European Student Profiles

A selection of profiles of international students who are currently studying in Europe. Please click on a name.

If you would like to submit a student profile for inclusion in this section, please click here

Name: Bernadett Bognar, Stephanie Möller and Sven Kühnel

Country of Origin: Germany

Place of Study: Kemi, Finland

Fortunately for Bernadett Bognar (left), Stephanie Möller and Sven Kühnel, their student exchange season in Kemi is also the Snow Castle season.

They chose Kemi, Finland as host-town for their studies

For Sven Kühnel and Stephanie Möller from Germany their familiarity with Finnish history, culture and climate had only been through the information and pictures on the internet. Bernadett Bognàr from Hungary, was expecting the snow and frost because of her earlier visit to Tornio during her high school years. “I read about Finnish history and art before coming here, but did not get enough time to acquire a deeper knowledge about the country. I have friends living in Russia, and am interested in Russian culture as well. I look forward learning about the cultural differences between Russia, Finland, and the rest of Europe. I chose Kemi because of an article I read about this school in a brochure”, said Sven, a student of Economics, and Mechanical Engineering.

The first impressions of Kemi and the Polytecnic have all been positive for these three youngsters. The low temperature levels in this Northern Hemisphere gave Stephanie a slight shock the day she arrived. After her first tour around however, she came to the conclusion she would be able to spend the 4 months here.

These young students spend much of their spare time reading, e-mailing, and window shopping. They were looking forward to visiting the exotic place they only have seen in pictures from magazines and the internet. “I’ve heard the rumours about the excellent cider you have”, said Sven smiling.

Name: Karalin Vinakurava

Country of Origin: Belarus, Russia

Place of Study: Nicosia, Cyprus

My name is Karalin Vinakurava and I am from Belarus, Russia. I am in my third year of study at Intercollege in Nicosia, Cyprus; I am majoring in Business Administration. I found out about Intercollege from a friend in Russia, who studied Certified Accounting here a few years ago, and is now earning a high salary in the auditing department of an off-shore company.

I am very satisfied with Intercollege and especially with the lecturers. The advantage of being in such an international location is that we have teachers from many counties, and so we can get exposure to many different viewpoints. For example, I have instructors from England, America, and of course Cyprus. Intercollege offers lots of variety and flexibility. I like the way it is structured; I can select the teachers and the time schedule of class that I prefer and the subjects that will be most helpful for my future career. The level of the classes is just what I expected from a university and the library and computer labs help me get my work done.

Just like Intercollege, Cyprus is a safe, quiet, friendly environment. With the mountains and the Mediterranean Sea nearby, we can combine fun and sunbathing with studying.

Name: Almea Freund

Country of Origin: United States

Place of Study: University of Debrecen, Hungary

It was five years ago when my husband and I arrived at the University of Debrecen Medical School, in Debrecen, Hungary. We had worked for several years, but were interested in pursuing a career in medicine and began searching for various opportunities to fulfill our goal. We learned of the University of Debrecen’s English Language Program, and were intrigued. We had both lived abroad previously, and felt that an education in another country would give depth and perspective to our studies. We have two children and wanted to give them exposure to another culture as well. We spoke with students enrolled in the Medical School, and received positive reports, so we decided to start. After five years, we are convinced that our decision was a good one.

When we first arrived in Hungary, we didn’t know what to expect, and we were pleasantly surprised at the friendly reception we received from the Hungarians. Of course, the language was our first big obstacle. Hungarians are proud to tell foreigners that it is one of the most difficult languages to learn. They are, however, good humored about any attempt to speak and after taking some classes in Hungarian, things became much easier. I particularly like the surroundings of the university. The campus is quiet and forested, a perfect environment for studying. Debrecen is a small city with an atmosphere that is a pleasant mix of modern and traditional. In the five years that we have been in Debrecen, we have made friends for a lifetime, both within, and outside of the university.

The environment for learning is stimulating, as students from around the world participate in the English Language Program, all bringing their ideas and opinions. The level of education at the University of Debrecen Medical School is very high, and it has one of the strongest reputations within Hungary. All courses are taught in English, using English language textbooks, so understanding was not a problem. The requirements are demanding, but we were pleased with the depth and thoroughness of instruction. The teaching style in Hungary required some adjustment, as most exams have both a written and an oral component. It took practice to be able to explain things clearly while under the stress of being evaluated. It is good training for a doctor, having to both think quickly and to be accurate! When all is said and done, we feel well prepared to take the national licensing exams required to practice medicine in the United States. I believe that when I return to the United States these experiences will help me to understand not only the medical aspect of patients’ problems but their social perspectives and cultural backgrounds as well.

Name: Guillaume Piffeteau & Corinne Poupard

Country of Origin: France

Place of Study: Horsens Polytechnic, Denmark

“We have improved our English Language skills and we have learned to look upon buildings differently” say Guillaume Piffeteau and Corinne Poupard after one years international study at Horsens Polytechnic, Denmark.

Guillaume and Corinne are both in their first year of a 3½ year Architecture & Construction Engineering degree offered at the University.

“We have learned to do things differently to how we did them in France. It was difficult at first, but everybody has been very helpful and I feel grateful to have been given the opportunity to work together with students from all over the world” says Corinne.

“If you go abroad, different languages can cause problems. It is expected wherever you go that you will speak English fluently - If you cannot speak English - you will experience problems. However, in Denmark we are more equal, as English is a second language to everybody” says Guillaume. As a result Guillaume believes his experience in Denmark has offered him new possibilities when applying for jobs abroad and in France.

Name: Alison Fong

Country of Origin: California

Place of Study: Göttingen University, Germany

“Where exactly is Göttingen and why are you going there?” are the questions family and friends most frequently asked me when I told them I was going to study abroad in Germany for a year. At that point in time, I could only reply, “Somewhere in central Germany and the University of Göttingen has an exchange program with the University of California.” Living and studying in Göttingen these past ten months has been such a great experience that I now have too much to say! What stands out most in my mind are Göttingen’s comfortable, friendly atmosphere; the beautiful architecture in the “Innenstadt” (someone once told me, “just look up”); delicious Mensa food; and, of course, all the different kinds of people whom I have met throughout my stay here. It is neat to think about the people who live in Göttingen: wherever they are from and whatever they are doing here, they are the ones who make Göttingen and its university as amazing as they are.
Allison Fong is studying sociology and German language.

Name: Frank Yu

Country of Origin:China/Peru

Place of Study: Tilburg University, The Netherlands

Frank Yu studies International Business at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at Tilburg University in the Netherlands. Born in China, Frank lived in Peru before coming to Holland. He speaks Chinese, English and Spanish. AI was working in Peru but realized I wanted to study more, and some Dutch friends advised me to choose International Business, a full English language programme, at Tilburg University. The university has a very good reputation and its business school is ranked among the best in economics and business in the Netherlands. Furthermore, the university is very internationally orientated. I have been here now for over a year, and I can confirm that the organisation is very professional with a motivating emphasis on self-study. The campus can be characterized as a compact educational city and it wasn’t very hard for me to settle into this new environment.

International Business www-ib.kub.nl

Name: Vibeke Skaiaa

Country of Origin: Norway

Place of Study: Budapest University of Technology & Economics, Hungary

I grew up in Mandal Norway, a small town in the south of Norway. However I come from and international related family and has spent much of my life living abroad. I spent four years in Kenya as a child and one year in The United States as a teenager. I The last five years I have attended the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BUTE), faculty of Architecture here in Hungary.

I traveled through Budapest a couple of years prior to my studies, and fell completely in love with this magnificent city. It had everything; charm, beauty, bullet holes in the walls and an exceptional history. I decided to look into the possibilities for studying Architecture in Budapest. The BUTE was therefore my first choice in fields of study. I believed and still do that Budapest is an exceptional surrounding for my choice of studies.

Architecture has been an only choice from I was quite young. It was either that or an F16 pilot. I decided to be realistic. I always liked the thought of being creative in a constructive way. In the faculty of architecture in the BUTE they offer both. They have an extremely broad range of classes and offer the students a varied and complex knowledge, which I personally believe is unique in its kind. It’s one of the few Universities in the world were they give you the unique chance to graduate with an M.Sc in both Architecture and Engineering.

My studies at the BUTE have spanned over five years. In 1998 I graduated with a B.Sc.Arch.Eng and decided to continue for my M.Sc.Arch.Eng. The workload has for the most time been rewarding and interesting, even though it at times could be quite heavy; 35 credits a semester is no joke. But as most places, what you give is what you get back, in terms of goals, achievements and results. Professors and fellow students are there all the way to improve your life as a student, both inside and outside the University walls.

During my studies at the faculty of Architecture I have developed a strong interest in the topic of heritage architecture and post war reconstruction. As The BUTE has a comprehensive master program including all the parts of architecture and engineering, I have tried to choose topics for my projects related to my field of interest within the limitations, which are given during studies. I hope to develop my interests further in the future by further research activity or joining an international organization or company.

The BUTE has given me a strong foothold for a future step into the real world of challenges, and new and exiting experiences both private and public.

Vibeke Skaiaa
Class of 2000 TUB, Faculty of Architecture
Graduate Student M.Sc.Arch.Eng.
Budapest University of Technology and Economics

International Student Profiles

Within this site we look to create a personal touch by featuring profiles from international students around the world. This gives those already studying away from home the chance to let others know how they have found the experience of studying in a foreign country and the benefits of studying abroad. Because the site has such an international focus, wherever your place of study is in the world, we will be interested in hearing from you.

Each profile should be around 120 words in length and should state the student's name, country of origin and place of study (name of university/college/school). If possible, please also send a passport size or larger photograph or a .jpg file.

If you would like to supply a student profile, please send it to:

Student Profiles
StudyOverseas.Com
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We look forward to hearing your experiences of studying overseas!