My Erasmus Experience in Gliwice, Poland. By Óscar.

Why did you choose to go to Gliwice, Poland?

I found myself studying Electronic Industrial Engineering and Mechanics in Burgos and I had always wanted to spend a year studying abroad, with the option of improving my English. The destinations they offered me were basically Portugal, France and Italy, and of course, Poland.

Poland would give me the option of studying in English, so I chose that one. Knowing that the cost of living was less in Poland than Spain also influenced my choice, but it was definitely mostly due to the possibility of studying in English.

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How long did your grant last? How much money did you receive?

In Gliwice there were people there for only half a year, although the majority were studying for the whole year. That was what I did. As a help, I received 115 euro per month from the European Union. Erasmus students are still dependent on the general help of MEC that we will finally be granted this year, although we do not know the amount or approximate date or time. Depending on the autonomous community you will receive more aid less, or you will not receive any (as is my case).

What is the student life like in Gliwice?

The University of Gliwice has a lot of students, and so there are many residencies. I am in the Solaris residence where there are 5 Spanish people. It is the largest of all of the residencies, it has 10 floors and I promise you that we don't lack a good time. As there aren't many Spanish people, we spend most of our time with Polish people, who are very very open.

There is a strong student vibe, which can be seen in the different societies the students have. For Erasmus students the most important is ESN SUT GLIWICE, which is made up of mentors and they are constantly organising events, parties, excursions, concerts, charity functions... they are like Erasmus students and so they feel very much like having a good time and that we are having a good time. There are about 100 of us Erasmus students at the moment, Spanish, Portuguese, Mexican, Turkish, Kazakh and Korean, although 40% of us are Spanish.

Would you recommend the city and University of Gliwice to other students?

Gliwice is not like Krakow in Poland, but of course there is a very pleasant atmosphere. The city is fully developed, and you can find up to 3 large shopping centres where you can buy everything. The best located one is called the Forum, it is about a 20 minute walk from the residences and there is a Carrefour, clothing stores, cinema and even a gym. If you are going to travel a lot, Gliwice is very well placed to move around Central Europe, as it is basically on the border with the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Germany. The transport is very cheap, since with a Polish student card you have a 51% discount on trips.

The university is fairly well known and has a large number of students, good facilities and the coordinators of the faculties are quite nice to foreign students and solve many of our problems.

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What is the food in your country like?

We usually eat in the cantine in the University as they have typical food and it is very cheap (3 euro for first and second course) and there's a cute girl there who speaks Spanish. It has been 2 months since they opened the new University kitchen but we have already gotten used to eating in the cantine. The first course is always soup.

How did you find accommodation?

Before I got to Gliwice I had to fill out quite a few documents. One of them was to request that the university put you up in one of the halls of residences. Therefore, once you send that document, the university will be in charge of looking for a residence hall. In the residence where I live we have a shared bathroom for each 4 rooms, which are usually 2 people each, and a shared kitchen for each floor. At first it may seem that you have to share the kitchen with loads of people but it is not a problem because each one of us have our own schedule and so is not overcrowded a lot.

How much does it cost to live in Gliwice?

I'm paying 85 euros for a shared room right now (Internet included although the connection sometimes is a little slow). Food in the supermarket is a little cheaper than in Spain. Household appliances are usually at a similar price. As I told you before, eating in the cantine costs about 3 euros. Transport is a bargain, a train ticket from Gliwice to Krakow can cost you about 4 euros, due to the discount per student. The beers in the bars cost you 4zl, i. e. 1 euro. Shots are sometimes even cheaper than beers, they usually cost a similar price. Some months you will have to include excursions organised by ESN but generally about 400 euros a month would give you plenty.

How is the language? Have you taken any courses at the University?

The Polish language is one of the most difficult to learn, but don't worry, in Gliwice there are a lot of students and it's very easy to understand each other in English since the vast majority of young people speak it. The porters of the residences don't usually speak English, but if you take a Polish person with you then they will help you to translate it. During this semester we are taking a Polish course, it is an hour and a half a week but it is free, and it's good to learn basic words. Films at the cinema are usually in English with Polish subtitles, but I only say usually because one of my colleagues already had to watch a whole one in Polish, so it is better to ask first.

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What is the best way to arrive at Gliwice from your city?

Living in Burgos, I flew with Ryanair from Madrid to Krakow. If you are travelling in a group (we were in a 3) to Krakow, tell the University ahead of time and they will send someone to come and collect you. If you are going by plane to Katowice, although you are alone, you can ask them to come and fetch you.

Where do you recommend going out in Gliwice?

Gliwice's Plaza Mayor has a load of bars to drink and to warm up the night, in some they have Canal+ and you can watch some football matches. A lot of times, instead of going out to some bar, you will have a party in the residences that usually is quite often, since we have game rooms, "party" rooms, and there are many Polish people to have a great time with. Another option might be that the ESN has prepared some theme party or country-specific party, where they usually make the typical dinner of the country and also have games and music.

This is good for pre-drinks, but for finishing off the party: we usually end up in the Sejf, it's a "bar-pub-disco" near the center which has a large dance floor and every week, several days a week, they organise some theme parties. Although these themes tend to stay just on the posters that they distribute throughout Gliwice. I'm telling you, it's our favourite place, although now the owner has started insisting on charging us for a ticket if we arrive after midnight.

Spirala/Mrowisko is a building that belongs to the university, located in front of Lidl, where we celebrate lots of ESN events. We also celebrate them in Zoom, another pub near the residences. If you want a change of scene it is also a good idea to Katowice by train (40 min), where you can find every kind of music, style and atmosphere.

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And to eat in Gliwice? Can you tell us some of your favourite places?

Apart from what I have said previously, there is a pizzeria called Salutto in the Plaza Mayor that makes pizzas 50cm wide that are so tasty and only cost 25zl for students, and they deliver to the residencies. There are loads of fast food places with rich food like kebabs. I like an Indian food place the best, it opened a little while ago and it is called Orient Express, it is in front of the mine faculty.

Is there a bit of advice you want to give future students coming to Gliwice?

• At the beginning it will be difficult to get used to the University timetable, as the page of consultation is a mess, but do not despair you will get the hang of it.
• Consult the charges and exchange rate that cash machines apply when you're taking out money, because some offer you a worse exchange rate than others. I always get money at the ING in Krakowski Square, which gives a good rate.
• Get yourselves an ESN card as it will allow you to go on trips at a cheaper price and sometimes not have to pay when entering bars.
• Talk to your coordinator to get your Polish student card as soon as possible, which will get you discounts on transport, bars, hostels...
• Generally, if you go out to a party with Polish people, get used to the fact that their parties start at 8/9, so get ready for it, because they take the piss out of the Spanish people because we always go out very late.
• I promise you that you are going to have a great time, I hope you have benefited from my experience!
• Facebook Group: Erasmus Gliwice 2013/2014

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