A Typical Day
Our average class days in Budapest are pretty relaxed, compared to normal days at Northeastern. Class begins at 9:30, so I usually wake up between 7:30 and 8:00. I shower, get dressed, and generally get ready before I eat breakfast. I’ll either eat something simple like cereal in our apartment or grab something on my way, but I almost always stop for coffee on the way to class, whether I ate or not. I’ll get a latte or cappuccino, and if it costs over $2, it’s a really expensive coffee for Budapest. From my old apartment, I would often take the tram and then walk from there, but now we moved to a new place right where I’d usually get off the tram, so it’s less than ten minutes to walk. Once everyone arrives to the university where our classroom is, our professor begins our day usually with some type of discussion, followed by some videos (often TED talks) and a lecture. We are done with class around 12:30 most days, following which people split off depending on lunch plans. A group favorite is falafel/gyros pitas from a place close to our apartment, or we’ll grab a sandwich somewhere. We try something new at least twice a week.
After lunch, I usually drop off my school bag, freshen up, and go out for the rest of the day. I’ll meet up with people to go exploring, go shopping or walking on my own, or just relax in a park with a book, depending on my mood. Around 5, I’ll meet up with my group from class to work on our homework, usually some kind of work for our final project. For the project, we are designing bluetooth enabled shoe inserts that vibrate to tell you directions without looking at your phone. We have different types of assignments each day, either related to this project or to something else from class. Our favorite place to work is an outdoor restaurant near the Danube that has wifi, beanbags to sit in, and really yummy food. They also have the best iced coffee in town (it’s hard to find iced drinks here!). I’ll either grab dinner there or just get a snack and eat something else when I get home. When we finish our work, we might just hang out together or go separately to our apartments to chill out until bed. It’s nice to have the time after dinner to relax after a long day of exploring. My roommates and I will often spend time together during this time. I usually go to bed around midnight, exhausted but ready for another day of seeing Budapest!
