Life as a Computer Science Student at ELTE: My Experience
Hello, my name is Oti from Georgia, I study Computer Science BSc at ELTE.
If you missed my previous blogposts , you can read it here.
Do you have any questions? You can also email me.
My Favorite Part of the Computer Science Program
Studying computer science at ELTE is both challenging and rewarding. The best part of Computer Science is how it helps you to develop an elite problem-solving mindset. We, programmers, tend to call it algorithmic thinking. Whether its Data Structures or Algorithms or Artificial Intelligence, every course pushes us to think critically and find efficient solutions. My favorite course so far has been Object-Oriented-Programming, which I'll be teaching from the 2025/2 semester as a seminar instructor. To me, it is very exciting to help others master a subject I enjoy.
My Favorite Spot on Campus
ELTE’s campus is a great place to study and hang out. My go-to spot is the so-called big library, where I can focus without distractions. When I need a break, I grab coffee at our cafeteria or take a walk along the Danube River, just minutes away from campus.
My Holiday Travels
This New Year’s Eve, I was in Georgia with my family. Spending time at home after a busy semester was refreshing. Georgia is beautiful in winter, especially the Bakuriani ski resort and Tbilisi’s festive streets. While I love living in Budapest, nothing beats celebrating Christmas with family.
Surviving Exam Period
Exam season at ELTE is intense, especially in Computer Science. My strategy to survive:
First of all, I like to start early. Meaning, I do not cram because technical subjects like math and coding take time to build intuition. That’s why I like to revise weeks in advance and do not only study the day before the exam. Secondly, I am a huge fan of making study guides. I love summarizing key concepts that help me to recall information better. I do not want to reveal a big secret but I can say that I am even building an app to automate this! Practice makes perfect. Solving sample papers, writing code every day and doing small steps day by day makes everything look so easy. A little tip, many professors repeat similar problems in their papers therefore having connections to get past papers will only do good for you! Last but certainly not least, sleep well before exams. A rested brain performs better than an overworked one!
New Semester
Studying at ELTE is an incredible journey, full of challenges and growth. Budapest feels like a second home, and I’m excited for the upcoming semesters! Both academically and personally.
4th Semester of mine will be particularly challenging, as I’ll be teaching as well as taking full load of courses. However, Steve Jobs, a former CEO of Apple and a tech genius once said: “the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” And I could not agree more.
Being at a university like ELTE, knowing that my perspective is expanding every day, and being confident that hard work pays off makes the experience not just valuable, but truly enjoyable.
This being said, I wish everybody a successful spring semester.
If you have any more questions, just drop a message to me or any of the ELTE International Student Ambassadors.