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.
Foreign language libraries in Budapest
For a thorough thesis or a more detailed study, it’s essential to have the right, credible and even relevant sources, so it’s a good idea to have an overview of which libraries to choose from, and which documents you can find digitally and which ones only on the spot.
It is also important to know that librarians can help you a lot with your research, so don’t be afraid to approach them, after all that’s why they are there! And if you just need a quiet and cozy place to study, or perhaps you would like to read between classes, these quiet book kingdoms are still a great option.
National Library of Foreign Literature
National Library of Foreign Literature (Photo: Facebook)
The National Library of Foreign Literature and Music Collection is a public library in Budapest with two specific functions: it collects documents on contemporary world literature, music and linguistics in the original language; and it is the coordinating center for national minority libraries in Hungary. It operates as a department of the National Széchényi Library.
Website: http://www.oik.hu
Digital library: https://www.oik.hu/adatbazisok-katalogusok
Main collections: contemporary and classical literature in original language and in Hungarian translation; linguistics and literature; music (classical music, folk music, jazz, world music), musicology; literature on minorities
Complementary collections: General works, arts, reference and summary works in the related social sciences and humanities, lexical works in other disciplines, databases, dictionaries.
The library of the Central European University (CEU) holds one of the largest collections in English-language social sciences and humanities in Central and Eastern Europe.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Sat-Sun:Closed
Library card prices
Online library card can be requested for external students: EUR 3
Collections: Monographs: predominantly in English (85%), 5% in German and Russian, and others. All are closely related to the academic programs at CEU.
Journals, theses, essays.
Legal Collection, Environmental Collection, Medieval Collection, Russian Language Collection
Media Library of the French Institute (Photo: Facebook)
The French Institute is a French state institution established to spread the French culture, which has centers in France and in many other parts of the world.
Address: 1011 Budapest, Fő u. 17. (Francia Intézet)
Opening hours: Mon: Closed
Tue-Fri:3:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Sat:10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Sun:Closed
Library card prices:
Total price for a year: HUF 6,000
Discounted price for a year for students: HUF 3,500
Free for the students enrolled in the language course of the French Institute and those enrolled in the Goethe Institute.
Collections:
The Media Library consists of 25,000 French-language documents (books, DVDs, CDs, magazines), supplemented by digital content available on tablets and VR glasses.
Address: 1088 Budapest, Bródy Sándor utca 8. (Olasz Kultúrintézet)
Opening hours: Mon-Tue: 10 AM – 1 PM and 2 PM – 6 PM
Wed:10 AM – 1 PM
Thurs:10 AM – 1 PM and 2 PM – 6 PM Fri-Sun:Closed
Library card prices:
Members of the Circle of Friends of the Italian Cultural Institute can use the traditional and digital library services.
The annual membership fee of the Circle of Friends of the Italian Cultural Institute is HUF 4,000.
There is a 50% discount for those under 26.
Students of the courses of the Italian Cultural Institute can enroll for free.
Collections:
It has 20,000 volumes, around 1,000 DVDs (mostly Italian films) and 100 CDs to help you learn the language, as well as a respectable stock of periodicals on a wide variety of subjects: literature, fiction, history, arts, music, etc.
Services: In addition to book lending, the service also includes the possibility of reading Italian and international newspapers and magazines.
Registration is not necessary for reading, viewing, and listening to the library’s material on the spot.
Annual library card: HUF 5,000
Library cards for students: HUF 3,500 per year
Collections:
The 30,000-copy collection includes books, magazines, DVDs, CDs, audiobooks, CD-ROMs, etc. are found. Manuals, dictionaries and encyclopedias. Spanish and Hispanic American literature. Materials for learning Spanish language. Works about history, art, economy, society. Children’s and youth literature. Works translated into Hungarian. Books in Catalan, Gallego, Valencian and Basque languages.
Libraries of the language institutes of Eötvös Loránd University
(Photo: Facebook)
The University Library has several member libraries in the network of libraries of the Eötvös Loránd University, which can only be used by students. The organizational units of the Faculty of Humanities include the libraries of the language institutes of ELTE, several of which can be visited.
Books about Eastern cultures are mainly available in English and Hungarian in these libraries. In the respective libraries, you will also find books and documents in the original Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Ethiopian and Indian languages.
Writing a thesis is a complex task. You have to produce not only a fairly long text on your own, but you also have to pack it full of academic references and your own ideas.
References and editing
If there is one thing you should pay attention to from the very beginning, it is consistent editing and referencing. Each university has a different style of citation that they want to see on thesis pages, but you certainly do not want to make the assessment worse by putting periods and commas in the wrong places. In addition to the order of references, it is also worth paying attention to font size and type, bibliographical requirements and, of course, minimum length. It is also important to know whether or not the bibliography is included in the length of your thesis.
Photo: Pixabay
A good supervisor
If your students have the freedom to choose their own supervisor, make sure you find one who fits your expectations. Do you want someone who does not search too often but lets you write on your own? Would you prefer more help and consultation? It is worth choosing a lecturer you know, either from classes or from a programme.
Choosing a topic
You may already have lots of ideas, as you are passionate about your subject. If it is true about you, great, because there is nothing better than loving what you do. We encourage you to dare to choose a more complex, difficult topic if you are interested in research. It is important to assess whether you prefer a topic that is easy to write about, or one that involves serious work and gives you the opportunity to go deeper into an issue.
The literature
When you start your research, you are likely to find that there are a lot of studies and reading material waiting for you. While it is worth reading as much as possible, it is better not to get lost in the details and not to go off in a direction that is barely relevant to your topic. It is worth asking your supervisor who the big names are that they like to see in the bibliography in the department.
Thesis defence
It may seem daunting to answer questions in front of a committee, but if you have made it this far, it should not beat you. You wrote your thesis, you know what is in it, you know the research it contains and you know all the issues that could come up. If details like references, bibliography and editing are in order, you have done everything that was expected.
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.
This is what every thesis writer fears: we show you the solution
A thesis or dissertation is one of the biggest tasks you have to face during our university years. Although in retrospect it may not seem like such a challenge for many of us, it can cause a lot of headaches before and during. However, these fears can easily be overcome by clarifying some frequently asked questions.
What happens if I can’t write it?
In short: nothing. It’s not the end of the world. In all academic and study matters, the best advice we can give you is to read the rules and ask the study department.
Generally, if you don’t get a signature for the consultancy subjects, you will have to take them again like any other subject. If the consultation was successful, but you have not completed the final version by the deadline, you will also be late with the final version, but you can still submit it at any time, within a specific timeframe.
Photo: Unsplash
What happens if I choose the wrong topic?
At some universities you have almost no say in your thesis topic, because you are kind of assigned to someone and then given a topic. In that case, you can only hope and try to make the most of the topic you are given, with the minimum room for maneuver. After all, even a fixed topic can be written in many different ways. However, if you are one of those people who are given complete freedom to choose the topic, with the topic leader only guiding you through the process, we recommend you think carefully about what you are doing.
When choosing a topic, choose a question that is interesting but also well researched and will lead to a successful submission, feel free to ask your topic leader, who has all the right questions in the field. What’s more, they also know what a student can write well.
What happens if my consultant disappears?
I’m sure you’ve heard some horror stories about unresponsive, unhelpful, passive consultants. You may be looking for a subject tutor who will let you create on your own, but if you want help and tips, it’s better to approach a tutor who doesn’t have a reputation for reading emails once a month. If, however, you’re in trouble and you have questions but feel like you’re being ignored, it’s best to approach them in person and ask for help. If everything else fails, you should be aware that under certain conditions you may be able to change consultants.
All knowledge in one place I. – Budapest libraries
For a thorough thesis or a more detailed study, it’s essential to have the right, credible and even relevant sources, so it’s a good idea to have an overview of which libraries to choose from, which documents you can find digitally and which ones only on the spot. Librarians will help you with your research: they will provide you with a bibliographic reference for the topics you are interested in.
Photo: pexels.com
In most libraries, you can read in the reading room, use databases and catalogs, use a computer, have wifi access for your own device and view audiovisual documents. You can also print, scan, photocopy and even laminate. Many libraries organise literature events and guided tours.
National Library of Foreign Literature
The National Library of Foreign Literature and Music Collection is a public library in Budapest with two specific functions: it collects documents on contemporary world literature, music and linguistics in the original language; and it is the coordinating centre for national minority libraries in Hungary. It operates as a department of the National Széchényi Library.
Website: http://www.oik.hu
Digital library: https://www.oik.hu/adatbazisok-katalogusok
Telephone number: +36-1-318-3688
E-mail address:
Address: 1056 Budapest, Molnár utca 11.
Opening hours:
Mon-Fri: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Sat-Sun: Closed
Library card prices:
Visit: free of charge
Day ticket: HUF 600
Annual ticket: HUF 3500 Ft (with discount: HUF 1750)
Half-yearly library ticket: HUF 2000
Research ticket: HUF 6 500
Their collections:
Main collections: contemporary and classical literature in original language and in Hungarian translation; linguistics and literature; music (classical music, folk music, jazz, world music), musicology; literature on minorities
Complementary collections: General works, arts, reference and summary works in the related social sciences and humanities, lexical works in other disciplines, databases, dictionaries.
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