Vivien's ASU Summer Experience 2024

2023-09-13

METU student exchange experience at Arizona State University

On 2 May 2024, Budapest Metropolitan University (METU) has entered into a landmark partnership agreement with Arizona State University (ASU), becoming the first and only Hungarian university to sign a long-term partnership agreement with them. ASU is ranked among the top 1% of universities in the world according to the Center for World University Rankings 2023-2024. The partnership brings additional know-how, innovation, international experiences and opportunities for Hungarian and international students studying at METU.

In July 2024, three METU students have been selected to participate in Arizona State University's summer program – which has been a significant event not only for them, but for our entire university, as they were the first - but by no means the last – of our students to travel to ASU.

Curious to hear what it is like to travel to the U.S. and join a summer program at ASU?

Here are the experiences of Communication and Media Studies BA Bachelor's METU student Vivien from her visit to Arizona State University’s summer program!

If I look back at this experience, I am still in awe of the things I experienced. Seeing the way ASU is functioning, the innovation, sustainable solutions and the care they show to their students is incredible. I went out with a lot of curiosity of how ASU can have that many awards and be ranked so highly in many different fields. In just the few days I've been out there, I've experienced so much and had so many answers that explain their excellence.

At the time of my application, I had no idea how much I would gain from the short 1 week I spent at Arizona State University in the USA. In addition to the classroom style sessions, where we were mainly introduced to different areas of sustainability, we were also taken to other activities outside the walls of the university campus. We visited the Grand Canyon, watched a baseball game and we could also meet some of the students from ASU during an evening activity. My main take away from this program is the knowledge I gained and the care I received from everyone around. It was truly a heart-warming experience.

This program would not have been the same without the people I met there. That goes for the organisers, the trainers, the volunteers and my fellow participants. From the moment we arrived, I was met with a tremendously welcoming and inclusive atmosphere. The organizers, tutors and student volunteers all treated us as if we were students of ASU and helped us in any way they could with our daily lives.

I always look forward to projects like this with great curiosity to see what impact they will have on my life, what lessons I will learn and what changes they will bring. If I had to choose one word to describe my experience at ASU, it would be INSPIRATION. During the classes, besides working in groups, we also learned a lot of information that made me reflect and even inspired me to live more consciously in my daily life. In addition, the mentality of ASU, the values it stands for, gave me hope that it is possible to change and, if you have the will, to improve and develop systems.

To sum everything up, the experience, the program was incredible, and it was one of the best weeks of my life, which I will never forget. If I take everything into account - all the challenges and the good things, - I would recommend this program without skipping a beat.

Would you like to gain experiences like Vivien’s?

Be part of Budapest Metropolitan University’s international community, study in the heart of Europe and enjoy the benefits of our partnership with ASU and 200+ other universities worldwide!

Check out our programs and apply now!