Interview with Balázs Lestyán (computer engineer)

“University teaches you independence as well as your degree,
which is definitely important in the life of a young professional.” –
Interview with Balazs Lestyán, IT engineer (NTT Ltd.)
(Part three of the Alumni interview series)

1. What was your motivation for choosing our university or its predecessor institutions?

 I definitely wanted to study computer engineering, that’s what I had in mind when I was drawing up my university admission ranking. There was no doubt in my mind that I would choose Óbuda University, so the Budapest and Székesfehérvár faculties were listed in the first two places on my admission ranking.

2. Exactly which predecessor institution did you study at? Which degree(s) did you obtain?

In the spring semester of 2020, I obtained a diploma in IT systems engineering at the Technical Faculty of Alba Regia.

3. Did you have a teacher you looked up on? If you had such a teacher, what kind of attitude did he/she pass on to you?

 Throughout my studies, it has always been important for me to be surrounded by people who motivate me in some way. I was lucky to meet Dr. Rezső Nagy in my first semester, whose constant positive attitude, professionalism and high level of knowledge of his subjects motivated and helped me throughout my university years. Thanks to this, I quickly realized that I would like to choose Professor Rezső Nagy as my consultant for the preparation of my thesis, since a university student probably needs the most help and the greatest motivation during this period, which the students receive from Professor Rezső Nagy to the maximum extent, and which in this way I also want to thank him!

4. Can you recall your first memory of university?

 My first university class, which was an analysis class on a Monday morning. I was
waiting outside the classroom with my fellow students and the conversation was
still going on about my freshman year experience.

5. What life lessons did you get from the university?

 I have gained a lot of experience, both professionally and personally. Besides your degree, the university also teaches you to be independent, which is definitely important in the life of a young professional.

6. Did you find time for fun while you were studying? How were your student years at university?

 During my university years, I tried to spend as much time as possible doing something useful, so I started working as an intern at a company in Budapest from the beginning of my second semester. Due to a lot of travel and work, I didn’t have much time left for fun, but I wouldn’t have missed the joint dormitory football tournament and the usual parties. All in all, I could say that I have found the balance between study, work and fun.

7. What was your favourite thing about college?

 The family atmosphere. Everyone knew each other, so we could ask almost anyone for help, whether it was our teachers or fellow students. The seniors always tried to help the juniors.

8. Has anyone else in your family graduated from Óbuda University?

 Unfortunately not, but several of my friends chose Óbuda University and the AMK.

9. What opportunities do you see in higher education today?

We are in a fortunate position, as students can choose from several good universities in our country. There are plenty of unfilled, good positions waiting for graduates leaving higher education.

10. What advice do you have for young people on how to choose a university/career for themselves?

Few people are given the opportunity to make a living as a hobby at the same time. Perhaps the only thing I would advise is to try as hard as you can. It is important that we love what we study or what our work is, but it is also important that the recognition for it is appropriate and satisfactory for us. Once this balance is lost, we may lose motivation for our studies or work.

11. Can you recall a memorable moment that links you to our university?

 I would say the day of my final exams. I have never been so nervous in my life as I was in those few hours. At the same time, I have probably never been so relieved as when we finished and found out our results at the end of the exam.

12. Would you come back to study at the Alba Regia University of Technology Óbuda to further your education?

 If there were any training relevant to me that I could use during my work, I think so.

13. To what extent can you use what you have learned at our institution in your workplace?

 I could say that I owe my current position in my job to my university studies and my education. My job is closely linked to the knowledge I have acquired in my networking classes and the Cisco course.

14. Did you want to work in this profession even as a child, or did you have other “career dreams”?

When I was about 8 years old, I decided what academic career I wanted to pursue, including high school and university studies. In retrospect, I was almost able to achieve this, so my profession became what I wanted as a child.

15. After graduating, what were the first few steps you took to advance your career?

 Almost immediately, I was contacted by a company that offered me an engineering position for my degree, so my first step was to change jobs.

16. Did you have a supporter who helped you at the beginning of your career?

During my internship and later part-time work, I had many helpful colleagues, with whom I have maintained a good relationship ever since. They always stood by me in everything and helped me start my career.

17. Why would you recommend the Alba Regia University of Technology Óbuda to young people?

 Students of the Óbuda University’s Alba Regia Faculty of Technology can acquire competitive knowledge and a degree that is highly recognized throughout the country. I think that a letter of recommendation is not necessary for a university when companies and companies approach AMK students even before they finish their university studies.