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author
William Richer
William
Richer
faculty
Faculty of Social Sciences
academic year of the stay
2024/2025
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author
William
faculty
Faculty of Social Sciences
academic year of the stay
2024/2025
University of Warsaw
traineeship
study stay
short-term mobility
other
How does William rate their stay?
university
city
accommodation
financial demands
about university
What made your university special? What were the facilities where you studied and the university equipment like?
Studying international relations/security, the courses were what was considered the main campus. Support for students, i.e. international ones, was spot on. They're available both for administrative help and, as I needed particulars for immigration, also for more personal matters. Beyond this help, they organize events and a lot of conferences everybody can attend to. Often, if not all the time, those conferences are accompanied by cattered services so there's food and bites and drinks.
As for quality of classes and equipment, I'd say it highly depends of what class you get. Most of mine were old, and seats/tables/chairs were not comfortable or suitable for computers, and there was little to no access to outlets to plug them anyway. It constrasted with a few halls where the classes were located, some of which were modern, almost brand new. It did not make attending classes such a chore, but it was not optimal.
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about your "adoptive" university? What made it special? What were the premises where you studied and the university facilities like?
Teaching methods varied. Some teachers focused slightly more on conversation, others more on lectures. There was an overall lack of reading material, which I thought could have enriched discussions, and certainly courses as a whole. There is no doubt, however, teachers have experience
What is student life like at university?
The university offered intensive Polish courses at our convenience, as well as cultural introduction. I am not aware of student associations but I'm almost certain there's a ton. I know students (on exchange) definitely organize things on their own.
Did you study in English or in the language of the host country? What language requirements does the university have?
I communicated in English only, and that's all the university requires (except for Polish-taught courses).
about the city
What was your impression of the city? How would you describe it? What is interesting to see here?
Warsaw is big. Personally, it felt way more like a world city than a European city. Commercial, political and economic hub. The city is without a doubt hyper modern in its behavior. Of course it retains a Polish personality. It's busy and sprawled out. No doubt anybody can find extracurricular activities of all kinds. There's some good discounts for students for museums (even them being free on selected days of the week) and public transport. Since it's a hub, you'll find no difficulty in going anywhere in Poland and beyond. There's a few palaces, massive parks. There's restaurants of all kinds as well, so if you want to try new things you'll be served.
Good to know would that since the city is sprawled out, depending on where you are, it could take a long while to reach the center or "rings" outside the center. Public transport felt "centrified", so slower when try to reach somewhere that wasn't in the direction of the center. Trams stop after 11pm, and metro at midnight or 1am, so you have to rely on frankly unreliable (at times) night buses to go places and if you're far that could be problematic. On a personal note, I'm not a fan of such big cities, but I must recognize it has a lot to offer for somebody who likes it.
about finances
In your experience, how far does the scholarship go? What percentage of your expenses did it cover? What is your opinion on prices in the country in general?
The Erasmus scholarship is plenty to live on in Warsaw, give or take a bit more. The dorms will no doubt be less than what anybody receives, but apartments will, of course, be more expensive as you go towards the center. Prices were quite good overall for anything from food to transport to drinks. I did not feel bad in eating out, especially breakfasts you could get for 5 to 7 euros. Trains are cheap with the student discounts, though since Poland is large and requires long rides at times, the price will go up accordingly. I felt prices could be slightly higher in more touristic cities (Gdansk, Krakow), but I'd say if you take the time to get information from locals, blogs, friends, you'll have no hardship in finding extremely well-priced places.
Please advise your classmates on how to save money—Where to shop? What services can be used to save money?
Live in a dorm, period. Rent will always be the most expensive thing. I don't think groceries were expensive at all, all things considered. Even if Ubers and Bolts are cheap, focus on public transport. Lets you see the city a bit too! Otherwise, typical budgeting. Use the discounts!
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about accommodation
What type of accommodation did you choose? Would you recommend it to others? If not, what type of accommodation do you think is best based on your experience (dormitory, private apartment, private dormitory, shared room, etc.)?
I was very lucky in getting the newest dormitory they had, and as such was living in a modern establishment with almost all amenities. They did not install the gym yet, but there's things around for that. Laundry was cheap and accessible; social areas for events; massive kitchens. By far outshined every dormitory I've seen so far in Prague. As far as I know, whether it's this one or others, it's easy to make friends in them so I would whoel-heartedly to at least start with dormitories before thinking of going for an apartment.
about experiences
Did you use Erasmus stay to travel around your country/Europe? What are your best travel experiences? What would you not recommend?
I traveled to every major city in Poland (from a touristic point of view), but I'd have loved to see medium-sized, smaller towns for the cultural impact. It's also very easy to go to the Baltic States, which I did. Flights are also fairly cheap to go pretty much everywhere - there's two airports so it offers more leeway in that.
Language and culture: what cultural differences did you notice? How did you cope with the national language? Was it also the language of your studies? Do you feel that your language skills improved during your stay?
Polish is hard for me, but I don't speak as a monther tongue a Slavic language. I learned the basics of politeness though. I loved being surrounded by Poles though; that's how you learnt the most. Whether it's food, drinks, places to see, fun facts, there's a lot to discover.
final rating
Why here? What makes this location special? Why would you send your friends to your country/city?
I'd say one of the great advantages of Warsaw is its dynamism and centrality as a transport hub. There's always something to do (if you look for it) and there's always a place to go for a weekend or more. Teachers are experimented and know what they're talking about, there's plenty of supports for students. Warsaw is somewhat very young too, so making new acquaintances is borderline automatic. It's a nice place to figure out new things about yourself and maybe to put yourself in a new environment!
live-saving tips
If I went again, I would definitely remember to pack...
Before leaving, I would like to know that...
What surprised me most was that...
The hardest thing for me was...
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