I was enrolled in the Faculty of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology.
What school do you attend in the US, and how did you hear about the opportunity to study here?
I am a Junior at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. I am actually not sure where I initially heard about BME. My school’s study abroad webpage lists all programs available to students, and Budapest stood out to me first based on its location. Do I know why it stood out? Not really, it just did -- maybe it was the sense of adventure as Budapest is a less-traditional study abroad location. As I looked more into the program and city, though, Budapest quickly became my top choice.
Did you have to have a certain GPA or pass a test to attend?
Vanderbilt requires a GPA of above 3.0.
Had you known any others in the US who had come to Hungary to study?
Not directly, no. I have a friend-of-a-friend who is Hungarian, but otherwise I went in blind.
Were there many other foreign students at BME?
Depends on how you define foreign! At BME there were only five Americans. The entire Erasmus program, however, had about 450 European students, and BME itself is home to many students from Turkey and middle-eastern countries.
What was the main difference in how they teach here in Hungary compared to back in the States? Any other noted diffs?
Generally, Hungarian education (as seems to be the case with the rest of Europe) takes a more hands-off approach than does the US. Classes are scheduled only once a week and homework is nonexistent, whereas in the US classes are scheduled two to three times a week and homework is frequent. These contrasting methods point to Hungary’s model of expecting students to learn on their own. In the US’ model, learning is more of a dialogue between professors, TAs, and other students. The lectures themselves, though, were very similar in both Hungary and in the US.
Were you limited in what you could take due to most courses being in Hungarian, or were there plenty of English course options?
There were many English courses – at least 100. Because BME has many international students, most courses are offered in both Hungarian and English.
How would you rate the quality of education over all as well as difficulty (challenge) level?
The quality of education in Hungary was similar to what I’ve experienced in the US. Educational quality varies more so from professor to professor than from country to country. However, the difficulty level of education in Hungary was much lower than in the US. Full-time Hungarian students at BME insist that their classes are challenging, so I’m inclined to believe that my perception of academic rigor is skewed to the easier side because I was studying abroad and taking a lighter course load.
It is worth noting here that European students are more tolerant of low-passing grades than are Americans. Pass grades, or 2s in Europe, are equivalent to Ds in the US. In the US, Ds significantly lower one’s GPA, and many students are pressured to earn Bs or As so that they can earn high GPAs. While your everyday Hungarian student would probably not be happy with a 2, the impression I got was that a few 2s here or there in difficult classes is at least acceptable. The apparent difference in difficulty, therefore, could be due not to the actual classes but to the performance standards to which American students hold themselves relative to European ones. European academic life, especially for Erasmus, is much less stressful.
(I touched base with a number of Hungarian students who were a bit taken aback by the claim that 2s would be acceptable, but I also realized James was talking about his fellow Erasmus participants from Europe, who are known to definitely take it easy while studying in Budapest. Apparently, it’s more about the experience and having fun. I’ve also been told that English language courses are easier as the teachers may not be able to command the material as well in English but also simply because they don't want to have to fail kids who are supposed to return home after the semester ends—meaning, they can’t stick around to give it another go.)
James also followed up in an email with additional details regarding American and European expectations:
Yes, for many Americans, study abroad is graded on a pass / fail basis. However, Vanderbilt directly transfers grades (e.g., 5 = A, 4 = B), so I worked hard to ensure I got straight 5s across my 7 classes.
In Europe, the jump from 1 (failing) to 2 (passing) is usually significant, so it is very possible to fail BME's engineering classes. Europeans of course recognize that a 5 is better than a 2, but Europeans wouldn't react to a 2 in the same way Americans react to a D. In the States, the increased number of homework/participation grades makes it less likely that one gets an F (equivalent to a European 1), and most Americans consider Cs poor. (This is why B is the most commonly awarded grade in American universities, even though B is supposed to indicate "better than average" — in fact, many jobs require a 3.0 GPA, and some up to 3.5, just to apply for positions.) Unlike the core classes, study abroad courses are apparently made easy to pass, although they are not necessarily easy in difficulty (my Hungarian language class, for example, was extremely challenging).
It is certainly true that both Americans and Erasmus students take study abroad as a time to unwind. In my opinion, the focus of study abroad is less so on the "study" and more so on experiencing other cultures by being abroad. However, there are some students, in particular Americans, who do abuse the lax academic standards and lower drinking age. The students who do misuse the intent of study abroad, though, would be no less likely to behave differently at their home universities.
(I was also informed that although supposedly some employers here do not look at actual grades, some key jobs as well as graduate-equivalent programs (especially say in Medicine) do look carefully at grades. Another thing that was emphasized to me was the insane testing to even get into university here in Hungary in the first place. Students have to pass rigorous oral and written exams in numerous subjects, and these scores are absolutely looked at by local universities. Additionally, to get into the top programs, only the highest scores are taken. Otherwise, students may have the option to pay their way or otherwise attend vocational schools, easier higher-education programs, or simply get a job.)
How did you like living in Budapest? What was your most favorite and least favorite part/aspect of the city?
I loved Budapest!! I honestly really don’t have any negatives for the city and culture / people, just positives. Of course, the excellent public transport goes without saying. I found the city clean, safe, easy to navigate, and scenic. There was always something new for me to do in Budapest as well – whereas I felt I had fully explored some European cities in just a few days, Budapest continued to surprise me even during my fourth month there. In particular, as a musician, I greatly enjoyed and routinely took advantage of the almost daily 500Ft ($1.80!) orchestra concerts held in the Mupa and Liszt Academy concert halls.
Hungarians were consistently friendly to me and communication in English was seldom an issue. They were sometimes more direct or impatient than Americans tend to be, but certainly far from rude. I actually found many conversations with Hungarians to be more meaningful than conversations with other Americans, because Hungarians generally engaged in less small-talk and went straight to the point of a discussion.
Would you recommend other students to come here?
Absolutely! In fact, I already have been actively recommending study abroad here.
Will you be returning?
Yes, not sure when, but yes.
Do you know what you intend to do with your degree?
Honestly, with my Chemistry degree, not entirely sure yet! Last summer I interned at a refinery, and this next summer I will be in management consulting.
Lastly, what Hungarian word (if any!) did you learn?
I took a Hungarian course at BME, so I tanultam ("studied") many Hungarian words! One of my most-frequently used words was fáradt (tired), which accurately sums up how I felt waking up for 8am lectures after having explored Budapest until 1am the night before. Szia!
We're thinking James was definitely fáradt when he went out ice skating at Városliget... grat pic James!
