Welcome to the first post on Chelsea's Budapest Semesters in Mathematics blog! I will be leaving for Budapest in early September (the date is uncertain seeing as I have yet to buy my airplane tickets), and the time frame between now and then seems to be getting shorter and shorter so quickly. Having begun to prep myself for the study abroad experience, I have become very nervous. There is much that I need to do before I can leave and there will be so much for me to do while abroad. Even considering this, I am so excited for the opportunity to experience a new culture and I look forward to the challenges that will come with my classes.
In order to start this blog off right, I'd like to share some information on my study abroad program. The program is 15 weeks long- 14 weeks of classes plus one week of exams. During the first two weeks of the program, students are allowed to take all of the courses offered in order to determine which classes they would like to take. The average course load is 3-4 math classes. I intend to take four classes: one set theory course, one group theory course, one number theory course, and one probability course. Many more details of the program will be determined upon my arrival. For example, I have no idea where I will be living, who I will be living with, much about the city of Budapest, what the professors will be like, etc. Most of what I know comes from conversations that I have had with previous members of the program. The prominent idea that I have gotten from them can be described in one word- HARD. The classes are expected to be intense and the workload "deathly". I am trying to prep myself as best as I can for this workload, but there is a limit to how much I can do. I just need to trust my previous experience and my abilities to get me through the term.
While abroad I have a few plans outside of the program itself, the details of which will be explained later in the blog. I intend to visit Moordorf, Serbia in order to gain information on my family history, to complete my service project that is required as a recipient of the Gilman Scholarship (Yay!), and to possibly do some volunteer work/ join a volleyball or ultimate frisbee club.
For more information on the Budapest Semesters in Mathematics program visit:
http://www.budapestsemesters.com
and for information on the gilman scholarship, visit:
http://www.iie.org/en/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program
I would like to send a great big thank you to those who have sponsored my study abroad experience:
My math professor Alan Parks
My Aunts, Sue Goreham and Marge Serres
My Grandma K and
My family friend Ralph
