Erasmus Experience in Debrecen, Hungary by Judith

Why did you choose to go to Debrecen, Hungary?

The courses matched the best with my studies at home.

How long is the scholarship? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

The scholarship gets payed in 2 instalments, for me it was a good support, but of course it is not enough to cover all expenses.

What is the student lifestyle like in Debrecen?

It definitely depends on what you want and what you expect. For having a nice time with your friends it is perfect, because you can go to restaurants, parties and so on...

Would you recommend the city and the University of Debrecen to other students?

I did not have the best experience with the University because the organization was (in my opinion) really bad. But my plan was to study (a lot) and to get all credit points so that I don’t have to add another semester at home. If you don’t mind about that and like if everything is a bit lazy, it is not a bad choice.

The lectures were very small there were never more than 30 people.

What is the food like?

The actual Hungarian food is not that vegetarian-friendly (or even vegan) but it depends on what you actually like. There are lots of things that can be discovered.

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Debrecen?

I found accommodation via Facebook, just search for groups such as "flat for rent in Debrecen".

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How much does it cost to live in Debrecen?

The rent is, compared to Germany, pretty cheap, it is about 40000 - 80000 forint (= €128 - €250).

Is the language easy to get to grips with? Are there language courses available at the University?

The University offers language courses in Hungarian, but I would consider it as a very difficult language. But I think a language course might help even just to get used to the sound and to get not that confused when you hear it. Moreover, it is nice to be able to say words like "hello" or "bye" just to be a bit friendly to the Hungarians cause not that many people speak English.

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Debrecen from your city?

I came from Hamburg, so I took an airplane to Budapest and then the train (it costs about €15, 2 - 3 hours) to Debrecen.

Where would you recommend going on a night out in Debrecen?

A typical place for Erasmus students would be the "Bakelit".

And for eating? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Debrecen?

I really liked Wasabi, which is a sushi restaurant, or Kashmir a very nice place for Indian food.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

In Debrecen things to do is to walk around the city, which is pretty nice, to go to the Aquaticum and, very beautiful, the Hortobagy National Park which is a bit outside the city but reachable via train.

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Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to Debrecen in the future?

Just be prepared, don’t get stressed if something does not work at first!