First Impressions
I started my Erasmus semester in February at Warsaw University of Technology in Warsaw, Poland. I didn’t know much about the city or the country, and the language barrier was the first thing to shock me. I arrived in Warsaw four days before the semester began, and the first week felt a bit lonely. However, once I met other exchange students and local students, things became much easier.
Academic Differences
The studies in Poland have been very different from those at TAMK. The IT program here seems more challenging to me. I talked to students in other programs and realized that the workload varies by faculty. Despite the difficulties, I learned a lot from the projects and labs. However, the teachers were not very fluent in English, which added to the challenge.
Exploring Warsaw and Beyond
Warsaw, the capital of Poland, has surprised me with how well-organized it is. The transportation system is cheap compared to Tampere and very well connected. I’ve met many nice people during my exchange and traveled with them to various places. Sometimes we explored Poland, and other times we ventured to nearby countries. I even visited Cyprus during my exchange. Within Poland, I’ve been to Krakow, Wroclaw, and Katowice, all of which were really nice. One of the highlights was a weekend trip arranged by the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) to the Pieniny mountains near the border of Slovakia, where we hiked to the top of a mountain.
Final Thoughts
Overall, my time in Poland hasn’t always been easy, but it’s been a great experience. I’ve made many good friends from around the world, and I look forward to visiting them and having them visit me in Finland. Despite the challenges, I passed all my courses by working hard, and it has paid off.
Best Regards,
Ahsan Nazmul
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