When I first entered the university's Szántó Kovács János Street building in September 2010, as a freshman at the then Faculty of Adult Education and Human Resources Development, I had strange thoughts: 'Is the university really that important in one's life? It is only three years, shorter than high school!" My 18-year-old self could not have been more naive. Three years turned into five years as a student, which slowly turned into eight years as an employee.

As a first-year student, one of my lecturers found out that I could speak German well. It was not hard to get caught as his son had been in the same year in high school. So this teacher took me under his wings and started me on a path that was one of the best things that could have happened to me. He got me involved in a student field research program with a German college. In addition to being a participant, I also had the role of an organizer. Eventually, this led me on to the Master's programme and also to the double degree programme directly with the German partner institution. During my year in Germany, my German language skills improved a lot, I learnt a lot about the culture, the world, but most of all about myself, as it was here that I first became truly independent, far away from my parents.

I was offered a job at the university a few months before my state exams, which I was happy to accept. I remained involved in the above programme as an organiser. In the end, my academic achievements abroad, my excellent state examination and the fostering of the relationship between the two universities led to my receiving the DAAD scholarship given to the best student from abroad, which was a great honour for me.

As a student I was part of the Faculty of Adult Education and Human Resources Development, as an employee I am already part of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Education and Regional Development. As a member of the faculty, I have had the opportunity to try my hand in many different areas, and I have a wide range of varied tasks, which gives me a lot of different experience. But the most valuable thing I have received from my job is my best friend, a former colleague.

 

Schmieder Réka

 

education organizer

Registrar’s Office

Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Education and Regional Development