MY EXCHANGE PASSPORT
A survival guide for Corvinus University, Budapest & Hungary
exchange passport photo
first name last name nationality
table of contents 3 Hello citizens! 4 Contact us 5 What is an ESNcard? 6 Events 7 My bucket list 8 Academic calendar 9 Corvinus University of Budapest 10 Corvinus during the semester 2
11 My stamps 13 Money 15 Public transport 18 How to travel green 18 Health care 19 Facts and figures 20 Upcoming holidays 21 Important phrases
hello citizens!
Congratulations! You have been accepted to become a real resident of Budapest. We know how many steps you’ve already taken into the direction of having the perfect exchange semester. So let us say first: welcome to your new homeland, you have no idea how many opportunities are waiting for you! You have made the perfect choice by coming to Budapest, where every night can be party night, but if you desire a quiet evening, you can find plenty opportunities. The city has so many faces: the riverside with beautiful bridges, the hills with breath-taking views, the Old Town full of history and of course the party district with its well-known ruin pubs.
who are we?
We are just like you, university students, who find the saying: "Mobility is a lifestyle" true. We are volunteers, and we are here to make your exchange semester memorable. We are the ones you can turn to with any kind of question, and we offer several program options throughout the semester. Alongside all the partying and drinking, we also organise various cultural, social and sports events. Don’t be afraid, when you start to feel homesick, you are not alone. Because you might be away from home, but you never get lonely in Budapest. Our goal at ESN Corvinus is to create long-lasting relationships and memorable experiences during your stay. We made this guide in hope to help you survive the hardest days in the city, and to help you experience the ultimate Budapest student life.
With love,
Members of ESN Corvinus
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contact us address
www.corvinus.esn.hu
8 FĹ‘vĂĄm Square E (main) building), office 7
opening hours
@esncorvinus
/esncorvinus
Monday - Thursday: 13.15 - 15.30
Our office is open for every international student who needs any information or help, or if you are interested in our events and our community.
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You can also buy the ESNcard and tickets to our programs and trips here.
Some of our partners:
- RyanAir - Flixbus - FirstCraft Beer - Buddies Burger - Zoska and many more!
You can find more info and all of our partners at esncard.org! With the ESNcard you can also buy tickets for a reduced price for our trips and events!
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?dracNSE NA SI TAHW
ESNcard is a partnership program which provides benefits and discounts from local, national and international companies.
EVENTS During the semester ESN Corvinus organises several events to help incoming students to get to know each other, Budapest, Hungary and the Hungarian culture. Some examples:
25 - 30 January
Landing Days
01- 07 February
Orientation Week + Day
04 February
International Dinner
Stay tuned on our Instagram and Facebook page to get information about our latest event offers!
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UPCOMING HOLIDAYS
15 March
1848 Revolution Memorial Day
2 April
Good Friday
5 April
Easter Monday & Srping break
1 May 24 May
Labor Day / May Day Whit Monday
IT’S IMPORTANT TO KNOW: • Shops, markets and services are closed on these days. • Public transport services operate according holiday schedule, meaning less frequent services. • University is closed and there are no classes on these dates.
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MY BUCKET LIST ’
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Things I d like to do while I m in Budapest:
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Climb up to the top of St Stephen s Basilica
Go to an ESN trip
Learn some Hungarian words
Dance all night
Try pálinka
Did y ou kno w?
Pálinka is the abso lute solu Have a h tion! eadache? Pálinka. M pains? Pá enstrual linka. Fee ling nerv the sayin ous? Páli g goes: “ nka. As P a li nka in sm is a medic all amou ine, in lar nts ge amou nts a rem edy”.
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ACADEMIC CALENDAR 2021 spring
1 February Orientation Day 8 February First day of classes 12 February Last day to add and drop courses 29 March - 1 April Intensive week 2-10 April Spring break 15 May Last day of classes 17 May - 19 June Exam period
Did you know?
In Hungary we use our last name first. That is the official format.
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See page 18 for school holidays.
CORVINUS UNIVERSITY OF BUDAPEST CUB is a prestigious university in Hungary. The name and structure of the university had changed many times over the years, but economic studies have been around for almost 70 years. The mission of the university is to maintain an international standard of creating and transmitting values in the form of teaching, research and consulting activities, all in the context of academic freedom.
BUILDINGS
The campus of Corvinus has three buildings, marked as E, S and C (there is logic here, but only in Hungarian). ’E’ is the old building right next to Fővám square and the metro station. Besides the classrooms you can find most of the teachers’ and student organisations’ offices (e.g. ESN office), the International Office, ISP Office, the main hall (which holds several programmes during the semester) and four big lecture halls here. In the basement you can also find a canteen and the ’Napközi’, a chill place for you to relax in the afternoon. ‘S’ is the smallest building, just a few steps away from the Danube. In this building you can find mostly computer labs, so if you are in a desperate need of a computer, usually there are some open classrooms in the afternoon. ‘C’ is the newest building. Besides lots of classrooms, the library takes place in this building as well. If you go to the fourth floor you will also find a huge balcony to relax or study a bit.
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CORVINUS DURING THE SEMESTER As a new 'normal' arrived to our lives with the pandemic, the Corvinus University of Budapest has also taken some measures to prevent the spread of the virus. Here we collected the most important things you need to know about the classes, administration and regulations in the buildings of the university.
classes
lectures with more than 40 people will be held online seminars below 40 people can be the following: (based on the composition of the group) - version A: when the majority of the students is Hungarian, the classes will be held in person - version B: when half of the students is Hungarian and the other half is international, the classes will be divided to two groups and will be held online and in person as well - version C: if the majority is international student, the classes will be online
administration
The administration will be online primarily for which you have to use your university email address which will be provided to you. In case you need personal presence, you can book an appointment in the opening hours.
mask wearing obligation
You have to wear a mask in all areas at the university where there is no possibility to keep the 1.5 meter safety distance, or there is no other security equipment.
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My stamps Tandem night
Treasure Hunt
Par liam visi ent t
ESNca rd
D ay
pa Fla ra g de
tr ip
Sig ht se ein g
Far dinewell ner U BP rty Pa
um e s Mu isit v
Pub Crawl
O r ie n t a t io D ay n
W Dog alk ing
G
t gh Ni iz Qu
el lĂŠ H rt ik H e ill
Z br os un ka ch
T ba he th rm vi al sit
Inte nal rnat din ioner
Bring your passport to our events, get them validated and play for the prize! The person who collects the most, will get a gift from us!
GOOD TO KNOW - MONEY To make life a little bit easier in the first few weeks, we collected some good-to-know info for being a resident of Budapest. Hungary is considered to be an affordable country from a perspective of Western Europe. Still, please be conscious about your expenditure because living in Budapest is becoming more and more expensive. Especially on the main tourist sites, the city offers a huge variety of bars, restaurants and shops at a higher price. You just need to take a short walk from the center and you will find places with friendlier price level.
Hungary’s currency is the Hungarian Forint. This is either shortened to the code HUF or the symbol Ft. Valid coins: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 Valid banknotes: 500, 1.000, 2.000, 5.000, 10.000, 20.000 Exchange rates for HUF
EUR: around 345 HUF/EUR USD: around 295 HUF/USD For official daily exchange rates please visit the Hungarian National Bank’s website. (www.mnb.hu/en/arfolyamok)
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Did you know?
Hungary has produced 13 Nobel laureates to date (more per capita than the likes of Finland, Spain, Canada and Australia) bagging every category except peace.
GOOD TO KNOW
Do not exchange at: airport, hotels, main streets Do exchange at: official currency exchange offices If you have the chance to choose between HUF and any other currency, always choose Forint Withdraw money from ATMs. Most ATMs accept foreign bankcards and ATMs are very easy to find throughout Budapest, with most open 24 hours a day. If you have the chance, use your own bank, if they are not present in Hungary, choose e.g. OTP, K&H, CIB, but we advise you to avoid Euro net ATMs because of extra costs More touristy places might accept Euros with the store’s exchange rate displayed on the counter, but change is likely to be given in Forints All major credit and debit cards (MasterCard, Visa, etc.) are accepted. If you want to use a card and you have doubts about whether it is accepted, please look for the usual window stickers Keep in mind that card acceptance is not obligatory, so always carry some cash in Forints Cash payments that don’t end in 5 or 0 will be rounded to the closest 5 or 0, e.g. for HUF 152 you pay HUF 150 and for HUF 158 you pay HUF 160 All prices in shops are gross prices including VAT Tips are always appreciated but never mandatory, although in several circumstances’ tips are more commonly expected (like in restaurants or taxis). The standard tip is 10%, but many restaurants include service charge (“szervízdíj” in Hungarian) in the total.
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PUBLIC TRANSPORT • Bus number: 200E
AIRPORT CITY CENTER
• The regular tickets and passes are valid as well • Takes you to Nagyvárad tér, where you can reach the other public transport services
Single ticket price: 350 HUF Block of 10 tickets: 3.000 HUF Monthly student pass: 3.450 HUF Semester pass for students: 16.200 HUF
INSIDE THE CITY
Where to buy: ticket machines (can be found in metro stations, and some bus and tram stops) and BKK customer service points. It is also possible to purchase a ticket from the bus driver for 450 HUF (but they don’t always have them, and sometimes they don’t have change, so it’s better to buy it beforehand). You can also buy your ticket and semester pass online in BKK’s mobile ticket application.
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METRO LINES M1 (yellow line), the Millennium Underground was the first on the European mainland, so it has a nostalgic feeling attached to it.
M2 (red line) was the first metro line to cross the River Danube and reach Buda.
le b a t no tops s M3 (blue line) is the longest metro line, currently under construction, so replacement buses are common.
M4 (green line) is the newest metro line in Budapest. Each station is architecturally unique. Oh, and the metro cars are running driverless.
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Deák Ferenc Square, Hungarian State Opera, Oktogon intersection, Heroes’ Square Eastern Railway Station (Keleti Pályaudvar), Astoria (Corvinus is 2 tram stops away), Deák Ferenc Square, Kossuth Lajos Square (here’s the Parliament), Southern Railway Station (Déli Pályaudvar)
Deák Ferenc Square, Kálvin Sqaure (3 minutes walking from Corvinus), Western Railway Station (Nyugati Pályaudvar)
Fővám tér (right next to Corvinus), Eastern Railway Station (Keleti Pályaudvar)
HOW TO TRAVEL GREEN Travelling to another country requires a lot of organization with all the packing and sorting. Therefore, we have to be conscious about what we really need for our journey and also how to travel in an environmentally friendly way. The amount of waste we produce during this time and the emission of harmful gases while using different means of transport – especially cars or planes – is huge. If you want to take action, the good news is that you don’t even have to give up on your desire to travel. Here are a few tips that may help you ’travel green’ – make sure to bear them in mind because you can use them later as well. 1. You can choose trains or long distance buses over flights. The travel might be longer but you can reduce the average travel emission. 2. Prepare your food – food on the plane expensive and not the best quality. Having your own reusable food box and preparing your own dishes are a great way to a healthier lifestyle, too. 3. Prepare your drink – it’s 2020 and if you still don’t have your own water bottle, it is time to get one! Most of them are not just keeping your drink fresh and cold but you can refill them at more and more places (sometimes for free). 4. Do you still collect your laundry and dirty shoes into plastic bags? Skip it! You can find many reusable canvas bags, serving the same and many more purposes while it’s staying with you much further. 5. You should commit yourself to not buying unnecessary clothing along the way – but if you don’t want to bring all your stuff with yourself you can choose from many great second-hand shops where you can find designer giveaways for a good price as well. 6. Having many other tips for your eco-friendly journey in Hungary, don’t be afraid to contact ESN Corvinus or join us at any related workshops and programs!
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HEALTH CARE First aid and emergency medical care are free for foreigners, in other cases you must pay for the treatment. EU citizens are insured on the basis of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC, or “Blue EU Card” as most of us know it – you should get it in your home country before arriving to Hungary) when they are in another member state and are, from the point of view of social security, entitled to the same rights and have the same obligations as citizens of that given member state.
There are several private clinics catering to expats and foreign tourists, with doctors that speak many languages. These can be more expensive, but if you have travel insurance your costs could be covered. Expat or tourist medical clinics may have direct billing relationships with some insurers. Private medical institutions • First Med Center (1015 Budapest, Hattyú utca 14.) • Dr. Rose private hospital (1051 Budapest, Széchenyi István tér 7.) • Szent Gellért private clinic (1061 Budapest, Andrássy út 43.) • Medoc Health Center (1132 Budapest, Visegrádi u. 74.) • Medicover Hospital (1134 Budapest, Váci út 29-31) • International Medical Service (1138 Budapest, Váci út 184.) In all of these medical centers and practitioners you can speak English, but in case you run into any obstacle turn to ESN Corvinus or contact your tandem partner.
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FACTS AND FIGURES Official name:
Hungary
State form:
Republic
Area:
93,030 km2
Population:
9,773 million (2019)
Capital city:
Budapest
Official language:
Hungarian
Currency:
Forint (HUF)
Time zone:
CET (UTC+1)
Date format:
yyyy.mm.dd
Country calling code: +36 Internet domain:
.hu
Exchange rate:
1 EUR = app. 345 HUF
Weather:
continental climate Did you k now?
Only six coun tries (U.S., Ru ssia, U.K., Chin and Italy) hav a, France e won more S ummer Olymp medals than H ic gold ungary. Hung a ri a ns won gold medals at eve ry summer Oly mpics except 1920 and Los Antwerp Angeles 1984 when they did not compete.
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What I have learned in Hungarian
Szia! - Hi!/Hello!
Egészségedre! - Cheers!/Bless you!
know? Did you
or bottles s e s s la g ir e th never clink nd, when e g le Hungarians o t g in ause accord cuted after e of beer, bec x e e r e w n generals Austrians , 13 Hungaria 9 4 8 1 – 8 4 ion of 18 ach the Revolut sses after e la g r e e b ir clinked the use to clink f e r e w , e r o heref y. execution. T rals’ memor e n e g e h t r onou glasses to h
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ESN Corvinus 1093 Budapest, Fővám Square 8. Building E, room 7 www.corvinus.esn.hu
Content and design by Kata Csontos Dóra Hegymegi Kitti Tóth Bernadett Bálint Franciska Bognár