Alex Martinelli

Country: Italy

Scholarship:

EIT Digital

Period of studies at ELTE: 2013.08.29 - 2015.07.30

“I simply liked the people. The interactions with both classmates and professors were so enjoyable and spontaneous, that I didn't even feel like I was in a foreign academic environment, it simply felt like home.”

Why ELTE?

It all started once I got accepted with full scholarship from the EIT ICT Labs (now EIT Digital) Master Program. I have been blessed with the opportunity to study abroad, and been proposed to go to Budapest for my second year of the master. In sincerity I didn't know much about the city and ELTE university back then; but I met people, Hungarian peers that did a more than a great job – both implicitly and explicitly - in convincing me about the opportunities and the quality offered by the city and university. Needless to say, I went for it!

What did you like most about being a student at ELTE?

I simply liked the people. The interactions with both classmates and professors were so enjoyable and spontaneous that I didn't even feel like I was in a foreign academic environment, it simply felt like home. And I am not using just a set phrase, I actually mean it, I felt like at home. I learned a lot, and not just factual information, but also new ways to look at things, to face and confront with problems.

What were the challenges in your study program?

Some topics are hard to understand and might work against common intuition. From time to time I faced more difficult challenges and my skills or background knowledge were put to the test. I might have felt bad in that moment, I won't deny it, but in retrospect I can say with firm certainty that those moments helped me a lot to improve, to get better.

How do you think your degree will help you in your life and career?

Re-reading my words it comes naturally to simply say that this degree got me more equipped and ready for future challenges. I might have talked in general terms but I think that this is a wild card, it simply applies to every program or topic you are currently undertaking. Not only I learned from mistakes, as usual, but I think I refined my abilities to better predict future outcomes, and to match and derive generic patterns from concrete situations. All this, and a pretty strong confidence boost, that is always needed.

Do you have any advice for future students at ELTE?

Not really... I am sure future students will soon experience and understand the awesomeness of the city of Budapest and of ELTE “on their own skin” (an Italian way of saying), and that – I suppose - is much more valuable than all my convoluted advice and recommendations. You will learn and have fun... I already more than miss Budapest, enjoy it also for me!