Improving the mental health of students

A survey of an unprecedented international sample size was carried out by the Hungarian Association for Counselling in Higher Education (FETA) in November 2021. More than 10,000 students from 47 universities across the country answered questions on their national student mental health research questionnaire.

The November 2021 data shows that a significant proportion (55.3 percent) of students reported a current crisis situation (illness, bereavement, breakup, etc.). Many (41.2 percent) experienced depressive symptoms. There was also a high proportion (37.2 per cent) of students who had suicidal thoughts when looking back over a week.

According to the survey, many students (41.2 percent) experienced depressive symptoms (Photo: 123rf)

In addition to the results, the number of people registering for psychological counselling at university, waiting lists and increased demand for longer psychological support and counselling also confirm that university students are not in good mental health. Being independent, growing up and trusting in the future is a challenge at a time when the young generation is facing new crises.

FETA shared the results of the research with university leaders. For 9 institutions, where the number of respondents reached 5 percent of the total student population, an additional institution-level evaluation was also carried out. These, together with their recommendations, were sent to the rectors of the higher education institutions concerned.

When the thesis is written by AI

Who uses ChatGPT (and its peers) and for what?

University students are the ideal target group for such algorithms: they have to prepare texts frequently and in large quantities, and they also understand how the Internet works. Offers are getting more and more abundant, they are not even expensive and almost all of them have a free trial version. However, as it turned out in the case of ChatGPT, they mainly excel in English, or possibly even Mandarin.

Photo: 123RF

The Register made an extensive report about the fact that their main users were university students, who are increasingly using artificial intelligence to write their essays. A few well-defined instructions, a press of a button, and the thesis is already done and can be sent to the instructor.

Not all professors are bothered by this

However, although the algorithms can generate semantically and syntactically correct text, the content (at least for the time being) is often incoherent, the logic of the thought process is rather clumsy, and the data is not always exactly what is necessary to be included in a given place.

Does using AI qualify as cheating?

But quality is not the only question. Is writing an essay with AI considered cheating? According to Scott Graham (associate professor in the Department of Rhetoric & Writing at the University of Texas), this is not a problem. Because the essence actually comes after the preparation of the outline or first version of the text. For some students, this is a great effort. For them, AI is a huge help, because it gets them over the first big hurdle.

Annette Vee, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh explains that writing is fundamentally shaped by technology. Text editors have spell checkers, and AI is actually a similar tool, only on a different level.

Corvinus is invited to the world’s most prestigious business case study competition

After 2018, Corvinus has again qualified for the most prestigious undergraduate general business case study competition, the Champions’ Trophy in New Zealand. This is the second time that the university has been represented in the competition, which was launched in 2008.

The invitation to the competition, which will be hosted by the University of Auckland’s Business School from 29 January to 5 February, was conditional on Corvinus being among the top 12 universities in the world in this year’s international business case solving competitions. Corvinus students competed in several international competitions this year, three of which they won.

The Corvinus team solved the case of IKEA in Rotterdam

Corvinus’ team of Réka Kovács, Kíra Szabó, András Zareczky and Péter Zombori, prepared by Bence Pistrui, assistant professor at the Department of Business Economics, won the RSM Star Case Competition in Rotterdam. They solved two cases during the one-week competition. The first example was the 12-hour case of Domino’s Pizza, which was about how the company could tackle the current shortage of pizza delivery staff.

The second example was the 24-hour case of IKEA: it asked how the furniture company can adapt and meet the needs of customers in the future, Corvinus press release said.

The second victory was in Thailand

Corvinus students gained the second victory this year in the Chulalongkorn International Business Case Competition in Thailand. It was the first time that the university had participated in this competition. The university was represented by Fanni Fakli, György Gáspár, András Koleszár and Dániel Kostyal, who were prepared for the competition by Miklós Kozma, associate professor.

Corvinus rector Előd Takáts congratulated the members of the teams and their mentors who achieved first place in international competitions (Photo: Corvinus)

The short case of the competition was provided by the online accommodation booking site Agoda, and the long, 24-hour case was sponsored by KBank, which is Thailand’s leading digital bank. The Corvinus team was awarded first place out of the 20 leading business schools. The value of the first place is further proven by the fact that no European team has finished in the top three for the last seven years of the competition.

Corvinus students solved the case of a tanker ship company as well

This year’s third Corvinus’s victory was in the NHH International Case Competition in October, where Corvinus was also invited for the first time. The teams had to solve the case of Odfjell, the tanker ship company shipping chemical compounds, within 24 hours.

Their task was to see if the company could harness the resources it had previously invested in sustainability as a competitive advantage. The team was made up of Mirella Fekete, Noémi Kopka, Márton Nyikos and Zsanett Őrsi, with the guidance of associate professor Zsolt Matyusz.

A student of a Hungarian high school got into Harvard

In September, Ferenc Kovács will start his higher education at one of the best American universities in the world, and he even received the confirmation from Harvard before the official notification deadline.

The twelfth-grader already spent last year in Virginia, where he was offered a scholarship, and has also achieved impressive sporting results.

[kiemelt]He broke all the high school distance running records in the 800-5000 meters and also earned the title of „Best Field and Middle Distance Runner in the State of Virginia”.[/kiemelt]

After returning home, he also ran a new national U20 record in an adult race, the 1500 meters.

Harvard University (Photo: unsplash.com)

Budaörs High School is extremely proud of its graduating senior, who also passed the advanced-level English graduation exam in the fall semester.

Harvard is also in the top 10 universities that train Nobel prizewinners, and in 2021 Katalin Karikó gave a virtual lecture in the university. The biochemist, whose discoveries paved the way for the development of synthetic mRNA-based vaccine technologies for medicine, recently won the prestigious Gairdner Foundation International Prize for Medicine, which, as experts say, is a precursor to the Nobel Prize.

How to prepare consciously for your thesis even at the beginning of university

Some people are so uncertain about how to get started that they postpone their submission, even if it means delaying it. Do you feel the same way? It’s not your fault that you haven’t learnt the mysteries of writing academic papers on your own, in addition to all the other subjects. However, if you still have a few semesters left, it’s worth thinking about a few things now so that you’re not taken by surprise by the novelty of the thesis assignment.

Keep your eyes open!

During your three to five years at university, you’ll complete a range of courses, including some optional ones that ideally give you the opportunity to orient yourself around what interests you. If you keep your eyes open during the first few semesters, and keep in mind during classes or studying that one of the questions in a course could even be a thesis, you can easily find interesting topics. And even better, if you fall in love with a topic so much that you do some research on it.

Photo: Pexels

Get to know each other!

If you’re writing a thesis, you’ll also need a consultant or topic leader. You will work with this tutor for a relatively long period of time one-on-one, and if things go right, you will have several meetings. For this reason, it is a good idea to start with someone who you have a good relationship with. In a small course or conference you may have the opportunity to talk to your tutors, and ask questions if you have any. It’s the perfect opportunity to decide if they deal with topics that interest you. You’ll soon find out how engaged you are with your students.

Be active!

It does not hurt, if you have some previous experience in writing a piece of work that needs to include references to literature and has specific formal requirements. Entering academic competitions during your years of higher education is quite useful in many ways. You can gain a lot of experience, and you don’t even need to have achieved a ranking. A huge advantage is to try your skills in competitions where you have to write a longer text, possibly an essay. If you know how to get started, you’ll be able to get down to writing a thesis in the real world. What’s more, you can even use an essay written for a scientific student group conference as a thesis.

Talk to others!

What is unknown is always scary, because you don’t know what to expect, you can’t make a plan and you lack a sense of being in control. We advise you to talk to friends and acquaintances from your senior year who have experience in writing a thesis, and as many as possible, to get a fair idea of the reality. Whatever you hear, it is worth keeping in mind, just like regarding all academic gossip, that statements which are either too bad or too good are likely to be exaggerated.

Dorm life: it’s not all sunny days!

Let’s start with the positives!

As a dorm student, you can participate more intensively in social life. Even within the dormitory itself, there are usually lots of parties, so you can quickly get to know people, expand your circle of friends and your social network.

As a dorm student, you have the advantage of being in closer contact with other upper-year students who are studying the same major as you. If you manage to build a good relationship with them, they can give you excellent tips: which teacher to choose for your course, what to expect in an exam or test, who to choose as a consultant for your thesis, which optional subjects will be a benefit. They can also give you their previous notes.

Yes, dorm is much cheaper than renting your own (or sharing) one.

If your home is really so far away from the university that it would be impossible to commute, you have two options: renting an apartment or going to a dormitory. And rent prices are sky-high, with the monthly price of a rented apartment in Budapest often exceeding the net minimum wage of an adult working graduate.
What’s more, it’s becoming more common for landlords to ask for a three-month deposit instead of two month, which can be a strain on your (or your family’s) wallet.

Here’s the downside!

You will have to constantly adapt to at least one, and in most cases three, other people. Moreover, in many cases, you don’t decide who you get to share a room with, and you may well end up with a roommate who you soon find you can’t live with.

Our Tip:

dormitory students can usually study quietly in the school library or a nearby library. Although you can’t have coffee and eat cookies there, but still the libraries are quieter than most coffee shops.

Another obstacle to successful learning is the poor wifi in many dormitories. And in today’s world, it is impossible to study without a laptop, so it can be very annoying to have to wait minutes to load a course material. And mobile internet is not cheap if you also need (or like) to watch a lot of videos.

Consider the above thoroughly before you enrol in a dormitory!

What are your dorm stories and experiences?

Share with us in the comment section!

For university students, when it rains, it pours…

What have we worked with?

The data come from the results of the seventh sampling period of the Eurostudent survey. The project ran from 2018 to 2021 and students from 24 European countries took part in the questionnaire, so the survey sometimes reflects the effects of the crisis felt during the period of the pandemic. The results have been processed in a number of studies, which are available on the relevant EU websites.

Photo: Pixabay

For whom does it pour, when it rains, and to what extent?

It is no surprise that students from different geographical, economic and political backgrounds have different levels of financial burdens. The Swiss and Swedes are in the best position, with more than 60 percent of them feeling absolutely no financial problems. By contrast, in Turkey, the proportion of students who have serious or moderate financial difficulties is higher than 80 percent. After Switzerland and Sweden, students in Austria and Portugal have the best financial situation.

Hungary „matches” the European average in terms of students who are perceived to be in very serious financial difficulties (25%), but has a slightly higher proportion of students in moderate difficulties (30%) than the average (28%). Unfortunately, Hungary is one of the countries where the proportion of students in poorer financial circumstances has increased between the sixth and seventh sample, i.e. over the years. But the situation is similar, although to varying degrees, in the Czech Republic, Finland, the Netherlands and Turkey.

All in all, we can say that it is not easy in almost any country to get a degree, especially if you do not have a family behind you, who can support you (financially too).

Your options at uni if you have a medical issue

Regular social assistance

If you are a fee-paying student, the university may support you by reducing your tuition fee. You will need to apply for a reduction—more information on how to do that is available from the university’s student council.

Authorisation of additional absence for medical appointments

Just ask the doctor or their assistant for an official justification of absence, hand it over to the relevant person at the uni, and that’s it. Rules vary according to universities and courses, obviously, but it is worth profiting from this possibility if you have a mandatory attendance requirement.

Passive student status

Sometimes, especially in case you are involved in an accident, become ill, or find yourself in unexpected circumstances, you can request the university to deactivate your student status. The period of passive status cannot exceed two semesters, but you can request it more than once, depending on the given university’s academic study and examination regulations. You can inform the university upfront about the possibility that you may need to avail yourself of this possibility, however, you will need to obtain a specific authorization in each case.

Let’s talk about self-confidence

Low self-assurance can impact people’s chances on the labour market and translate into competitive disadvantages at international level. Helping students boost their confidence is therefore crucial to assist them to overcome difficulties in everyday life and be overall happier and more successful.

This is exactly what Laura Komócsin, executive manager of Business Coach Kft. is doing, highlighting the issue through a social responsibility initiative. Laura holds free Confidence Booster workshops for students studying at university, as well as primary and secondary school level. They also developed a free app, available on their website (in Hungarian for the time being).

Photo: Pixabay

Laura’s team conducted the Hungary-wide survey on self-confidence in which respondents were asked to assess themselves in 20 areas. The lack of confidence was most evident in these:

90% of students wish they received more positive feedback. Bear in mind that sometimes a nice word, a positive comment can make wonders. It doesn’t cost anything. All you need to do is pay a little attention, and the young person will grow in self-assurance in front of your eyes, while their relationship with you, the grown-up, will also improve, whether you are a parent, teacher or sports coach.
Interestingly, the survey showed the greatest difference in that students are taking decisions slower (scoring 3.58 on a scale of 1 to 5, compared to the average 2.53). However, this might not reflect reality, as respondents factored in not only their own assessment of themselves, but the external expectations as well.
The survey highlighted the fact that students are less likely to ask questions or share their knowledge with others out of a fear of strong competition and rivalry. Students should be aware that knowledge is gained by listening to teachers’ explanations, asking questions, practicing, and an even higher level of understanding is reflected in their ability to explain things to their peers.
Almost three quarters of students try to behave as they are expected. For them, it is important to proactively seek clarification on what those expectations are, and to be assertive and say no to tasks they consider they should not be doing — including fulfilling their parents’ dreams.
The survey also made it clear that two students out of three rely greatly on their existing relationships and will do anything and everything to keep these going. They are shy in new company, which explains why they stay in the same school despite their school results, even when they could swap easily to a more performing school or apply to study in higher education. In this regard, the role of parents is paramount, and if there is an emerging negative pattern, it might be worth talking to a psychologist.

Laura and her colleagues have plans to extend the survey to foreign students as well, for better understanding the results in an international context. Other plans include more workshops to school-aged children, especially to those about to finish and embark on their higher education journey.

Find your way around at the university from your first day!

Good to know

Regardless of what major you’re studying, whether you’re moving away from home or not, university life is a never-ending source of new things. Even upperclassmen are in for surprises, let alone freshmen. From institutional administration, through course information, to information about social life, we’ve tried to put together a list to help you find your way around.

Photo: MTI

Student Council (HÖK, Hallgatói Önkormányzat)

The Student Council is the representative body of students in higher education. It operates at university and faculty level, as well. It’s worth checking out who the members of the student council are and how to get in touch with them.

Student organizations

Student organizations are associations of students that have been set up to achieve a specific goal or activity. If you’re not looking to occupy yourself with academic work, then any student organization appealing to you is a good place to meet new people.

Course descriptions

For elective courses in particular, it is worth browsing through the materials available on Neptune (universities have a common, central online administration portal and app) or on the department’s own website to know exactly what kind and how much study material and assessment you can expect from a subject that sounds good at first.

Renowned lecturers

Almost as soon as you enter the university, you’ll find horror stories about some lecturers. You’re better off ignoring these, because most of the time these are stories of a few unfortunate students on a folktale tour.

Making friends

As said above, the most obvious place to make friends is in student circles and organizations. However, if you skip these for some reason (not recommended), you’re left with classes to make friends. Sit down next to the first friendly face and introduce yourself!

Study and exam regulations

The most important document of your university years, all your rights and obligations, all the rules are summarized in it. Read it carefully and keep it handy…

Tips to learn from the best teacher

First steps

You can enroll in three types of courses at a Hungarian university.

core course
required course and
elective course.

For all three types, it is worth enquiring in advance which teacher’s course you should take. For core courses ask someone who has been studying the same major as you. It occures especially for courses at the first semester that they are being tought at several majors at the same time, but still it’s better to make sure.

Turn to your mentor!

If you’ve been to a freshman camp or an immersion week, then firstly it’s a good choice to turn to your mentor you met there. Even if you’re not studying the same major, he or she must have heard something of the teacher, or may know someone whom you could be referred to.

Ask students with more experience!

Is there a more credible source than students who have spent at least one semester in the classes of the tutor in question? Where can you find them?

Key of the solution is the often mentioned Facebook groups. There must be a group of same major students or of all students, which has a lot of members regardless of major or year of study. All you need to do is post a question: „Could you share some experiences on class Y of teacher X, please” or „Could anyone say a few words of Mrs., Mr., Ms. XY, please?”. The answer will sure be there within an hour.

Head to Markmyprofessor!

Not only teachers can rate students’ performance on a five-point scale, but vice versa. Markmyprofessor is a website developed in Hungary and on this site students can rate teachers in higher education. It’s very simple to use: type the teacher’s name into the search bar, then see the score of the particular teacher and then you may scrutinize the comments as well.

Important though: anyone can rate anyone on Markmyprofessor, the system does not cross-check it whether the person providing information has been taught by the particular teacher, or not.

Listen to your heart!

Remember, no two people on earth are alike! It’s up to each individual what presentation and teaching style he or she likes.

Weigh in your information you collected and then ask yourself: is the teacher they’ve recommended the right one for me? The decision and the responsibility are yours only.

As in all aspects of life, you will become more and more experienced in this regard as time passing by. However, don’t be discouraged, the world will not fall apart, if you don’t manage to enroll to the course of the teacher you had your eyes on. You could always try next semester again.

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