I have had the joy of being in Hungary for the past two weeks. More specifically, this past week I started my course on Modern Hungarian History at the University of Debrecen. So far everything I have learned has been incredibly exciting and I cannot wait to share my experiences and newfound knowledge afterwards!

Naturally, this course is compacted into two weeks with 4.5 hours of lecturing daily. As fast-paced as the classes are, it is nothing unusual compared to normal college. The balance between classes and other activities is more or less the same as at the University of Pittsburgh. However, my class is very small, consisting of me and 4 other classmates all of whom have a master’s degree or more and are from different countries. In general, all attendees of this summer program hail from a variety of countries such as Israel, Croatia, the UK, the Philippines, Korea, and the list goes on! This diversity is so fascinating, talking to everybody about their cultures and lives at home is such a unique opportunity. Meanwhile, in class this makes me the youngest by a considerable amount, the discussions between us are incredibly intellectual and truly enrich every class.

Typically in a day, I have lectures 9-10:30 11-12:30, and then 2-3:30. After these, usually we have some downtime and dinner, and more often than not there is some sort of optional program such as touring the city, trivia, or playing soccer. These keep me plenty busy, the pace of life is very fast. I have given myself very little time for relaxation and rest! I do not mind though I took a day (the day I am writing this) to relax and it was much needed! Other than that, Debrecen is a beautiful city with an incredible history that can be seen in the more historical parts. Here, for example, is the city center where several statues and the old church lie!

I am sad this will be my last week, but my course so far has been very exciting and I have learned so much from both its contents and from my classmates. Looking forward to returning to the Pitt community in a bit, until then!