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A Kenyan Student’s Journey in Hungary👨

A ship is safe at the shore but that is not what it is built for🚢🔱⚓

Hungary

In 2018, I embarked on an adventure of a lifetime. I packed my bags and left my home in Kenya to study Technical Management at Obuda University in Hungary. As I stepped off the plane and took my first breath of Hungarian air, I knew that I was in for an unforgettable journey.

ship
“From leadership roles to Erasmus Plus adventures, my journey studying in Hungary was filled with unforgettable experiences and opportunities.”

“From the vibrant student life in Budapest to the unforgettable experiences at Obuda University, studying in Hungary was a journey of a lifetime.”

Rudas Hungary

One of the highlights of my time studying in Hungary was participating in the Erasmus Plus program in Turkey. This experience allowed me to broaden my horizons and learn about different cultures and perspectives.

After completing my studies, I had the opportunity to intern at Avis Budget and gain valuable experience in the industry. Now, I am continuing my career in Automation Development.

But my journey in Hungary was not just about academics. Budapest, the captivating capital city of Hungary, offered a vibrant and exhilarating student life. With its rich history, cultural attractions, and dynamic nightlife, Budapest stood out as an ideal destination for students from all corners of the world.

One of the major advantages of studying in Budapest was its affordable cost of living. The city offered a budget-friendly environment that catered to the needs of students, covering everything from accommodation and food to transportation expenses.

Budapest was home to renowned universities like Obuda University, Eötvös Loránd University and the Technical University of Budapest, which provided a wide range of programs in fields such as engineering, business, and the arts. The city’s academic offerings were diverse and catered to various interests and ambitions.

Apart from academics, Budapest offered a plethora of activities to engage in. I immersed myself in the city’s captivating museums, galleries, and theaters, where I indulged in art and culture. The thriving music and arts scene kept me captivated, while the serene parks and green spaces provided a tranquil retreat from the bustling city life. And I couldn’t miss the opportunity to experience the famous thermal baths, a cherished tradition in Budapest.

As the sun set, Budapest transformed into a vibrant nightlife hub. I could choose from a wide array of bars, clubs, and restaurants, including the unique ruin pubs set within the remnants of abandoned buildings. The nightlife scene in Budapest was both energetic and diverse, offering something for every taste and preference.

Dennis Olondo Orina

In summary, my journey studying in Hungary was an incredible adventure filled with unforgettable experiences and opportunities. I am grateful for the chance to study at Obuda University and for all the amazing people I met along the way.

New year resolution

At the start of the year, there is this rush coupled with increase in dopamine levels to want to achieve all the set goals. Dopamine is great per se, however, I needed to do a detox… Let me explain. I felt like my engine(brain) was overheating at the start. I had just completed my exams and still had some essays to submit. This took a toll on me. Pushing me to massively procrastinate…

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels
"Procrastination is the enemy of success."-Edward Young.

I had adopted a myriad of bad habits at the end of the year and one of my resolutions in the beginning was to adopt better systems. These habits comprised of eating junk, binging on Netflix, too much screen time and low self-improvement process. Remember I had mentioned I needed a detox? Well, I did not rush into it. The process was simple and made few tweaks every day such us decreasing triggers within my environment that would lure me into going back to the habits.

Photo by Ryutaro Tsukata from Pexels

One of the tweaks was through social media detox, which encompassed unfollowing whoever did not resonate with my WHY…. Like honestly why would I follow someone who does not add to my personal and career growth? Some of the productivity influencers like Ali Abdaal, Steve Bartlett and Ray Dalio have played a significant role in my online presence by rewiring my social media presence with value rather than absorbing “useless” content.

Show me your friends and I will show you your future.

I managed to beat the procrastination by adopting a recommended technique by Ali abdaal, where you do one thing every day that feels fulfilling and lifts off the burden off your shoulder. Another tip that worked for me is starting with my WHY. Yes! Start with why is a book is written by Simon sinek that explains why you do something is more important than what you do or how you accomplish it.

I will share with you some of the books that helped me streamline my systems;

Love in color
- I read this book before bed just to calm down as i enjoy how romance sweetens the casual bitterness we can encounter, increasing the mundane and making the terrestrial supernatural
100 Essays
-This book offers a wide range of perspectives to personal growth and how to think
Start with WHY
-As previously mentioned, Simon sinek outlines how the limbic brain helps us to bring our inner passion to start on working on the WHY.
Atomic Habits
-James clear gives a detailed structure on how small habitual tweaks can have tremendous impact if just done by an increment of 1% everyday

With the listed books, I eventually had my WHY outlined and began building systems. I triaged my to-do lists with the important tasks and got working on them based on the Eisenhower matrix.

What is Eisenhower’s matrix?

The Eisenhower matrix is a tool that helps in decision-making through grouping tasks in a quadrant based on;

  1. Important
  2. Not Important
  3. Urgent
  4. Not urgent

Wishing you a productive year ahead

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

FREE COURSES ON COURSERA IN COLLABORATION WITH GOOGLE👨 🏿‍🎓

Who is eligible?

Google courses

Anyone is welcome to partake in the course, provided you have a laptop and a good internet connection. Over 80 courses are being offered currently and they are a great start to worthwhile career growth.

Information
"In the age of information,ignorance is a choice."-Donny Miller.

Ideally, ignorance is bliss. Anyways, get started on whatever course you wish, anywhere, anytime, and get it done with anyways!

certificate

Google is currenly offering variety of courses

To get certified, you might want a quickie or an in-depth study of your preference. This bundles up to how much time and money are you willing to invest when it comes to taking up Coursera/Google.

The google courses are limited in some locations but I believe they will be available to every country soon enough.

Get sh** Done ✅☑✔

studyvibe

BEING AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT IN EUROPE👨

Arriving in a New Country

Kenyan Family

Moving to a new country is a cause for anxiety for many, whether it is for a job/new school. For me, it was a combination of 100 different emotions, being felt at once. Luckily on the waiting bay, I found a fellow mate (Derrick) who happened to be going to the same flight, same university, and same course altogether. Phew!!

Derrick Njambi Kamau
Be radically open-minded by critically analyzing your ego and blind spots as they will surely stand in your way of success.

I came to Budapest not having any family in Hungary. I chose a city where I could be around different people and cultures without staying in my bubble of comfort. But as the saying goes, you will find a Kenyan at every corner of the world. I found friends already at my university who made my moving in easier. Soon I started to meet other international students with whom I could connect. I even happened to live with the very close ones in my second year. But not everyone has that experience. Some people feel isolated in the space they're in, and they choose to leave.

AKESH hungary

Coming from a community where you always have people around you, to a space where you're alone 90% of the day can be daunting. The mental weight of starting over again in a new country was immense, with no dad and Mom to come to my rescue. I soon realized that a ship is safe at shore but that's not what it's built for. Moving to a new country is great. You experience so much, learn so many cultures, and that's great. But it always feels like a part of you has been left behind.

Being away from home felt like being underwater. You can only hold your breath for so long. You realize, there is nothing more refreshing than the fresh rush of air filling your lungs. No matter how fast your legs can kick underwater, how your skin tingles at the sensation of life under the blue, your body was made for land, and there's no greater feeling than planting your feet on solid ground.

And that's what home is. Solid Ground.

Remember I mentioned that Kenyans are found at every corner of the world? well, I eventually met Kenyans (Students + workers) through the AKESH student community where we felt a little bit of home whilst away from it. The association created a space where people could laugh and relate to each other.

Kenyan Students In Hungary
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Book club

Limitless

Jim kwik

How do you consider productivity? Well for me productivity is doing the right thing efficiently times the fun factor. I recently purchased the kindle version for Jim Kwik's Limitless book which was on offer for 0.90$. This was my gift for starting the year. Aluta Continua.

If Knowledge is power, then learning is your superpower -Jim Kwik

practice active recall, do spaced repetition, used the sense of smell, and Listened to Music

Whats the best way to begin a year?

NEW YEAR

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You only rise to the level of your systems not your goals.

Make every minute count

Not taking things personally is a superpower

THE SECRET

LAW OF ATTRACTION

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This book got me curious about what the Law of Attraction is all about. I'd tell you this, be present today and experience what life has to offer.

Every single second is an opportunity to change your life, because in any moment you can change the way you feel

If something is meant for you, it will come to you. If you feed it positive energy, nothing and no one can prevent it from finding you, but you. Hang tight and avoid fueling feelings of doubt -otherwise, they will create resistance.

ELECTED CHAIRMAN- Association of Kenyan Students in Hungary(AKeSH)

Leadership is about life and about making other people's lives better.

Chairman Association of Kenyan Students in Hungary

Leadership is about empowering others, working together and a continuous desire to build capacity in the people around us. In a sense, leaders need to be teachers. They also need to create experiences that together can accomplish something that neither you nor the other person could have accomplished individually. An excellent leader can create that feeling in others and give hope as they look at further opportunities.

As a leader, I always ask myself what is the legacy I want to leave? What is valuable to me and what do I focus my attention on? I also ask myself who the most important people in my life are. By doing so, my leadership as the Kenyan Representative is about making meaningful contributions to the community, Society and about making other people's lives better

Leadership is a life skill and life skills help youth navigate life successfully. Learning and practicing leadership is one of the skills youth need

Erasmus Project in Istanbul

Make a Tale Real

Olondo in Istanbul

Unfortunately, nowadays, differences are evaluated with prejudices, stereotypes, and people from different cultures, different religious beliefs, different races are exposed to the violence of the dominant culture in many ways. The "Make a Tale Real" youth exchange project aims to show that the difference and diversity is not a means of discrimination, but on the contrary, is one of the most important elements of the enrichment of cultural heritage, color and social and even technological development. With the project, 38 participants from 6 different countries in Europe will come together and try to achieve this goal by using the theater methodology. This project is also is the first step for TheARTer for Diversity movement which aims to collect all theater movements under one roof and encourage other organizations to work in this field by using the art as a tool to reach its goals.

Make a Tale Real is a youth exchange project funded by Erasmus+ Program. The project held in Silivri, Istanbul in February 2020. The project lasted 9 days and 38 participants worked on a theater performance. Coordinator Active EuroYouth

This project promoted opennes and mutual understanding.The best way to challenge prejudices or to make people understand others is when they have a chance to meet or cooperate together over reaching the same goal

Tej
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