Useful information, friendships and a great party - that is what Freshers' Week at Széchenyi István University was all about for the participants. By the end of the biggest event of the academic year for students, the newcomers had forged a true community, who, in addition to getting a taste of the institution's traditions, made friendships that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. In our retrospective article, we recall the most memorable moments of the event and ask freshers how they felt during the programmes.

This was the eighth Freshers' Week in a row, which - after the outsourced locations - was held on the central campus of Széchenyi István University by the Student Self-Government. This year, the management of the Freshers’ Week did not change the concept, but only strived for a higher quality of execution - for the safety and fun of the freshers.

"The tasks of the quizzes have been significantly refreshed and a few tweaks have been made to the details of the organisation, but basically we have followed the tried and tested concept. After all this time, it is safe to say that we have created a successful event that has achieved its purpose, where freshers have learned about our traditions and became a part of our community," said Dávid Vályi Nagy, President of the Student Union. He added, “For them, the many happy faces, the young people meeting each other, the teams singing or dancing to the rhythms are the most important motivation and the best feedback on the success of their work.”

Without the large team of organizers of the Student Union, the Freshers’ Week would not have been possible (Photo: Richárd Vilmos Németh)

In the following, we will also attempt to give some accounts of how the most affected group, the freshmen, experienced the cavalcade of the camp from the inside.

"I was looking forward to Freshers' Week with excitement, as I was entering a foreign environment, but I was reassured beforehand that I do not have to worry, the community here is very welcoming and everyone at the camp is working to make us feel as comfortable as possible. I'm glad I applied, and so far I'm not disappointed, I've had a great few days," said Kinga Halwax, who is starting her degree in special education.

According to Kinga Halwax, the freshers were in good hands at the event (Photo: András Adorján)

"I applied within three minutes of the registration opening to make sure I got in, because I definitely wanted to be here," said Marcell Hegedűs, who thinks the same about not only the Freshers’ Week, but also about Széchenyi István University, as he had only chosen our University for admission. "I would like to become an architect, and I would like to work in the profession together with my father. My attitude was that if not Széchenyi University, then nothing," he said.

Marcell Hegedűs was fortunate enough to secure a spot in Freshers’ Week, despite the event being oversubscribed by double its capacity. (Photo: András Adorján)

Eszter Major from Csákberény had similar thoughts when she chose the University of Győr. "I chose the University mainly because of its proximity to the city, but I was also attracted by the beautiful surroundings and heard a lot about university-life from people I knew," she explains. The law student said that she had gained a lot of useful information and even more acquaintances. "I didn't want to start school without knowing anyone, and I didn't want to start school without any prior experience of how the University works. The camp gave me all of that, which is a great relief as a fresher," she underlined.

Eszter Major arrived without friends and left with friends (Photo: András Adorján)

Freshers' Week was also attended by the University's first-year international students. French student Renaud Baptiste was a key member of the international team. "The student, who arrived in our country for two semesters with an Erasmus scholarship, shared that between Ireland and Hungary, he ultimately chose the latter. ”We are glad to have been part of the event, we enjoyed the programmes and the informative presentations helped us a lot to find our way around. We have a lot to thank our mentors for, as they were always at our disposal," he said.

This year, several French students came to Széchenyi István University. One of them is Renaud Baptiste, who will study economics in Győr (Photo: András Adorján)

For most students, Freshers' Week is their first encounter with the University and, as such, it is a memorable event. Everything here is designed to equip participants with as much useful information as possible, as well as life-changing experiences that will accompany them all the way to graduation. It is a cliché, but the connections made here really do make the difference to the university years, but the most important thing is the community: the freshmen become part of the extended family of the University. Let the pictures tell the story of how it happened this year!

Playful quizzes and informative presentations filled the days of the freshmen during the four days of the camp (Photos: András Adorján, Bettina Korinek, Patrik Lukács, Dániel Seesink, Csenge Szatmáry)

In the evenings, the Bridge Student and Teacher Club was filled to capacity with Freshers' Week participants. (Photos.)