Interview with Nora, former student of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Informatics
Your Name: Nora Berrah
Home country: Algeria
Current position, workplace: Responsible of Development and Integration Service, Ediel Spa (Algiers, Algeria)
Study programme: Mechanical Engineering (MSc)
Faculty: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Informatics
Thesis topic: Investigation of surface layer produced by direct current and active screen plasma nitriding
Year of study: February 2015 – February 2017
Why did you decide to study in Hungary, at the University of Miskolc?
- I heard about a scholarship opportunity which was provided for Algerian students. I applied and a few months after, I received a positive answer.
Have you heard about Hungary before planning to study here?
- No, I haven’t.
What was your first reaction after arriving in Miskolc?
- My first impression was okay, but I was a little bit nervous since Miskolc is located a bit far from Budapest, but at the same time I liked the beauty of the city. I felt myself at home, as there are a lot of nice places to visit and honestly, the calmness of the city helped a lot during the exams.
What do you like the most about Miskolc? What was your favourite travel experience in Hungary? Did you find any cool places here?
- What I liked the most about Miskolc were the University, the cave bath, the city centre: I was in the cinema in Miskolc Plaza every Friday and I also liked some restaurants like Sever Restaurant or Murphy’s Restaurant.
I had the opportunity to discover some places with ESN like Tokaj and Eger, I saw Edelény, but the place where I went a lot during studies was Budapest. All these places were very nice.
Who were favourite Professors at the University of Miskolc?
- Prof. Dr. György Szeidl, Dr. Tibor Csáki, Prof. Dr. Tisza Miklós
When studying for a test or final exam, did you prefer to study alone or with friends?
- I preferred studying alone. I always prepared study plans for exams and studying alone helped me to respect this agenda.
Quick questions
- Best Hungarian food? Chicken with paprika
- Favourite Hungarian words? Jó napot, Szia, Nem értek magyarul
- Best Restaurant, coffee shop or bar? Murphy’s, Uni-Café, Café Frei
- Favourite leisure spot in Miskolc? Cinema City (in Miskolc Plaza)
- Favourite leisure spot at the University of Miskolc? Uni-Café, swimming pool
- Best Hungarian friend? Fruzsina and Hajnalka
- Best international friend? Bassel and Raghav
- Attractions or places you recommend in Miskolc? Cave bath, city centre
- What do you miss the most from Miskolc? My room in the hostel, my professors and friends
- What special gift you usually suggest buying from Hungary for parents, friends or relatives? Anything special from Miskolc? Traditional stuff like crystal or typical Hungarian embroidery
- Your favourite quotation? ‘I learned that courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to overcome it’ and ‘By making our light sparkle, we offer others the opportunity to do the same’ both by Nelson Mandela
- Best Shopping Place in Miskolc? Miskolc Plaza
- Best street of Miskolc? City center and main street, because of the trams
- Your favourite city festival? Sziget Festival
- Best partying place in Miskolc? Rockwell, on the territory of the campus
- Unique machinery you have seen for the first time in your life at the University of Miskolc? The first and also the last time when I saw these lifts was at the University of Miskolc: the elevators without doors which never stop. [Paternoster elevators – Ed.]
