Studying in Poland

2 and a half years ago, I passed the exams at the consulate and went from Belarus (tired of doing Web 2.0 projects in a bright office with a view of the Neman) to Poland to study.

Brief information at the given prices - 1 zł ~ 10 Russian rubles, 700 Belarusian rubles, 2.5 Ukrainian hryvnias.

Polish language and culture.

Poland is still a Slavic country. Therefore, in spite of all the European Union and NATO, here you can agree, make useful contacts with a bottle of vodka - by the way, the Poles believe that they invented vodka. People relax and have fun to the fullest. The attitude towards migrants is normal, stereotypical thinking and the approach to “newcomers from that side of the Bug” is usually limited by the level of alcohol consumed.

For the uninitiated, the Polish language sounds like a combination of “pshhhshshsh” sounds, however, it is easy to learn, especially if you know Belarusian and Ukrainian. In everyday speech, there are several false friends of the translator - for example, “dyvan” is a carpet, “chair” is a table, and “khesheslo” is a chair. Mathematical and physical vocabulary also have a number of their own characteristics, for example, the integral in Polish is “tsalka”, and the differential is “rushenka”.

Older people understand Russian, young people in English. In general, 6% of Poles study Russian as a foreign language, so maybe you're lucky :)

The dominant religion is Catholicism, there are Orthodox churches in large cities and in the east. I did not notice religious intolerance.

Admission conditions and exams.

To begin with, check to see if you have Poles in the pedigree, or at least those who were Polish citizens before 1939. If there are such people - forward to the consulate with documents to submit to the Pole Card - then the process of obtaining a visa is greatly simplified.

To apply for a programmer (signalman / electrician / any technician) you need to pass 4 exams - written Polish, mathematics, physics, interviews. The most difficulties arise with physics - the difference in terminology is strongly affected. Anyone, not necessarily an ethnic Pole, can act. The only difference is that the ethnic Pole will receive a scholarship in the amount of 900 Zł. Another important condition is that no more than 3 years from the day of graduation (or, as was the case in my case, technical school) should be accepted.

If you successfully pass the exams, you will receive free training for zero preparatory year. The thing is generally harmful - during the year you study the Polish language, the basics of higher mathematics, physics and the basics of computer science in kindergarten mode, it’s hard to call it study. At computer science, they learn the basics - how in Polish there will be a double-click, menu items Excel, Windows, the basics of Linux and the like things that you yourself learn during half an hour using Polish-language software.

After such a year, you have the right to submit documents to any three Polish universities in your profile. Some of the most prestigious (e.g. AGH) require that after the zero course you should have an average score of 4 or higher (on a five-point system), some require additional exams, but for most, it’s enough that you took this course.

Training.

The Polish education system is included in the Bologna process, which means that you first enter the institute for 3.5 years in order to receive the title of engineer at their end. The educational process looks something like this - you spend very little time at the university (usually 3-4 days a week for 3-4 lectures), and you have to spend a lot of time on homework. It is usually possible to skip theoretical lectures, but only 1-2 passes are allowed in practical classes. Teachers in technical universities are generally sympathetic to foreign students, and the limit of admissible absenteeism is increased for them (went home for a visa, etc.)

Among older teachers of such disciplines as Physics, Mathematical Analysis (affectionately referred to by students as "Anal"), Electric Field Theory, etc. most of them speak Russian well, in the libraries you can find textbooks in Russian from various Soviet publishers. You can also meet guest workers - C ++ was taught by a Ukrainian from Kiev to me.

There are practically no “left” subjects - we are given courses in copyright, labor law, and the basics of sociology, in general, for the entire period of study of such courses, 5-6, no more. You can choose a foreign language - my university offers English, German, French, Spanish, Russian and Polish for foreigners, however, if you really seriously want to master a foreign language - I do not advise visiting them - the level is quite low, and this trend, unfortunately, is observed all over Poland.

The university, as a rule, provides each student with a set of free software - Visual Studio, Windows XP and Vista, AutoCAD and other utilities. Participation in the MSDN Academic Alliance program is the standard for Polish universities.

There are many exchange programs - ERASMUS / SOCRATES and individual. The easiest way to exchange for a semester is to drive them to Turkey - the Poles do not want to go there, the most difficult - to Scandinavia, the competitions are organized.

My university ( Krakow Polytechnic ), among other things, offers students tennis courts, mountain hiking, two gyms, a cycle track, judo, a swimming pool and other sports. Physical education lasts 2-3 semesters for free and you can, if you wish, you can pay 50-70 zł per semester and go there already voluntarily.

After graduation, universities tend to take care of their graduates a little and open Career Centers, sign contracts with firms, so it is very difficult to remain an unemployed engineer after a state technical university.

The school year begins on October 1 and ends on July 1. After the New Year, you usually need to come to study on January 2-3, the Poles are Catholics, and they practically do not celebrate the New Year.

Life, food and transportation.

Prices in Poland are uneven, here I will bring in Krakow. I rent a room in a private house, in total there are 6 rooms in which only students live. A double room costs 660 zł, the hostel is cheaper (250-300 zł), but to get a place you have to wait 10-20 hours in line. The place is guaranteed only for students of zero and first year.

The products here are nasty, a lot of chemistry - so the choice is yours, to buy milk for 2 zł, which may not go bad for six months or for 5 zł, is natural. You can buy a subscription to the dining room, per month it is about 300 zł, once a day you will eat normally. There are no problems with fast food - casseroles (a long bun with meat, cheese and mushrooms) and kebabs are sold on almost every corner. Beer - 2.5-4 zł. In general, food prices are not much different from those that exist "on the other side of the Bug."



City transport in Krakow is perfectly organized - the network of daytime buses has about 55 routes, there are express trains, the network of trams is more than 30. There are no minibuses - they are not needed - city transport runs according to the schedule and covers the city completely. There are night buses that start walking from 23.30 and end at 5.00. They are organized so that they cover the whole city, in addition, once an hour they all meet for 3-4 minutes in one place. The cost of a student ticket is 1.25 zł, a ticket for all lines - 47 zł. Krakow ranks 9th in the world in terms of urban transport development.

It makes no sense to have a car in Krakow - the old center is practically closed for cars, and the streets of the 18-19th century adjacent to it cannot withstand the flow. I chose a bike - you can buy a simple mountain bike for 200-300 zł, it’s enough to go to the university and back every day.

Part-time work for students is complete - from crushing leaflets (5-12 zł per hour, the maximum pay when you are standing in an advertising jacket and cap and you are checked every hour, the minimum - when you throw leaflets in the nearest trash and then just come for the money ) to work in IT-offices. I work on weekends in an Internet cafe, repair computers for residents of its environs, earning per month from 1500 to 2000 zł.

Legalization - upon receipt you will be given a visa. In order to continue to remain in Poland, each year it will be necessary to make a so-called stay card. It is necessary to have a temporary residence permit (they will give it to the hostel or the landlord will do it), a source of financing (a bank account for 10 000 zł or a scholarship certificate), insurance (provided by the university) and 400 zł state fees for this business.

Entertainment.

There is a lot to go in Krakow - from tyts-tyts clubs to elite theaters and restaurants with a 200-year history. Entrance to the club is usually free, but a student card is required, for parties with famous DJs a nominal fee of 10 zł is charged. Beer in the bar - from 6 to 20 zł, depending on the proximity of the club to the center, its reputation and target audience. In a decent institution for student taste - no more than 8-10 zł.



A visit to the museum will cost 4-12 zł, it is best to postpone this event until the Museum Night, when for 1 zł you can visit all of them. The theater will cost from 20 zł (student ticket for a regular performance) to 80 zł (premiere). Invitations to the theater can be obtained free of charge from the university, helping to organize any small parties.

To adapt the Russian-speaking population, it organizes itself once a month KrakowRussianParty for everyone.

Prospects.

The IT industry in Poland is quite powerful. There are both its large companies - Comarch, and representative offices of world giants - Microsoft and Autodesk. Knowing the Russian language will help you get a good job - many Polish companies work with Ukraine and Russia. For example, at the last elcomUkraine, I met a guy from Kazakhstan who recently graduated from a university and works in a single electrical company. Most of his work consists precisely in going to such exhibitions and presenting his products there.

You can stay to teach at the university - the salary is decent, the university will provide a place in the Assistant’s House, again, in IT and around IT specialties, teaching at the university can easily be combined with work at the enterprise.

UPD About the bad.

The medicine. Probably the most disgusting in all of Europe. An ambulance, for example, with a "stomach ache" cannot be called, even if it is an acute attack of pancreatitis - you must go yourself to the so-called Ostry Dyżur is a hospital emergency ambulance. When you come to a simple reception for the first time, you have to fill out a bunch of pieces of paper. So, I filled out 2 pages of the A4 questionnaire for my girlfriend, who came to the doctor with a temperature of 40 degrees.

Post office. Strikes, strikes, and again strikes. Poland is famous for strikes - it was with them that the solidarity of Lech Walesa began. Letters on the country going 2 weeks - a routine.

Railways A half an hour late is not considered late. Lack of car seats is standard. However, it is compensated by an advanced Internet schedule, and the purchase of tickets for a specific train and for the date and direction.

Summary

Living in Poland is easy and pleasant. At least I'm satisfied. I am not too divorced from the Homeland, both territorially and mentally. I like studying, work too, people are quite nice, what else do you want?