Pros and cons of studying in Europe

After receiving a high school diploma or higher education in their native country, many people think about getting a European diploma. Although some turn down opportunities because they are scared, others are ready to quickly pack their bags and hit the road.

After 1.5 years of studying at a Hungarian university I have noticed several differences between education in Russia and abroad, about which I will tell you below:

In Hungary, for example, students use the system «Neptun» (Neptun), in which they register for courses and exams, activate the beginning of the semester, can track their scholarship, correspond with professors and receive official information from the faculty and the university as a whole.

Hungary has a five-point grading system for students, but while in Russia getting «2» is considered «not passing» in Hungary, «2» fits within the threshold and means that the course is passed, even if at a low grade.

While you can register for courses by yourself, you don't have a lot of freedom; you still have to take all required courses in your major; the only choice – subjects of secondary importance are elective. Sometimes it's hard to take elective courses simply because they coincide with required courses.

In Hungary, master's students rarely study on Fridays, but this fact does not apply to all universities. I managed to change two universities and in both of them Friday was a day off. Undergraduate students most often study all five days a week.

Attendance in courses is somewhat more strictly controlled in Hungary than in Russian universities. However, this rule applies more to seminars.

The coolest thing I liked about the Hungarian university – is that at the beginning of the first class of each subject in the new semester, the instructor gives students a syllabus. In addition to the topics to be studied, the instructor specifies his/her requirements for the course and how your knowledge will be tested during the session. I don't know if this practice is widespread in Russia at any universities, but it wasn't the case at mine.

Session starts in the middle of December and goes till Christmas holidays, during this time you can manage to pass all exams and have a rest till the beginning of the next semester (February), if not, you can move exams to January.

Studying in Europe has many advantages:

• improving your foreign language level and learning new ones;

• gaining friends and networking

• immersion in the atmosphere of the country, its culture and traditions

• travel (with a student visa and cheap tickets it's easy to do)

• European Diploma, confirming your specialization and knowledge of the foreign language you studied

• apprenticeships at any organisation in Europe;

• As a rule, Europe has much better various research facilities.

But don't forget the potential problems:

• language barrier (luckily, practice solves everything);

• return home (it is worthwhile to realize and accept that leaving everything and going home will not work, but we are all adults, it's time to get used to living without parents)

• appearance of panic and fear (these two feelings are absolutely normal and understandable. When you move, the body feels stress from the change in the familiar atmosphere. After a while everything will be fine!

• paid tuition (tuition fees and conditions vary from country to country, but in Europe you can also find many scholarships that can fully or partially cover your tuition);

• loneliness (just get out of the room more often).

Before applying and even more so moving to Europe you should think about whether you really need it, what you would like to get from such an experience, whether you are ready to change your familiar environment to a completely different one. Remember, expectations and reality often are not aligned, and in those moments it's important to learn to find the positive in everything.

Darina Brain

Student Budapest Business School,
2018 Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship holder

Jandex.Zen