The main event was the National Scientific Students’ Conference (OTDK), where out of the 27 competitors from the faculty 19 in total managed to receive prizes. One of them went to Arailym Seiitkhanova, who finished 2nd in her section with her thesis entitled: ‘Is Instagram a Good Channel for Brand Equity Branding? The Case of Generation Z’.

Topic of my research paper
My paper focused on identifying whether Instagram is a good channel for brand equity building in the case of Generation Z or not. I applied for the OTDK during the last year of my bachelor and defended my research paper after one and a half years. You may wonder why one and a half years. The reason is that OTDK is held once every two years.

Do you remember how it felt to prepare the research project?
In the beginning, I was very worried and afraid because I wanted my research work to be 'perfect' (Warning! Wrong mindset!). That is where my perfectionism really hindered me. However, my supervisor, Dr. Balázs Révész, constantly reminded me that shortcomings in scientific work are not a problem. Firstly, because they can be pointed out in the chapter on limitations. Secondly, I can improve on any weak points in the future when I write my master’s degree research paper. I am very grateful to my supervisor and the faculty members, namely Dr. Ildikó Pusztai-Varga, Éva Kuruczleki and Dr. Beáta Udvari. Their support and guidance helped me reach this milestone.

How did you feel yourself when the results were announced?
I promised myself to be proud regardless of the result. However, I could not watch the live stream because I was very worried and excited at the same time. But then my close friend sent me a screenshot where it was written that I won the 2nd prize, that our faculty won 2nd prize. For several hours I didn’t know how to react. I couldn't believe that the competition and my bachelor's degree was over (because of OTDK, I still felt like a GTK student). I am so happy to have represented our faculty in my section, and very grateful for the recognition of my research paper by the OTDK committee. Moreover, our faculty received both the second and the first prize in my section, which cannot but rejoice.

What would you advise to students who will start their research project this year? Why is it worth to participate at this competition?
I encourage everyone to participate. Don't be afraid to make a mistake or ‘lose’, because you will win something anyway. Whether it's skill improvement, prizes or valuable relationships. This mindset came to me thanks to my supervisor, so finding a professor is just as important as choosing a topic that interests you. Also, do not ignore homework, group work, and presentations throughout your undergraduate course because the skills you learn will come in handy.

P.S. Study statistics hard!