E-mail: anteugmar@student.elte.hu
Hey! I'm Antonio from Texas, your new American Student Ambassador at ELTE. Here to help guide you around the social-cultural landscape of Budapest and beyond. I'm a very involved member of the community, keeping my peers updated with local customs, free translations, and more. In my life outside of the university, I'm a frequent enjoyer of the arts, music, and cinema critique, also fuelled by a burning passion for Tango and Fencing.
"Opportunistic, Flexible, and Attentive"
WHAT STOOD OUT TO YOU ABOUT ELTE?
On a personal level, it has the most competent Psychology program in the whole of Central Europe alone, the faculties are spread out fairly evenly and can be easily accessible to all freshmen alike. The city itself has already made me top 5, and I'm convinced it scored highly for others as well. They were skilfully involved with housing and guided me through the admission phase of my acceptance patiently and with a profound demeanour of confidence that I would adjust to the customs in no time.
WHAT MAKES STUDYING AT ELTE SO GREAT?
There's a handful of Professors who have a transparent and confident method of passing knowledge, many of them have differing and rich personalities to facilitate ease in conversation amongst class. Even if you're an Erasmus student, there are plenty of cultural exchange programs hosted or even funded by ELTE, all on a daily basis, so fatigue was never a concern from the very start.
WHAT ARE OR WERE YOUR CHALLENGES IN YOUR STUDY PROGRAM?
I bet many come face-to-face with the language barrier, but I assure you that most, if not all, of the Staff and fellow students have a good comprehension of entry-level English, no matter who you bump into. It was something difficult to find a strong support group among my peers, and sometimes it just takes a few conversations or a few shared classes to really ignite a smaller community.
HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THESE CHALLENGES?
Keep attending classes, especially from alternative faculties, and you'll find a worthy crew in no time who have your back in navigating all such issues and mishaps. The International Office is also one of your best resources for support, and they evoke a lot of professionalism and patience to help you solve your problems and answer your questions in record time.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE ELTE IN THREE WORDS?
Opportunistic, Flexible, and Attentive
HOW DO YOU THINK YOUR DEGREE WILL HELP YOU IN YOUR LIFE AND CAREER?
The Education I was given was, in a sense, modular and offered numerous career paths from a single major.
DO YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE STUDENTS AT ELTE?
I think when choosing elective courses, the Humanities Faculty, along with BEAC-hosted sports programs, have had very approachable communities around them, so you should definitely give them a try.