Sarah Sabek – „Take this message”

Hello everyone, my name is Sarah Waleed Sabek! I come from Egypt and I am a second-year Stipendium scholarship student at ELTE TOK in the International Kindergarten BA Program. I first came to Budapest one year ago, in 2022, from Pecs, Hungary, where I had previously studied for one year, too. There were several reasons why I decided to move to Budapest, but the most important one was being with my family because they were going to stay in Budapest. This is when I applied for the Stipendium Hungarcium Scholarship (SHS) and thankfully got accepted at ELTE TOK. I had never lived in Budapest before, only in Pecs. When I first arrived, I was amazed by the increase in number of people, that it was more crowded and busier than it was back in Pecs. In other words, it was the start of a new experience that I was anxious about, but willing to begin.

It didn’t take me long to start getting used to Budapest because its scenery, architecture, and unique transportation system made it a smooth transition for me from Pecs to Budapest. Unfortunately, though, I did have trouble communicating in shops, or with people on the streets, not that the people were unwelcoming, rather there was a language barrier between us. Which brings me to another point I am thankful for. Since I am a scholarship holder, I had the opportunity to take Hungarian lessons for one year, an obligatory requirement as a part of the SHS. I am glad it was obligatory because it pushed me to study and do my best at learning the language. This requirement helped me understand not only the language but the culture and people of Hungary. I started viewing Hungary in a different way, a deeper way, and a lovely way that I am now increasingly eager to learn more.

Aside from my Hungarian lessons, I was also studying at my Faculty as a first-year student. I thought it would be hard in the beginning with all the administrative preparations and registering for courses, however, to my luck I met with such a sincere and hardworking staff in the Administration that they always helped me out with each step of the way. I would like to thank them for always being there.That made it way easier for me to take time to prepare for meeting my new colleagues, professors and to start a new year.

Of course, studying and being always prepared was a challenge for me at first, but having my friends who I can now call my all-time supporters always helped me get through any hard assignments or situations that I needed help. This was such a blessing and in return I have always been ready to give a helping hand whenever I could, too. It didn’t take us long to build a strong and concrete-based friendship.When I first decided to become a teacher, it was because of my parents who are both professional experienced teachers who have been in the career for years. They always told me that their job requires patience and passion, they also told me that it doesn’t, and it won’t come easily. You must always work hard and with honesty to be able to reach your goals. I first understood that working hard here meant doing all my assignments on time and not making any mistakes. However, after meeting with my professors and listening to their experiences, too, I learnt that working hard doesn’t mean not making any mistakes, rather it means that you should make mistakes and learn from them! Which brings me to a sentence my parents always told me when I was young. “It’s okay to make mistakes, the point is to learn from them and not to repeat them.” I understood that more when I learnt that being a teacher is not a simple job, it’s a huge responsibility and far more than just playing with children or teaching vocabulary. Teaching is the basis of any job out there; it is the base of right and wrong and most of all it is the base of patience and selflessness.

So, to whoever is reading this message, if you are thinking about becoming a teacher, you’re already on the right path. The next step is to join our faculty! Aside from the well-structured and detailed program our Faculty offers, they also bring experience and passion, plenty of passion. You won’t be taught it directly, but I promise you will see it. I have always seen it all around this Faculty, especially from my professors. Their dedication to planning our lessons and always pushing us to work harder and never give up on our dreams is simply beautiful. You won’t only see that, but you will also see that the Faculty itself is beautiful. My favorite part in the faculty is our outside sports place because it’s also a playground for a neighboring school of ELTE. I love sitting on the stairs and watching the children play. It gives me motivation and gets me excited because soon as a future teacher I will be there with them playing and taking care of them, too. I am thankful to have met everyone here and itjust proves to me more and more that being a teacher is the right job for me and for you too! So, take this message as a sign to apply here with us at ELTE TOK and to the SH scholarship, too. I am sure you won’t regret it! I hope to see you soon!

Sarah Sabek