This is a very special milestone for Budapest International College: our first ever Foundation alumna has officially graduated. Tarneem is from Egypt and began her Professional (Engineering) Foundation studies with us in 2022, as part of the first batch of students. Three years on, she has completed her BSc in Mechanical Engineering with the University of Dunaújváros. She not only graduated successfully but also signed up for extra credits to graduate a semester early. Her next destination is already waiting for her: from September, she plans to continue her studies in France, where she will begin a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering. To mark the occasion, Luca from BIC sat down for a nice little chat (and a walk down nostalgia lane) with Tarneem about her graduation, her time at university and beyond, and how BIC supported her on her journey.
Luca: First of all congratulations Tarneem! This is such a big moment, not just for you but honestly, for us at BIC too! You are the first of the Foundation’s graduates. How does it feel on your first day off?
Tarneem: Thanks! It’s still a little surreal. Today I got the official email from the university system that my status has changed from “active student” to “graduated”. It was an emotional moment. I even sent a screenshot to my mom.
Otherwise I feel pretty relieved. The last few weeks before the state exam were pretty stressful, so it feels really good to finally be on the other side of it.
Luca: Aw, that’s indeed a big moment- so official. And the state examination itself? Was it super scary?
Tarneeem: Actually it went a lot more smoothly than I thought it would. Professors were helpful and nice. The environment was friendly. I got a 5, the highest grade, for all three parts of the state exam, finishing with a 4.7 GPA.
Luca: That’s an absolutely fantastic result, you should be so proud of yourself. If you look back on the years spent in Dunaújváros, how would you describe the experience?
Tarneem: I really enjoyed the uni, I actually even considered staying for Master’s. It was very pragmatic and I found it very useful. The professors were very friendly too. Of course there were a few stricter ones too, usually those who also teach at other high ranking universities, but overall I had a very good experience. I even remember this story when one of my friends got his ankle injured playing football and a professor offered to take him to the hospital and help with the translation. Many of them were that friendly.
I also heard from other students that the practical side is especially strong in other programs as well, e.g. in Computer Science Engineering. Dunaújváros is much more practice-oriented than some other universities.
Luca: And what about life outside of classes? You started in the dorm, right?
Tarneem: Yes I did live in the dorms in my first year in Dunaújváros. It was chaotic as dorms tend to be, so after one year I decided to not stay there. I moved back to Budapest and rented an apartment.
Luca: How was the commute every day?
Tarneem: The commute was indeed long, but I really didn’t mind it that much, to be honest. Mostly I slept on the bus. I even had to set an alarm for myself. I once overslept and woke up in the next town. It was annoying at the time but funny now.
Luca: Hehe I remember this from my youth, the glamorous life of an international student: long classes, tiring commutes, waking up in the wrong town… But it sounds like you got it to work.
Tarneem: Yes I did. I made a lot of friends in these past years and I got a chance to do some work as well. At first I worked in a restaurant, but the money wasn’t so good. Later I began to work as a receptionist in a hotel, and I very much liked that job. It paid enough so I could cover most of my expenses, so it was great. Though I had to leave it behind for the last semester, since it got a bit crazy with the exams, but I really did like that place.
Luca: What was the best part of these years if you think about the whole journey, from Foundation until graduation?
Tarneem: Definitely the first year when I was doing the Foundation at BIC. I liked Dunaújváros a lot, but the first year holds such a special place in my heart.
It was my first time to move abroad and everything was new and exciting. I saw a lot of Budapest and really enjoyed that time. I also liked the Foundation program very much. The preparation in Math and Physics was very helpful and because of that at university I never had any difficulties with those subjects. I also learnt a lot of Hungarian while at BIC and it was very beneficial later on. I could use my Hungarian knowledge in several random situations in the past years.
Luca: That makes me so happy to hear that. Do you have any particular memories of your Foundation year?
Tarneem: Yes, I remember our mini trips. For instance, we went to the Tropicarium (the shark zoo) and that was very memorable for me. That was the first time I saw a shark in real life. You know, I’m from Egypt, so if you see a shark there, that’s usually bad news.
Luca: Hahaha, I love that this stuck with you. What about the snow this past winter?
Tarneem: Yeah, that was really cool. Especially since I didn’t experience such a snow the years before, I’m happy I could see this in my last year at least. It was crazy when I had to go to my midnight shift at -16 degrees Celsius though. However, the cold was bearable. You can always wear more layers.
What I probably should have tried more, is Hungarian dishes. I ate a lot of hot paprika paste and a gulyás that I ate in Eger was the best thing I have ever tried in my life, but I haven’t tried much else.
Luca: Oh no, you definitely have to try lángos while you are still here! Strictly with sour cream, cheese and garlic.
Tarneem: I know, I promise I will, everyone says such good things about it…
Tarneem’s story is a beautiful example of where the Foundation year can take you. She came to Hungary, found her academic confidence, went to university, worked whilst studying, graduated early with excellent results and is now preparing for the next chapter of her journey in Aerospace Engineering in France. Congratulations Tarneem. We are so proud of you and can’t wait to see where your journey takes you next.
