I first encountered the term Erasmus during my secondary school years, when several exchange students from different countries came to our school and we spent an entire week with them. Those seven days were truly memorable and strengthened my desire to take part in something similar one day. When I later learned that the Erasmus program is closely linked with university studies, I knew this would be the path for me.
When choosing a university abroad, Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest immediately caught my attention. From my earlier—although very brief—research on the best Erasmus destinations, I knew that Budapest ranks among the top choices. At the same time, it was a great motivation for me, as a guy from a small village of just a thousand people, to experience life in a big city like Budapest. As a history student, the cherry on top was discovering that the university I would attend evolved from the institution that was relocated from Trnava to Buda in 1777.
Since I do not speak a single word of Hungarian, I selected courses in my study plan that were available in English for Erasmus students. Fortunately, there were plenty to choose from. Because almost all my courses were Erasmus courses, I was in classes—except for one—with other international students only, which made meeting new people and making friends much easier.
As I mentioned, the historic character of the university could be felt at every step, especially in the architecture. On the other hand, the overall functioning of the university and campus life clearly showed continuous efforts toward modernization, whether through student meeting spaces or various events. The teachers were excellent, had a very good command of English, and were considerate of students whose language skills were not as strong.
Before arriving, my biggest worry was accommodation, and everything related to it. Thankfully, the university website offered numerous housing options, all run by agencies directly cooperating with the university, so I did not have to worry about ending up without a place to stay. This is how I found comfortable accommodation with other Erasmus students. My two flat mates were from France and Germany.
My typical day looked like this: in my free time outside classes, I went to the gym, where we had a student discount as university students. I travelled to school by metro, which was a very fast and affordable means of transport and often saved me when I was running late. Since the university was located in the city center, during breaks between classes we often went to the Danube and spent time there.
In the evenings, when I had time, I attended various events organized by ESN or visited places where Erasmus students met regularly. On weekends, there were many opportunities to join trips either within Hungary or abroad thanks to Erasmus organizations operating in Budapest. I took advantage of this and spent a weekend in Slovenia, which honestly became one of the highlights of my entire Erasmus, and where I met some of the best friends from my stay.
I covered these additional activities myself using money I had saved before Erasmus through various part-time jobs. The grant, which was around 2,900 euros, was more than enough for basic expenses such as accommodation, food, and public transport.
During my stay, I had to have travel insurance and a student card, which I renewed every 90 days, but the process was very quick. Most payments I made by card, which made currency conversion unnecessary. I withdrew Hungarian forints from an ATM only once at the beginning of my stay, and that one withdrawal lasted me the entire semester.
If I were to give one final tip—something I did not know before my mobility—it would be to attend events organized by Erasmus organizations in the city. It is the best way to meet other students and build friendships that can last long after the mobility ends. For example, I am now going to a festival with a friend from South Korea thanks to the connections I made there. What more could one wish for?
