Experience report
Name: Manouk van Meer
E-mail: m.a.m.vanmeer@tilburguniversity.edu
Exchange semester: Spring Semester
Academic year: 2014/2015
Host University: Eötvös Loránd University Budapest
Country: Hungary
TOPIC: Admission, arrival, housing
How was your arrival organized? Did someone pick you up from the airport/station? Was an
orientation or introduction activity organized? How was accommodation organized? Does the
university provide you with accommodation? What kind of accommodation does the university
provide? Did you have to book your accommodation in advance or did you have to search for
a place to live after you arrived?
My arrival went really easily, because the company where I rented my room offered me a transfer
from the airport to my room. The university had organized an orientation day and also the Faculty of
Law organized an afternoon for information and explanation about registering for subjects and other
important things. Besides that, ESN organized in that week a lot of activities, so everyone could meet
new people and make friends.
The university offers rooms in dormitories and also gives a list of companies which rent private rooms.
I wanted to be sure that I had a room to stay in before I arrived, so I rented a room with rental
company Student Rent Solutions Budapest (SRS). I didn’t want to live in one of the dormitories,
because then I had to share a room with someone I don’t know and the dorms were 30 minutes away
from the city center.
I think it’s also possible to search for a place after you arrive, because there are a lot of empty rooms.
It is really easy to find a room. But it’s also really easy to find a room when you are at home.
TOPIC: Location of university/city
Please describe the city you lived in. Where is the university located in the city? What is the
best place to go to eat/drink/dance/do sports/etc.? What are interesting things to see and do in
your host city? What was different than in Tilburg?
Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) is a really big university with a lot of faculties. All the faculties have
one or more buildings, all spread over the city. The two Faculty of Law buildings are located in the city
center and I choose a room close to the university, so I could walk there.
Budapest is an amazing city. There are so many places to eat, drink, party, chill etc., that every time I
walked around in the city, I found new places to go to. I was never bored. There is always something
to do. Besides that, the city is beautiful! A lot of old buildings, the bridges, interesting places on both
Buda and Pest side.
TOPIC: Academics
Which courses did you take and why? Which courses would you recommend? What did the
courses add to your program at Tilburg University? How does the university compare to
Tilburg University concerning the level of the courses, use of extra material, level of English,
workload, etc.? Overall, were you happy with your academic achievements during your
exchange? Please describe the campus of your host university.
I took the following courses: European Tax Law, Transnational Commercial Law, Political Game
Theory and Transitional Justice. First I took European Tax Law, because I study tax law. So this was
a logical choice for me. I would recommend this course if you study tax law, because then you repeat
some stuff which you will need again in your master. I also recommend Transitional Justice. This
course was really interesting and clear, well organized. Especially because you learn a lot about the
communistic background of Hungary. I would not recommend Transnational Commercial Law, I
thought this subject was really boring and not what I expected it to be. If you are interested in political
topics and a bit of mathematics, I would also recommend Political Game Theory.
TOPIC: Social life
Which social activities organized by the university or students? Did you have contact with
local students? Did you have contact with other exchange students? How did you get along
with the local students and other exchange students? Did you travel to other places/countries
during your exchange?
ESN organized a lot of activities, like the pub quiz, parties, geocaching, a trip to the Hungarian
Carnival in Mohács, etc. There were also a lot of other organizations that organized parties and trips.
I had 3 courses with Hungarian students, but I had the feeling that they were scared to talk English. I
didn’t have contact with other Hungarian students. But of course I had a lot of contact with other
exchange students, because of the loads of activities that were organized. In my opinion, exchange
students were a lot more open minded than Hungarian students.
I travelled a lot during my exchange. I went to Krakow (Poland), Novi Sad & Belgrade (Serbia),
Ljubljana & Maribor (Slovenia), Bratislava (Slovakia), Brno (Czech Republic), Vienna (Austria),
Zagreb & Rijeka (Croatia), Lake Balaton (Hungary) and to some other cities in Hungary. Budapest is
located really central, so you can travel everywhere you want!
TOPIC: Living costs
How did you finance your exchange period, apart from the grant you received from Tilburg
University? What were your living expenses abroad like compared to Tilburg? What did you
spend most of your money on? What would you advice future students to spend their money
on? Please outline your approximate monthly budget whilst on exchange: housing, food,
textbooks, etc.
The semester before I went abroad, I did an internship where I earned money. I also saved a lot of
money in the 1,5 year before I went abroad, because I knew I wanted to have enough money to
travel. Besides that I got the grant from the Dutch government and my parents gave me a
contribution.
I think the living expenses are a bit cheaper than in the Netherlands. Products in supermarkets are
around the same price, but eating in a restaurant and drinks outside the door are much cheaper.
I spent the most of my money on traveling, because I wanted to see a lot of Hungary and countries
around Hungary.
I would definitely recommend future students to spend money on travelling, you can see a lot of other
cultures and historical backgrounds. But in general, spend your money on activities you like!
I had a quite ‘expensive’ room compared to others, my room cost €300 excluded utilities. The utilities
were around €50/60 per month. But I lived in the middle of the center and close to the Danube, which
was a really nice place to live. I didn’t have to pay anything for textbooks, we only used digital
materials. If you go to a Hungarian restaurant, you can eat and drink for around €5. Also notHungarian restaurants are quite cheap, mostly between 10-15 euros for a meal with dessert and
drinks (but of course it depends on where you go).
TOPIC: Culture
Did you experience culture shock while on exchange? How would you compare your host
culture to your own culture? What did you learn about your own culture while on exchange?
What was different about your host culture than you expected? What did you like and not like
about your host culture? Do you feel you learned a lot about your host culture, and if not, what
would you like to learn more? How would you describe your host countries culture? If you
travelled to other cities/countries during your exchange, were they different than your host
city/country, and how?
I didn’t experience a culture shock. The culture is not that much different from the Dutch culture. The
only thing I experienced was that Hungarian people are really grumpy and mostly they (except
students) can’t speak English that well. They are not always helpful. There are also a lot of homeless,
beggars and gypsies on the streets. But I got used to that.
Also they have really inefficient systems, for example at the train station. You have to buy a train
ticket at an office (mostly ticket machines are out of order), but even at the International Ticket Office,
most of the employees cannot speak English that well. You always have to wait everywhere really
long (at the Immigration Office, Ticket Offices, etc.). In the Netherlands everything has to go quick and
efficient, but in Hungary they don’t care that much about that.
Also the professors at the university are more laid back then in The Netherlands. Mostly the date of
the exam was said 2 weeks before the exam (while in Tilburg you already know from the beginning of
the semester when the exam is) and the exams were much easier.
I think the most countries I visited were kind of the same as Hungary, except Vienna in Austria.
TOPIC: Personal development
What did you learn from the people you met during your exchange? Would you do things
differently if you had the chance, and what would you do differently? What was your best
experience, and what was your worst experience? What will you remember for ever about your
exchange period? What was the most important lesson you learned about yourself during your
exchange period?
I learned that although cultures and lifestyles can be really different, you can still be really good
friends with people from foreign countries. I also learned that it’s good to be flexible. Not planning
everything in advance, but spontaneous plans are the best ones.
I wouldn’t do anything differently. I’m happy with all the choices and trips I made!
My best experience was making a lot of friends from all over the world and that I learnt to enjoy little
things. My worst experience was that I had to go to the doctor, but in the beginning nobody knew
where I could go to a doctor. But then I asked a Hungarian student and she helped me.
I think I will remember for ever all the fun I had and all the friends I made, which all contributed to the
best experience of my life until now!
The most important lesson I learned is that you can accomplish everything you want and do
everything you want. Just be yourself!
TOPIC: Tips for future students
Would you recommend an exchange period? Would you recommend your host university?
What should prospective students bring with them/leave behind? What preparation is required
for going on exchange to this destination? Was there anything you should have done in
preparation that you didn’t do?
Yes, I would definitely recommend an exchange period, also in Budapest. It’s a real student city with a
lot of exchange students from all over the world.
Before you leave, try to get to know some things about the city, where the center is, where your
faculty is located. This is nice to know before you look for a room. I would also recommend to search
for a room when you are still at home, because for me I felt more relaxed when I arrived in Budapest.
I knew from the beginning where I was going to live and I could start with making the room
comfortable for myself. I think living in a hostel in the first weeks is only stressful.
I was really well prepared, because I had no school or work since December and I arrived in
Budapest on the 28th of January. I made a luggage list (what to bring, what to buy in advance), a list
with information about insurance companies, about ELTE, etc. I made one folder with all my important
papers from school, rental company of my room, etc. I would definitely recommend that, because it’s
really useful in the beginning of your stay that you have all your information together. I also left an
exact copy of that folder at home and in my mailbox online, so if I would lose it, I still had all my
important documents.