Erasmus+ Study Report Lucas Groenendijk 03-03-2021
Your study programme
During my Erasmus+ exchange at the University of Warsaw, I followed courses at three different faculties. Since I want to focus on the more political side of my Minorities & Multilingualism bachelor, my original plan was to choose an international relations or sociology related minor. After applying for the University of Warsaw, however, I found out that it was mandatory to choose at least three courses at the faculty that you were linked to. In my case, this so-called ‘host institution’ was the Institute of Specialised and Intercultural Communication. Beside the three courses at this faculty (History of Scotland, History of the English language and Language Communication in Social Contexts), I followed the courses War, State and Social Classes at the Institute of Sociology and Contemporary Ideologies and Society and Politics in Popular Culture at the Faculty of International Relations and Political Science. The number of ECTS differed per course, but all these courses lasted the entire semester. In the end, it was nice to follow such a wide variety of courses.
Language
Despite the fact that I had chosen Poland for its language and culture, I had to get used to the small number of people speaking English. Within the international student environment, it was easy to have contact with each other, but on the streets or in stores, most people only spoke Polish, especially within the elder generations. Still, I considered it a nice challenge to learn some basic Polish. Although translating supermarket products, street signs and some university e-mails took me a lot of time, I consider the language immersion a positive aspect of my exchange experience.
Finance and other conditions
Since I assumed in advance that life in Poland would be cheaper than in the Netherlands, I decided to look for a more expensive room. I was surprised by the way Polish landlords seek students to rent their room, considering the housing crisis that I have experienced in
Groningen. The nice and large room (with own balcony) in a modern apartment building was worth the extra costs. After I put some time into choosing the right supermarket, I had plenty of money left for other things. The nightlife was also significantly cheaper that what I’m used to in the Netherlands.
Preparation and contacts with the faculty before, during and after your stay
In general, contact with both the University of Groningen and the University of Warsaw went well. It was sad that a few weeks before the start of the semester, I was told to switch some courses that I had signed up for. This was because the overview of available courses at UW had not yet been updated by the time I had to choose my courses. During the mobility, it was hard to get in contact with the coordinator of my host institution. This caused some stress, for instance when I did not receive any response after my request to sign my Learning
Agreement. Beside the difficult contact with this particular coordinator, communication with both universities was clear and I generally received quick responses. This was especially nice when I decided to return to the Netherlands from Warsaw.
Housing
I was informed in time about the impossibility to use the university dormitories. Beforehand, I thought that the search for a room would be a long and hard one, but after posting some messages (in Polish) in multiple housing groups on Facebook, many landlords and students approached me. This is how I got in contact with an agency that focused on housing for international students in Warsaw. This all went well, and after someone from the agency picked me up from the airport and showed me the room, I signed the contract. My room was part of a modern apartment complex, half an hour from the city centre. Public transport was very well available and it was in a nice part of Warsaw. I shared the apartment with a French exchange student. My contact with the agency was also very good. Eventually, the Covid-19 measures forcing me to find a room by myself had a very positive effect, since the room was definitely nicer than what most student dormitories offer.
Culture
I had to get used to the somewhat individualistic city atmosphere, but this is more related to large city culture than the Polish culture. I found the Polish people open and helpful. I have not experienced major cultural differences, making it easier for me to adapt to the Polish way of living. Tip: try some local pierogi and Żywiec beers!
Free time
I have enjoyed my free time in Warsaw. Since my arrival, I was able to meet other internationals during parties and city walks. Beside spending time with new friends, I explored the city and some other parts of Poland. I would recommend to arrive some days before the start of the semester, since this gave me the opportunity to discover the city. In my apartment, I enjoyed playing the guitar (that I bought in Warsaw) and I often had diner and drinks with my French housemate.
Travelling
Although the Covid-19 measures made it less pleasant to travel across the country, I was able to visit Białystok in the east of the country. If I would have stayed in Poland for a longer period of time, I definitely would have travelled more around the region.
Your host and home institution’s management of Covid-19, and the extent to which the virus (countermeasures) affected your mobility
First of all, I am very glad that I was able to have at least some of the real exchange experience. When arriving in Warsaw, I was able to have drinks and food with other
international students, making the fact that the university courses were online not so terrible. After one month of living in Warsaw, the Polish government introduced more restrictions, obligating mouth masks in every public place (also outside) and closing the restaurants and shops. When shortly after this, both the Netherlands and Poland were planning on restricting international travels, there was not much that bound me to Warsaw anymore. I am very happy with the way in which the University of Warsaw offered me the opportunity to study from the Netherlands. The communication between me and both universities went well.
