Preparation H

I know, the title might throw you off, but don't worry--I am NOT talking about the that little tube people sneak into their grocery carts-- I am talking about operation "preparing for a semester abroad in Hungary."  And I thought "Preparation H" had a much better ring to it than that long, boring, predictable phrase...okay, fine, you caught me- I thought it was pretty clever and couldn't resist. My mom thought it was funny anyways.  I won't get into whether or not that is a reliable resource, I will just dive right into Preparation H.

Really, my preparation for studying abroad in Hungary started two years ago when I was a sophomore.  I had known I wanted to do a semester program sometime in my college career, and after I spent January 2011 in Turkey, I knew I wanted to spend that semester abroad.  So the main things I did my sophomore year were choosing which semester I would travel, researching off-campus programs to figure out my favorite location, and reading the course catalogue to make sure the off-campus semester wouldn't interview with any classes.  I made sure I took the needed classes that were only offered during fall semester during my junior fall semester. Advice: If you are thinking about doing a semester abroad, definitely map out your four year course load, check whether classes are offered during spring or fall (or during odd or even years), and make sure you enroll in classes at the right time.  I personally know two people who didn't think to map out their spring and fall courses so they had pass up studying abroad because ONE required class made them stay on-campus or they wouldn't graduate on time.

My junior year, I spent the year applying and tending to the small details.  This mostly took place during last semester (spring semester).  I found it very helpful to attend all of the information meetings so that I could meet the program director and get acquainted with all the other students interested.

My preparation for spending a semester in Budapest, Hungary I am sad to say, has been quite measly.  I had high hopes of doing research upon research.  I wanted to nail down and plan places I wished to travel to on the weekends, read up on Hungary,  pack a month early so I could fine tune my suitcase as August 17 drew closer and buy anything I needed.  But of course,  I was a little more last minute than planned.

Besides packing all my clothes for two seasons in one 48 lb. bag,  I did buy Hungarian and Eastern European travel guides.  I CAN'T WAIT to use them.   If you want to "be in the moment" with me, and live out my Hungary packing process, here is a little peak.  As you can see, it was very organized and calculated.  ...kidding, kidding. Obviously I can see that it's a mess!

Further showing my last minute preparation,  I'm finishing up this blog post on my bed in my new home in Hungary!  ...but just so I can have another title I'll write another post about traveling here.