Created: 2025.09.08. 12:55
Useful information, blossoming friendships and huge parties – this was what Freshers’ Week at Széchenyi István University meant for its participants. By the end of the Academic Year’s biggest student event, first-year students had truly become part of a community. Alongside gaining insight into the institution’s traditions, they formed friendships that may last a lifetime.
This year marked the ninth Freshers’ Week, which – after having been held at external venues in the past– was organised by the student union on the main Campus in Győr. The camp’s leadership did not make major changes to the tried-and-tested concept, focusing instead on delivering an even higher standard of organisation to ensure the freshers’ safety and enjoyment.
“Compared with previous years, we made moving in and the catering process smoother. There were a few organisational changes, but essentially, we followed the earlier recipe. We are pleased that, based on the feedback, we can say the event was successful and effective, during which the freshers became part of our community,” said Dávid Vályi Nagy, President of the University Student Union.
For Demeter Janus, a first-year Mechanical Engineering student, it was particularly valuable that Freshers’ Week spanned almost a whole week, as this gave even the more reserved students the chance to open up and find their group. As he mentioned, his brother had also studied here, and he himself quickly grew fond of both the city and the University.
Demeter Janus was at the centre of his team during Freshers’ Week. (Photo: András Adorján)
Panni Antal arrived from Veľký Meder in the Csallóköz region of neighbouring Slovakia. She believes Freshers’ Week is an excellent opportunity to meet new people, enriched by a wide range of entertaining programmes. “We had a great time – thanks to the excellent organisation there was never a dull moment. During the subject introductions we received lots of useful tips to help the year get off to a smooth start,” said the architecture student.
For Panni Antal, there was never doubt about choosing Széchenyi István University. (Photo: András Adorján)
“Formula One has defined my life since childhood, so choosing vehicle engineering was never in question. At the open day connected to the thirtieth anniversary of Audi Hungaria, Széchenyi István University was recommended so convincingly that I decided to apply here. In fact, I already know that I will continue my studies on the master’s programme in motorsport engineering,” declared Flóra Doránt.
Her fellow students, Eszter Sári from Veszprém and Mira Sallay from Budapest, were admitted to the business and management programme. “At first, I was hesitant about the camp, but I was persuaded to come because this is where you can really meet people. From the very first moment, the senior students welcomed us with cheers. The atmosphere was inclusive, and the organisers did everything for us. It would have been a shame to miss it,” stressed Eszter, while Mira praised the location of the campus. “I never thought the atmosphere would be so good. The university’s natural surroundings undoubtedly play a part in this,” she remarked.
Eszter Sári, Flóra Doránt and Fanni Sallay. (Photo: András Adorján)
First-year international students of the University also took part in Freshers’ Week. One of the key members of the international group was Khuslen Altan-Orgil from Mongolia. The young man, who arrived in Hungary on a Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship, explained that the location was very important when choosing his place of study, since Győr lies between three capitals: Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest.
“We are glad that we could also be part of the event. We enjoyed the programmes, and the informative sessions helped us a lot in finding our way. We owe a great deal to our mentors, as they were always there for us,” summarised the Civil Engineering student.
Khuslen Altan-Orgil emphasised the appeal of the diverse international community. (Photo: András Adorján)
For most first-year students, Freshers’ Week is their first encounter with university life. Everything here was designed to ensure that participants gained as much useful information as possible, while also creating memories to last a lifetime. The friendships formed here truly lay the foundations for the university years, but above all, the most important aspect is the sense of community: the freshers became part of the great Széchenyi family.
