Wonderful Time in Wroclaw! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I was in the beginner's Polish class in Wroclaw. I was very nervous that I was not going to do well. I really wasn't sure what to expect at first. On my first day I walked into a smaller classroom with about seven other students. My teacher was a very petite and kind young Polish woman by the name of Ana. Polish is a difficult language to learn but Ana made it fun and quite interesting. I did have some homework but it was not a frightening amount. In class we would spend a portion of our time learning words and rules from Ana and a portion playing learning games. Occasionally we would have student teacher come and observe the class and teach a small portion of it. Every teacher had a different teaching style but I always felt I learned something from each. In the end you have a final exam as you would in the States and the grading is the same.

On-site administration of your program

Everyone from Study Abroad Compass was very helpful. Not only did we have multiple people we could speak to through email but we also had someone who would show us around in person. The person who will help you in Poland is called a Pilot and there were four in total. The main Pilot we interacted with was Roland. He was extremely helpful and he was very knowledgeable. When we arrived in Poland Roland picked us up from the airport and took us to our dorms. Once there he showed us around and gave us some basics we would need. One of the things I was most impressed with was that we were given prepaid cells phones with any number we could possibly need programmed in. We were also given tram/urban cards so that we could easily travel within the city for the month that we were there. Overall I was extremely pleased with the program administration's attention to detail and helpfulness.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Our dorms were adjacent to a tram stop, a grocery store, the mall,and bikes you could rent out with your tram/urban card. The dorms were in a very safe and centralized location.

The best part of the day for me was lunch. I loved class but lunch was amazing. At first I figured since it was cafeteria food that it wouldn't be very good. Cafeteria food back home was never any good. I was pleased to find out that my assumptions were wrong. The food was fresh and delicious. Everyday was something different but everyday it was very enjoyable. The meal would start out with salad and soup. Then we would have the main dish and finally a small dessert. There was always so much food that I usually skipped dessert. One day a nice man from the kitchen have me a to go container so I got to take home some of the pierogi from lunch. That made my day. A few other students came to my dorm that night to eat the pierogi with my friend and I. When I wasn't eating the cafeteria food I would usually just cook something at the dorm, get dinner at the mall, or go out to the Rynek or city center.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The first weekend we were in Poland Study Abroad Compass sent us on a little trip to Warsaw. Once there we had another Pilot show us around. Her name was Sarah and she was an American living in Poland to teach English. She was very friendly and helpful. We also had a historical tour guide of the city. The other weekend back in Wroclaw there was a tour of the city which was optional. One weekend there was an excursion to a small mountain town and festival. Many times during the week people would go in groups to have a drink in the Rynek. There was a talent show one evening talent show and one evening a week there was a sort of karaoke night in the dorms. There was always something to do but you could always relax in your dorm too.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Poland is not a scary place despite what some people might think. I've been to Poland twice and I've never had a scary moment. Many times I would wander around the city streets by myself which is actually something I don't do much of back home.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Practice as much as you can. Don't be afraid to speak. Most younger people speak some English and understand even more but I think they are just as shy as Westerners about using a different language, at least the young people I spoke to were. So don't be afraid to use what you know and open up the lines of communication.

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• Dorm

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• Americans
• International Students

• How helpful everyone was.
• How delicious the food was.
• How fun my classes were.

• Nothing.