by Virág Viktória Kiss, Faculty’s Student Union, Faculty of Business & Economics, University of Pécs
When you arrive for the first time and the semester begins, you feel that everything and everyone is new and that you are a little lost regardless of the level of education. This is where Orientation Day has an important role to play. On the Orientation Day you will not only be provided with super useful information and the latest news, but you will also be enriched with the first, real university community experience! After the introduction of the most important things to know and various university organizations, the team-building games begin which help you to make new friends very quickly and easily. More than once, we have seen examples of friendships which started on the Orientation Day that accompanied the students not only during their university years but also afterwards. And if that still would not be convincing enough why attending a day like this is such a good opportunity then let me mention how good the atmosphere of that event is. Everyone smiles and laughs and a have a great time! Since the university has an international community due to its students of different nationalities, there is a lot of interesting information about different cultures, habits, and mother tongues of their countries! Everyone gets to know the other and themselves a little better because if you get out of your comfort zone, you will open up to the world!
We asked two of our students to share with us their experiences of the Orientation Day.
The first one is Aneta Asanovic who participated the Orientation Day last year.
- Why did you decide to be a student of the UPFBE?
UPFBE was a perfect choice for me because I was offered a scholarship (Stipendium Hungaricum) and I really liked Pecs as it is a student city. International students and Erasmus students participated in the orientation.
- How many people were participated in the Orientation Week?
Roughly around 20-30 students depending on the day.
- Was it useful? If yes, then why?
I found some days of Orientation Week very useful, like the day we walked around campus and learned about Neptun and how to use it.In the orientation, I got to meet many international students who are now my classmates.
- Would you recommend to attend the Orientation Day to the Freshmen?
I would highly recommend Orientation Week as it is very helpful and fun because you get to know your Faculty, students, and Hungarian lifestyle.
- What was the highlight of the Orientation Day to you?
The highlight of Orientation Day for me was that I got to meet a friend who I am very close to now.
The second student who shared his experiences is Gerard Sallvador A. Opao who attended the Orientation Day this year.
Why did you decide to participate at the Orientation Day?
The reason I participated in the Orientation week is because I thought this would be a great way to be able to learn about my future faculty while also connecting with my fellow students.
- Was it useful? If yes, then why? Which program was the most useful for you?
It was quite useful for me because a lot of the things that were presented to us during the tour helped me out a lot, especially on the location of the elevator. The most useful program I believe was the tour because I was able to do my Registration and other obligatory tasks in one single go.
- Did you enjoy it?
I did enjoy it a lot. It was quite fun.
- Did you have a chance to get to know your classmates better? Could you make friends there?
Yeah, During the orientation week I was able to get close and comfortable with my fellow classmates. It really sped up the process of making friends for me.
- Would you recommend to attend the Orientation Day to the freshmen?
I would recommend it to other freshman because it was quite a fun and entertaining experience.
- What was the highlight of the Orientation Day to you?
The highlight I believe had to be the laser tag activity, this was a new experience for me to have such a fun team building activity on an orientation week for a University, it made me quite excited for my university life here in Pécs.
- What other kind of program would you recommend to be a part of the Orientation Day?
In my honest opinion a really good activity would be a night time activity like maybe going to a bar or something. People connect much easier and in a much more relaxed.
- You mentioned during your admission interview that you have chosen this programme because of the EFMD accreditation. Could you explain how did that exactly affect your decision?
The EFMD accreditation helped me out a lot on my selection on Universities, Although, I also had other criteria for my selection, but an internationally recognized accreditation was a must for my choice. With how competitive the market it right now. Not having an international recognition will really hinder my future path.
- You came from the Philippines, it’s quite far from here. How does your family feel about you being thousands of kilometers away?
It is quite far but since I was young, I have been traveling a lot. And being in different cultures and with different kinds of people really brings out priceless experiences. Honestly, I do miss my parents and family and they also miss me but for some strange reason me and my family work better when we are far away from each other.
- What do you think about Hungary/Pécs/the University so far?
I have been enjoying my stay here so far. This is my first time living in a small town. I’m quite used to living in the capitals of different countries but never have I stayed in a town like this. It’s quite an experience and I think I did need a change of pace.
We hope this article helps you to learn more about how the atmosphere and how the semester begins at our Faculty!
We cannot wait to see the new faces of our University at every beginning of September and February on the Orientation days!
