What made you decide to study abroad? It has always been my goal to travel more, and I love learning new languages. I was looking for a program where I could not only take classes that would allow me to graduate on time but would expose me to how another country teaches mathematics. I wanted to study abroad for a semester so I could experience living in a different country and really getting to know the culture and the language.
Why did you choose this program? I first heard about Budapest Semesters in Mathematics (BSM) from my advisor freshman year. It is a very unique program, not attached to any one university, and designed specifically for advanced math majors. They have also have a program designed for math education majors as well. I chose this program because Hungary is known for being very good at teaching mathematics and has raised many famous mathematicians like Paul Erdős, John von Neumann, Lajos Pósa, etc. The program offers several classes not usually offered at NCSU as well as several unique to Hungary. In addition, I wanted to live in a country where English was as widely spoken to challenge myself to learn a new language.
What classes are you taking and how do they compare to NC State’s? I’m taking combinatorics, graph theory, Hungarian language, and Discovery Learning: The Pósa Method. I’m also taking a computer graphics class at Aquincum Institute of Technology (AIT). In my math classes I’m given weekly problem sets similar to NC State, but the majority of my grade is determined by one midterm and a final. The Posa Method class is one of the classes unique to this program. It is a problem solving class where we are given a wide variety of problems that don’t require an advanced mathematical background, but employs some creative thinking and clever tricks. There is also an educational aspect to this class where we discuss how we came to a solution, alternate proofs, and discuss how these problem solving skills could be taught in a high school setting to advanced students.
What difficulties have you faced while studying abroad? It took me a little while to learn how to navigate the multitude of buses, trams, metros, and trains, but the public transportation is very convienient and almost never late. In Budapet, you can get around without knowing Hungarian, but when I traveled to some smaller more rural towns, I struggled to find people who spoke English.
Would you recommend studying abroad to other students at NC State? Definitely! Studying abroad has been one of the best decisions I’ve made while at NC State. Living abroad in a different culture has challenged me to adapt, but also exposed me to beautiful sights, delicious food, and the witty sarcasm found in most Hungarians. Though several of the classes are equivalent to classes offered at NC State, they are more challenging and cover the material more thoroughly. If you are a math major I would highly recommend this program, Budapest Semesters in Mathematics Education, or Math in Mocsow. If you are interested in computer science, I would recommend looking into Aquincum Institue of Techonolgy. Feel free to contact me with any questions at hsrussel@ncsu.edu.
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