9 days

I leave for Budapest in 9 days. I'm barely packed, I know absolutely no Hungarian, and I haven't quit my job yet. Oh, I also haven't done any math in about 3 months.

The program I'm going with, Budapest Semesters in Mathematics, is a math intensive program in the original stomping ground of pure math. I have said math (or some variation) 4 times so far in this post. You're just going to have to deal because I'm going to be talking about math. A lot. I'm going to be taking more and harder math than I ever have before. Three 300-400 level classes in one semester, taught by profs who speak English (though not necessarily well). INTENSE.

These are the math classes I'm leaning towards:
Introduction to Abstract Algebra
Conjecture and Proof
Mathematics of Fractals
Elementary Problem Solving
Graph Theory
Number Theory

I'll have to choose 3 of those... which will probably end up being a pretty difficult decision. Although taking 4 math classes wouldn't be unheard of, from what I've gleaned from the website and the BSM facebook group. I'm also going to take one non-math class. That one's a tie between Hungarian Art and Culture, Historical Aspects of Mathematics, and Film Analysis - Great Masters of European Films.


I made flash cards this morning to help me get around my first couple of days in Budapest. I mean, the language course I'm taking pre-program doesn't start until 5 days after I get there, so I'm going to be pretty helpless for the first week... but I can at least try not to be an ugly American by attempting the language, right?