An Ecuadorean student at István Széchenyi University found his future in Győr

After earning her Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of San Francisco de Quito in the capital of Ecuador, Sofia always wanted to get her master’s degree somewhere abroad; Therefore, he traveled to Poland, where he completed his professional practice. Since she had been curious about the Hungarian capital for a long time, and it was nearby, Sofia could not miss the opportunity to visit our country. “I had always wanted to travel to Budapest, and after getting to know Hungary, I thought it would be a good idea to move here one day. Then in 2020, I found a Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship, and I said to myself: Why not? Then things went like clockwork.” As a result of his studies, it was recognized that he would continue his engineering training; He is currently completing the last semester of his master’s degree and will soon be receiving an architecture degree.

With the help of the scholarship, Győr University and István Széchenyi became his new home. “I was so excited that I was able to move to a smaller town after the bustling city—Gyor is a quiet and friendly place, I feel at home here; there is no hustle and bustle like back home in Quito, and one can walk anywhere comfortably and safely.” At the same time, Sofia can attest to the well-known difficulty of the Hungarian language: “Hungarian is a very special but difficult language. I speak four languages, but I could not deal with Hungarian,” he continued, then added: This did not cause him a problem, as his colleagues helped him Fortunately in everything. At the same time, he also found the weather special, because there are no large temperature fluctuations in Ecuador, and he also had to make friends with the winter cold. However, this did not last long, because the people and the university helped him to cope, which completely worked out for him. “Hungarians seem a bit reticent at first, but after getting to know them better, they become really open,” said the Ecuadorean student, who grew up with the usual openness in South America. In response to our question, he revealed that the international student community at Gyor is friendly and lively. “Since I have been living here, the city has evolved and adapted a lot, especially for foreign students; it is easy to get by in English in Gyr. In general, I have very positive experiences.”

Sofia zealously set out on the adventure in Gyr, knowing that she was coming into a new environment, where not only the culture, but the teaching and learning habits were completely different. “The curriculum here is very different than at home, and I wanted to experience this kind of education. The classes are more informal, I have tried new forms of teaching and learning. In Ecuador, the teaching is very rigorous, and the professors in Gyor are more understanding and open to the students,” he continued, Then he added, among other things, that these facts helped him to complete his studies, which was supported by the openness shown by Széchenyi University towards foreign students. “The campus environment is very comprehensive; many students are available to have a conversation at any time. Thanks to the university, I have gained many friends from remote parts of the world.”

In addition to successfully continuing her studies, Sophia is currently writing and working alongside her thesis project, and she has found her balance in her personal life. Hungary also brought happiness to his life. “I met my husband and got married here, so I will always be grateful to Hungary,” Sophia said happily.

Many students experience personal growth as they progress to university and are away from home; become independent. It was no different for him: “One of the greatest experiences for me was becoming independent; it has always been my dream to live the college life I’ve seen in movies and it has come true. I learned how to cook, do laundry and generally manage my time.” – He pointed out, revealing that he lives at home with his parents in Ecuador while studying at university, so he did not have the opportunity to improve these. Another defining experience for her was that she was introduced to distant cultures, which she learned to respect and accept – becoming more open about this too. Finally, he wisely added: “Sometimes we do not understand the actions and thoughts of people from other cultures, but I think it depends only on the ability to accept others and respect their traditions.” Thanks to this visualization, make a lot of new friends; He became close to his colleagues and established lifelong relationships.

Although she is currently on the way to complete her architecture studies, Sophia has revealed that she wouldn’t necessarily be satisfied with this, but rather would like to pursue another dream if she achieves her current goals. “I’ve always wanted to be a college professor. That’s the challenge for me. After my graduation, my biggest goal is to teach an engineering course in a college environment,” he admitted.

As he said, in the near future studying will dominate his daily life, but he will try to enjoy every moment he can spend at Széchenyi István University in the remaining time.