Weeks 1 – 5 (in Budapest)
While in Budapest, you will be renting apartments from private Hungarian landlords. All BSME residences are within easy reach of the BSME Building using the convenient and inexpensive public transportation.
BSME staff in Budapest will coordinate housing assignments, and they will help students with housing situations. Specific questions on housing should be directed to the BSME Budapest Office. We will inform you of your housing assignment prior to your arrival in Budapest. Do not look for housing on your own.
Notes:
- You will share an apartment with other BSME students. You will have your own bedroom and share a kitchen and a bathroom with them.
- Apartments are completely furnished with basic and necessary items such as furniture, sheets, towels, kitchenware, etc.
- Apartments have washers, but dryers are not typical in Hungary. (You can easily hang dry your clothes.)
- Air-conditioning is not typical in Hungarian apartments, and the temperature can get as hot as 90 ℉ in July. We recommend buying a fan if you feel that it is too hot.
We do our best to find housing that best suits your needs. However, if you have any concerns with your housing situation, please notify the BSME Student Coordinator who will help you sort out the problem.
Regulations:
Rent is payable in cash upon your arrival, often including a refundable deposit of one month’s rent. Do not sign any lease agreements until you fully understand and are comfortable with the terms, and do not pay any rent until a contract is signed. The landlord should be willing to give you a few days grace period in which to do so.
Make sure that the contract clearly describes your utility fees and how they are calculated. Your contract must also specify individual payments if the apartment is occupied by multiple students. You will receive a sample contract from the BSME representative after arrival.
The BSME Budapest Office will assist you with this process, but please note that the housing contract is between you and your landlord (not BSME).
We expect that you treat each residence and its contents with dignity and respect. At the end of your stay, it is up to you to be sure that all trash has been removed from the premises, dishes are washed, and all keys are returned. Owners are allowed to deduct trash collection, repair, and extra cleaning costs from your refundable deposit.
Meals in Budapest: Participants must arrange their own meals. There are plenty of grocery stores and restaurants near the BSME Building.
Week 6 (in Pálköve)
During Week 6, your accommodation will be at a mathematics camp for secondary students, where the field experience will take place. It is located in the beautiful town of Pálköve on the shore of Lake Balaton (the largest lake in Central Europe!), located about 50 miles southwest of Budapest.
Details of Pálköve accommodation and logistics:
- Housing is at the camp, 30 yards away from the Balaton beach.
- Each room houses 3–4 people and has an attached bathroom. Rooms are simple, camp style, with no air-conditioning.
- BSME students will share rooms with each other or young teachers from the camp (college students and recent graduates).
- 3 meals per day will be served at the camp. Please let us know through the online Medical Information Form if you have special dietary needs so we can provide appropriate meals for you.
- On July 31, you will travel as a group (with the BSME instructor, camp students, and staff) by train from Budapest to Pálköve.
- August 5 will be the last academic day of the program. On the night of August 5, there will be a camp closing celebration, which is optional but highly recommended.
- On August 6, you will travel from Pálköve to Budapest by train.
- If you plan to fly out on August 6: The earliest flight you can catch is at 12 noon, but later flights will be more convenient. (Current train schedule: Balatonrendes – Budapest Déli, approx 5am–8am, 6am–9am, and every even hour after that. Camp students and staff will probably take a train around 2pm–5pm. The commute from Budapest Déli train station to Budapest airport is around 1 hour, and you need to leave 2 hours at the airport for check-in and security. The train schedule is subject to change, and trains may not be on time.)
- If you plan to fly out after August 6: You will need to arrange accommodation for yourself from August 6, as the program does not provide accommodation after that date.
Costs
See this page for estimated living costs.
Budapest Semesters in Mathematics Education (BSME) 