Say Yes Before You Feel Ready: Draha’s Journey from Bangladesh to Pécs

When Draha arrived in Pécs from Bangladesh, she was not only starting university, but also learning how to live independently in a completely new environment. Her journey began with the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship and a decision to study business, a field that connected her creative interests in media and communication with a more stable professional path.

Although the beginning was challenging, Pécs quickly became a place where she could grow. Coming from a different educational system and living alone for the first time, she had to learn everything from scratch — from cooking and doing laundry to navigating a new city.

“I was incredibly nervous,” she remembers. “I had to learn everything from scratch — laundry, cooking, navigating a new city, and living alone.”

What helped her most was the atmosphere of Pécs and the people around her. She describes the city as cozy, calm, and deeply connected to student life. From the very beginning, she experienced a strong “helper culture,” especially among international students. Friendships soon became her strongest support system.

“In all honesty, they became my guardians,” she says. “They always checked up on me during tough times.”

Academically, her first semester was not easy. Subjects such as Economics and Statistics felt overwhelming, and there were moments when she questioned whether she truly belonged. But over time, group study sessions, late nights in the library, and shared struggles helped her gain confidence.

Some of her most memorable experiences came through opportunities outside the classroom. She represented the faculty at the International Business Challenge in Zagreb, Croatia, and later joined the Simonyi Summer School, where she worked with students from Ohio University on marketing campaigns for real businesses. These experiences helped her understand how classroom knowledge could be applied in practice.

A major turning point came in her second semester, when she became a Student Representative. Although she was shy and nervous at the time, Professor Mónika encouraged her to apply. That decision opened the door to many other opportunities. Draha later joined ESN Pécs and the International Student Organization, where she served first as a volunteer, then as Treasurer, and eventually as Vice President.

Through these roles, she learned that leadership is not only about visibility or public speaking. It is also about managing budgets, organizing events, solving problems, and making sure things run smoothly. Her confidence continued to grow through the iExpo student idea competition, where she participated three times and eventually won the Grand Prize.

Studying in Pécs also taught Draha resilience. While studying and taking part in student organizations, she also worked as a cashier and waitress in Budapest to support herself. For her, university became “50% classroom theory and 50% practical application.”

Her involvement eventually led to her role as International Alumni Coordinator at the faculty, where she launched the faculty podcast and wrote blog stories connecting student life with alumni careers. The relationships she built in Pécs continued to shape her path after graduation, including an opportunity to work with Global Startup Awards.

For Draha, one of the most valuable lessons from Hungary was that networking is not about collecting contacts, but about building genuine relationships. She also learned how to adapt to people from different cultural backgrounds, a skill that still helps her today.

Since graduating, Draha has been focusing on the next stage of her academic and professional journey. Her experiences in Pécs helped her realize that her true passion lies in leadership and management, and she is now applying for a Master’s degree in those fields. At the same time, she is helping a friend with startup marketing, using the storytelling and content creation skills she developed during her time at the faculty.

When asked what advice she would give to future students considering the University of Pécs, her message is clear:

“Say yes before you feel ready.”

Draha believes that Pécs offers countless opportunities, but students have to be active enough to find them. Her advice is to get involved, join organizations, participate in competitions, study hard, travel, and dream bigger.

“Don’t be afraid to struggle in the first semester,” she says. “It’s just part of the growth.”

For Draha, Pécs was more than a place to earn a degree. It was where she learned independence, leadership, resilience, and the power of human connection.