Faranak Gholampour
Country: Iran, Islamic Republic of
Scholarship:
Period of studies at ELTE: 2019.09.01 - 2023.07.15
"I would tell future students if you want to explore an exciting learning environment, be in touch with helpful and kind professors, use beautiful libraries, experience new culture and find so many international friends, join us at ELTE."
Why ELTE?
I already completed my second master’s degree at ELTE and I had a lot of good experiences here. Those experiences mainly motivated me to apply for the scholarship and continue my PhD at this university. To be honest, in comparison with other European countries, Hungary is quite cheap which is beneficial for international students. ELTE is situated in the capital and it is the first nationally ranked university in Hungary. These reasons were enough for me to stay here and continue my education at ELTE.
What do you like most about being a student at ELTE?
I would like to say professors in ELTE are very helpful and kind. I come from a very different cultural and educational background and the education system is totally different in my country. For me, studying at ELTE is a great opportunity to experience a new educational system, a new relationship between student and teacher and to learn about other cultures and languages. I have found many friends who came from all around the world and ELTE is the main reason for this kind of friendship.
What are your challenges in your study program?
As I come from a different cultural background, I felt a bit of a culture shock in the first semester, when I was studying for my master’s degree. I did not know about Hungarian culture and language and also did not know how to behave with people from different cultures in order to avoid misunderstandings. My English was good but I could not communicate with ordinary people. I felt a bit depressed and homesick during the first months of arriving and the process of cultural adaptation took time, but finally, I learned how to manage the new lifestyle and started being optimistic about the future.
How do you think your degree will help you in your life and career?
In today's world, the key factor for many kinds of jobs and business is communication and if you want to be successful in multicultural societies, you have to know other cultures to understand how cultural factors affect human behaviour. If you learn it, you will be a successful person in your business because you know how to behave respectfully with different people from different cultures. I am studying sociology and for sure it makes me aware of the differences between people (cultural, social, etc).
Do you have any recommendations for future students at ELTE?
I would tell future students if you want to explore an exciting learning environment, be in touch with helpful and kind professors, use beautiful libraries, experience new culture and find so many international friends, join us at ELTE.