Between August 31 and September 2, the Obuda University Alba Regia Faculty once again came to life as REG FEST 2026, the registration week for first-year students, was successfully held. The aim of the event series was to help newly admitted students become familiar with the university environment, meet their lecturers and future classmates, and learn about the services and opportunities that will support them throughout their studies.

During the week, freshmen attended programme-specific and academic information sessions, where they received detailed guidance on using the Neptun system, course registration, academic requirements, student services, and the most important aspects of university life. Special attention was paid to ensuring that participants could begin their university studies with confidence and find answers to their questions from the very first days.

However, REG FEST was about much more than sharing information. Through a variety of community-building activities, first-year students had the opportunity to connect with one another and start forming relationships. Team challenges, campus discovery games, and interactive programmes allowed students to get to know each other, their lecturers, and senior students in an informal setting. Such experiences play a key role in integration, as the friendships formed during these first days often last throughout university life.

One of the most popular activities of the week was the “Campus Break-In” (Beszabaduló Campus) programme, during which freshmen explored the buildings, laboratories, and community spaces of the Alba Regia Faculty through playful challenges. The symbolic message of the programme was that participants were not only discovering their new environment but were also being welcomed into the university community. As a souvenir, each student received a bookmark featuring the University’s symbolic key, representing the beginning of a new chapter in life. The message printed on the bookmark perfectly reflected the faculty’s student-centred approach:

“Today, the gates of ÓE AMK open before you. A new chapter of your life begins, full of opportunities and dreams. Believe in yourself, and we will stand by your side every step of the way.”

The symbolic key represented both admission into the university community and the many opportunities now available to the students.

Following the information sessions, students also had the opportunity to demonstrate their creativity and teamwork skills. As part of the Reels Video Project, teams created short videos about the information they considered the most important or memorable from the presentations and briefings. The project provided a fun way to process and reinforce newly acquired knowledge while strengthening cooperation within the teams. Through creative ideas, humour, and their own perspectives, students highlighted the key messages and practical information related to university life.

The closing event of the week was the city-wide Freshers’ Tour (Gólyatúra), which has long played an important role in strengthening connections among students of higher education institutions in Székesfehérvár. Through interactive tasks and challenges, participants explored the historic city centre while discovering the cultural and community values of the city. The shared experiences further strengthened the sense of belonging and helped students feel more connected to their new home city.

REG FEST 2026 once again proved that the start of the academic year is far more than a series of administrative procedures; it is the beginning of a new community. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of faculty members, lecturers, student instructors, and organizers, first-year students can begin their university journey well prepared, enriched with memorable experiences and new friendships.

The event series was coordinated and organized by the faculty’s well-being coordinators, Judit Módné Takács and Timea Bekk. Their work was greatly supported by faculty and staff members, student instructors, and representatives of the Student Union, who actively contributed to the implementation of the information sessions, community-building activities, and events designed to facilitate freshmen integration.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all contributors for their dedication and commitment, which helped make REG FEST 2026 a meaningful, engaging, and successful start to university life for our first-year students. The Alba Regia Faculty warmly welcomes its new students and wishes them a successful, inspiring, and rewarding university experience.