Everything you need to know about you Erasmus experience in Lodz (2/2)

Before we begin...

Hello everyone. Before you start reading I want to let you know that if you've just come across this post, this is the second part to a previous post post, it's worth reading if you're looking for information about Lodz!

If the previous post is what led you here, I'm pleased to hear it! I hope you're finding all the information useful and now feel free to keep reading.

What mobile data plan should I use?

Good news again when it comes to mobile data. As I told you before, the Internet available in the student hall is insanely awful. However, mobile data in Poland works well and is relatively cheap, so much so that there were people who preferred to buy a simcard with a lot of gigabytes and use these for everything, even to use the computer in the student hall.

Now that we have "roaming" you can use data from your original plan - without being charged extra for it - until you get your Polish card. One less problem already.

Normally Erasmus students pick one of two companies: Mobile Vikings or Play. There are other companies, but hardly anyone uses them so I'll focus on these two.

When I arrived, my mentor gave me a mobile Vikings card with 300mb free of charge for 15 days and free calls and messages to other phones. I kept that card for the 15 days so it ended up being free in the end! Finally, I decided to stay with Mobile Vikings because if I wanted a card that could make and receive calls within Poland, it was the most cost affective option. So, I had 2GB, free phone calls and messages between Vikings cards and endless data for using Facebook and Facebook Messenger for 19 pln (there were other rates with more Gb which were little more expensive).

The vast majority of people bought a Play card with 10 Gb for the modest price of 10 pln, quite a steal! Although this may be an offer which might not be available anymore when you arrive. The only bad thing about this card was that you couldn't receive calls or sms, but you can always call your friends on WhatsApp or FaceBook Messenger, so if this offer or a similar one is still available when you get here, I recommend it. The reason I got the other one was because it was easier to talk to my Polish friends. Lot of them still use sms to get hold of each other!

The good thing about both companies is that you don't have to start a contract or anything like that. As soon as you don't need the service anymore, you stop paying and that's that.

My recommendation is that you bring a mobile phone with two SIM slots. One for your Spanish SIM and the other for your polish SIM or your data card. But don't worry if you have only one slot, just remember to alert your friends that you changed your number and Bob's your uncle.

Where can I get the cards?

The MobileVikings card, as I said before, was given to me by my mentor (I think it was an ESN promotion) so I didn't worry about looking for another one. However, I think most of us bought the cards they sell in Auchan-Alcampo. You can then activate your account online.

You can buy the Play cards in any of their stores and if I remember rightly they sold them in Auchan too. Anyway, I encourage you to head to the store as activating the card can be a bit tricky as you need to use some codes. Some of the shop assistants speak English so you're better off getting them to help you sort it out in the store!

What is ESN?

I just mentioned ESN in the previous paragraph and you might not have any idea what it is. ESN is the Erasmus Social Network, a group of people around your age who will voluntarily organise a lot of activities so that you don't get bored for a single second during your Erasmus experience.

The truth is, especially in the beginning, ESN will work magic because you'll feel comfortable and won't feel lost in the city. Normally, within the first few days every Erasmus student will go to the office to < strong>get the ESN card< / strong> for about 30 pln. This will give you a lot of discounts in various places - not only in Lodz, but all over Europe.

Some of the activities that the ESN organises to provide you with fun from the get-go are: karts, bowling, Free Hugs, pub crawls, parties, tandem program, escape rooms, trips around Poland, camps, theme nights (flag party, white party, costume party), cultural evenings (such as Greek afternoon or Turkish afternoon) and a long etcetera.

They also organise activities at the beginning of the semester so that you get to know each other. For example, they organise what is known as photowalk which is like a tour of Lodz where they explain strange things about the city. If you go in the first semester I think it's worth joining, not only for the tour itself but also for the amount of Erasmus students that will be there for you to meet.

I also highly recommended the Happy Meeting. When I was there they gave you a heart with a character and you had to look for your partner. Whilst you were looking for them you had to fill in a sheet of paper with information such as who studies the same subject as you, who is from Turkey, who has green eyes... Which definitely forces you to get talking to a lot of people.

These two activities that I've just mentioned are completely free, which sure makes you fancy getting a drink in the pub where the Happy Meeting takes place. There are also other activities at the beginning of the semester such as Integration Camp which you have to pay for. Check it out when you go and see if you want to go!

The parties organized by the ESN tend to be really good although occasionally they are a bit spontaneous. But there's no lack of Latin-party nights or Thursdays at Lordi's.

ESN is also a rather controversial issue. Some love it whilst others try to avoid it at all costs. I'll leave you to make your own mind up about it.

< h3>other ESN activities: mentors and Tandem.

If you can remember from when I told you how to get from Lodz to Las resis, I said I'd gone there to find a mentor, but I never got to explain what this was, until now!

ESN has some programs like the Buddy Program (mentors). The Buddy program is a program which lets people who live in Lodz sign up to be mentors/godparents who will help you with everything to make your stay in Lodz easier, particularly your first few days.

To sign up for a mentor you simply have to fill out a form that ESN will send you (don't worry if you're thinking they have no way of contacting you, the university will send them your email) where they ask you if you want a mentor and ask a few more questions to match you up with a mentor that can help you best.

These mentors (or buddies) are usually, and this is very generally speaking, disinterested and don't care that much. Anyway, I recommend signing up justin case you're lucky and you get one that really cares about you. I was really lucky to be honest. My first mentor (yes, I had several) was really cool and helped me a lot. He even took me and several friends to visit places around Poland in his car. Others, like my roommate's mentor just disappeared, never to be heard from again. So the mentoring thing is a bit of a lottery, but it's worth a try.

The < strong>language tandem< / strong> is another program that you may find interesting. It's a language exchange, as the name suggests, where you say which languages you want to learn and which you can teach, then they look for a person that matches up with you and there you go! Get talking! However, this is a little bit like the mentor thing again, you have to be lucky with the person you get paired with you.

what transport is available in Lodz?

Once you get to Lodz, I guess you'll be interested to know how you can get about. Well, your wish is my command! To get about in Lodz you have three options: tram, bike or bus - although buses tend to run more at night. Well, really you have three choices, the third is the taxi.

Tram

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The tram is the most popular form of transport in Lodz by a mile. There are a lot of lines that connect the city quite well to be honest. From the part of town the student halls are situated in (Lumumby) there are four: the 15, the 15A, the 12 and the 12A. These take you to the main parts of the city -or to parts that you'll go more often - without any changes, so you'll be well connected.

The difference between having the letter A and not having the letter A on the tram route name is minimal, it simply means that one or the other goes further (I don't remember exactly which way round it is). So, for example, if you want to go to IKEA you'll have to take the number 15 which is the one that goes further. Don't worry if you get it confused at first, that's normal.

The price for a tram or bus ticket is 1.30 pln if you are a student or 1.60 pln if you're not. It's valid for 20 minutes, if you want them for more time, they'll be a little more expensive. You can buy them in small shops all over Lodz, although students usually buy them in a small supermarket in Lumumby. Once inside the bus you'll have to check it in on one of the machines in the tram.

There are a lot of people who try to get away with not buying a ticket who try to get on without one. However, bear in mind that there are always Polish ticket checkers who aren't all that pleasant who will ensure that those who do not have a ticket get a fine of up to 50€, if I remember correctly. In addition, if you buy a student ticket, the ticket checkers will ask you to show them the ticket - to check that you have swiped it in and that you've not been on the tram for longer than stipulated on your ticket - as well as your student ID

What I found best, and what most people did, is to get a travel pass from the MPK Lodz offices which costs 23€ and lets you take all the trams and buses you want for three months. If you get this pass, just be sure to take this pass with you every time you catch a tram or a bus as well as your student card if you bought the subscription with student discount.

By the way, don't forget to renew your subscription after three months. You wouldn't be the first to get caught out by the fine they'll give you if you travel the next day without renewing your card. The good thing is that you can renew the travel pass easily on the machines on the tram itself.

Two important things you need to know about tram tickets. Firstly, you may come across fake ticket checkers. Seeing as the real ticket checkers dress in plain clothes, it can be hard to tell the difference between them and the imposters, though you'll eventually be able to tell the real ones from the fake ones. So if you ever get given a fine, ask the reviewer to show you their accreditation and never pay inside the tram however much they insist, only pay in the MPK office. The second thing, nothing's going to happen if you don't pay the fine, really, the conductor told us! Though it's better to be safe than sorry.

Buses

Honestly, although there are daytime buses in Lodz I hardly ever used them, I guess because I went everywhere by tram. The few buses I did take during the day were ones that were a replacement for the tram when it wasn't working.

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Usually people catch the buses at night. The N7 is the most popular (and the most loved) because it takes you almost to the door of the most popular club amongst Erasmus students, or to the main street where almost all the pubs and parties are. the one-way bus is always full of both Erasmus and polish natives so it might be better to wait for another bus ride.

The bus stop is right next to the tram stops and there's one every half hour. Although in winter I think it was every hour if I remember rightly. As such, make sure you get a good idea of the schedule so you don't have to be freezing out in the cold.

When you're on your way back from the party, you can probably take a tram back, which is a relief as they come more regularly. The best combo is to wait for the tram or the N7 after a long night of partying whilst eating a kebab from the Kebab House (although to tell you the truth I always ended up more sleepy than hungry).

Taxi

I'm including the taxi option here, although as you can see, it won't be more necessary here than it is in your city of origin. However it's useful to know how taxis here work in case you ever need one.

If you want to take a taxi that is already waiting at the taxi stand, then you'll know what to do, open the door to ask the driver if you can get in and he'll say "sure, no worries". If you don't know how to say this in Polish, they're taxi drivers so they'll work out that you want to take a taxi and that you're not opening the door for any other reason. Remember, there's a post for survival Polish. You can can refer to this if you want to know how to tell the taxi driver where you want to go.

In the student hall area itself there is a taxi stand however, there usually aren't many there so if you have to catch a bus at 2:00 am for a trip (yes, they leave at such early hours) and you don't want to risk missing one of the city buses or having no taxi drivers available to take you, the best thing you can do is order a taxi. Now I'm going to explain how this works because, actually, I thought it was a little complicated.

There are several taxi companies, the cheapest is Green Cab, but there's not a big price difference anyway. So imagine you want to order a green Cab taxi. First an foremost you obviously have to find the number and give them call. Don't expect them to speak English, but don't worry either. You just need to be clear about where you want them to pick you up and at what time, and honestly it's not very difficult. You see this again in the survival Polish post.

Okay, once you've indicated the time and place, they'll text you with the necessary information to identify the taxi. Attention! Don't worry if you've just hung up the phone and you haven't received a message. You can receive it just before the time you booked the taxi for. As I was saying, when you get the sms, they'll tell you the license plate as well as the color. Yes, here not all taxis are white or have a fixed color. If you can, get down a little before the specified time to make sure you find your taxi.

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Another thing to mention with respect to taxis is: be careful and only take the official taxis. You can recognise them by the Shield of Lodz (the one in the image below) on one of the four doors. The sheild may also be on another part of the vehicle, though this is less likely.

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Bicycles

We've finally got to what became my favorite kind of transport, the bike! Of course, it's not the ideal means of Transport for subzero temperatures and layers of ice make it difficult to travel. But Poland isn't all snow and ice, from time to time there's also good weather. Like in spring. After a freezing winter where you almost died from the cold, believe me, spring will make you as excited at the prospect of riding your bike as you were when you were little.

I can almost hear the question you're asking yourself: "but does this chick think I'm going to go on an Erasmus year abroad and buy or rent a bike?". Well, perhaps. In fact I had two friends who bought their own bike. But the best thing is that Lodz, just like several other European cities, has bike rentals in the street at super cheap prices.

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In that picture you can see one of the places where the bikes are. Anyone can use them. All you need is an account with the NextBike application and add money to your balance. Don't let the word "balance" scare you. I didn't spend more than 20 pln (which is a little less than £4.50) and I even rented bicycles for me and my friends. In fact, I seem to remember that the first hour is free and from there on it's 1 pln/hour. Come on, it's a bargain.

How does it work? Well, when you feel like taking a bike, you can rent it using the app at any point in the city. After using it, you can drop it back at any other point. So no, you don't have to put the bike back where you found it, which is a plus, because you can go from the student halls to the Main Street and leave the bike "parked" there.

The bike rental itself is easy, you just have to put the identification number of the bike in the app to indicate which bike you have taken and they will activate the electric lock. The difficult part is getting the bike out and putting it back again. But don't despair, there will always be someone nearby to give you a hand if you're struggling.

So my recommendation is as soon as the weather turns good (or before it gets cold again, because despite what they say, if you arrive in summer it isn't cold) rent a bike with your friends and forget about the tram.

Applications

You'll be thinking let's see how you'll get used to the tram and bus routes and more importantly, their timetables. The timetables are important because both the tram and the bus -unless there's been a breakdown - are very punctual and surely no one in their right mind would want to miss a tram and have to wait in the insufferable, cold Polish winter, all because they misread the timetable.

So the best thing is to know the timetable by heart so you won't be waiting long before your tram or bus arrives, or have to wait for the next one because you just missed the one you wanted by a whisker. And when I say by a whisker, I mean by a real whisker, because a lot of drivers aren't gunna wait for you, even if they see you running like you're Usain Bolt. You won't be the first person to get the tram doors shut in your face! Neither the first nor the last.

But to make life easier there's an application called Jakdojade that gives you the timetable of each route, and, better yet, Le pones donde estás y a dónde quieres llegar y te dice qué tranvía o autobús debes coger, a qué hora pasa y si tienes que hacer algún transbordo también te indica como. Therefore it is ideal to consult when you are somewhere like the residence or the shopping center and you want to see if it is worth leaving already to the stop or, if otherwise, it is better to do a little time.

Another positive about the app is that it's completely free and not only that, but it informs you about other major Polish cities (such as Warsaw, Wroclaw, Krakow... ), so you can also use it when you go on a Polish expedition later on.

You can download it from the Google Store or, if you don't want to download it, you can view it directly from the website, which I'll leave for you here:

https://jakdojade.pl/lista-miast

Install it now so you won't forget about it once you're there!

Where can you shop?

Well... Before explaining where to do your shopping as it were, let's get in the zone: you've just arrived in Lodz, I've already explained what you need to know about transport (you can get extra information through experience), but now you'll be thinking "where do I buy food for the first days?". First of all, bear in mind that if you still haven't bought cooking supplies like a pan, pot or even a plate... the food you can buy to make at home will be of little use. Remember, it's likely you won't even have fridge to store milk. Although your housemate may have already arrived and taken care of the basics, cross your fingers!

So, < strong>I recommend that on the first day you eat out of your new digs. It can be a bit depressing to go eat out on your own when everyone's told you that on your Erasmus experience you would be continuously socialising. But it's ok, it just getting started. Don't feel down! Besides, you may end up eating with someone else. Who knows, maybe those people might become your Erasmus friends, that's what happened to me. Yes, I was lucky enough to meet them on the first day and since they'd already been settled in Lodz for a few days, they invited me to dinner.

If you choose to have lunch and/or dinner out on the first day, I recommend eating a pizza in the restaurant Äsaxofonö, in front of the DOM III (it's not out of this world, but it's close to the student halls and you can take it to your room if you want to) and, for dinner, I recommend Magic or Hell's Kitchen, which are also around the student halls and full of Erasmus students, so even if you go to dinner alone, I am sure you'll end up socialising! Hear me out.

If you're lucky and your partner has already arrived before you, you probably won't need any of the previous tips because your partner will make you feel at home and help you integrate.

But still, you've eaten out, and now you need breakfast. But what can you eat? Time for your first Polish purchase, the first of many. Near the student halls you have a very small supermarket, the one where I said you could buy tickets for the tram, but there is also a bigger supermarket, which is in an area behind DOM X, called Biedronka. For your first breakfast you can buy some smoothies and cookies or biscuits or whatever you see.

And now, let's look at where you can buy your groceries. First of all, I must say that there is a shopping center 20 minutes by tram from the student hall called Manufaktura. This is where the Auchan is which I'm going to talk to you about now (obviously, there is more than one Auchan, but this one is more handy). However, I'll talk to you a little later about the shopping centre.

cooking utensils

If you've just arrived and the people who were in your room last year didn't leave any gifts, you'll have to buy kitchen utensils, unless you want to eat out every day - which is as good an option as any! Anyway, for the most expensive things, I would recommend waiting for your roommate so you can share the expenses.

I'll make a list of possible things you might need so you don't end up buying a potato peeler before a pan like I did. A matter of priorities?

Things you're really going to need:

• a glass
• a breakfast cup or bowl, although if you're very frugal you can buy a large glass and use it as a cup. But if you're one of those who just use it wash it
• a plate. Yes, I survived with a single plate all year long
• a knife, fork and spoon. Try to get a good knife, so you can use it for more than just eating, cutting meat and so on. The latter is not very recommended, but hey ho.
• a pan
• a pot

And that's it for the essentials! Surprise, a potato peeler isn't on the list.

Right now you might be thinking, "oh, my God, that's a picture of what's waiting for me". But I assure you it'll be more than enough, after all you're not going to be eating at the student hall for long and, even if you were, no matter how good a chef you think you're going to be on Erasmus, the reality is probably very different. Don't start buying things you'll never use and will forget about on the first day, buy the essentials and then if you see you need more, go for it. An example of this is the wooden spatula, it may seem really useful, but really how many times are you going to use it?

Something that may be useful but that I didn't buy is a tablecloth. after all, like I told you in the post before this there's only one table, so if you don't want your sheets of paper, computer or other stuff to be filled with leftover food, this could be a good thing to buy. I don't think lecturers like seeing grease stains on their work they set.

Another point to make is that in my group of friends, when we were invited to eat at another student hall we almost always brought our own cutlery so that no one would have to spend much on cutlery for everyone. It's a bit tight, I know, but it works.

Well, now you've seen the main list of things for the kitchen, let's see where you can buy them. There are three main sites for this type of thing: Pepco, Auchan and IKEA.

Pepco is a fairly small shop that is near the student halls (just behind the DOM X) which sells a little bit of everything as they say; from clothes, to doormats to kitchen things. I wouldn't recommend buying your first purchases here because things might be a little more expensive and you won't have as much variety to choose from. But if you break your glass or your plate and you don't want to walk to the other two places, Pepco is a good choice!

IKEA needs no introduction, we all know it! This is my recommendation, if you're going to look at things like a Norseman, a pillow for example... Take advantage of the trip and get things for the kitchen. The only bad thing is that the IKEA is a a little (quite) far away, but if you're already comtemplating how you're going to carry things back, don't worry, there's a tram that picks you up in front of the student hall and drops you off in front of IKEA (and vice versa). Also, at IKEA you might see more things you might need that slipped your mind as there's more variety.

And, finally, the Auchan. This is the second place I would recommend because although there's less variety than in IKEA (though still more than enough), it's closer.

Obviously, if you don't have to go to IKEA at all, again, Auchan would be the best option I would say, unless you want to take a walk. What you can do is go to IKEA and Auchan and compare prices and quality and decide from there. Mind you, I wouldn't spend a lot of money on a good frying pan you're only going to use for a year. Most of the Erasmus students survive on a poor quality frying pan and have no problems.

< h3>cooking utensils< / h3>

For the bathroom you need both cleaning products and personal hygiene products. Cleaning products that contain any disinfectant will be useful, and you can buy them in Auchan where there's more choice. If not, you can also buy things to keep you going in the Biedronka near the student halls.

For personal toiletries I recommend you go to Auchan because there's more variety and whatever you buy in Spain, I'm sure you will find it here.

They won't give you a towel either, but in the welcome pack I'll talk about a little further on, they'll give you a large one. Therefore, if you took one with you on a trip, it's not super necessary for you to buy another one.

< h3>Cleaning supplies< / h3>

Now we're getting to the good bit. Let's take a look at the supplies you might need, even though you'll notice something or other you need at the time, you won't notice everything, so I hope this will make it easier for you and save you a few trips. So let's get started on < strong>the essentials:

< li>A scrub. Like I said before, we want to save on the number of glasses, plates and cutlery we have to buy. To do that, we have to be very clean. For the scrubs I recommend you get a pack from Auchan, 12 scrubs for about £1.

< li>mop and brush. Yeah, you're gunna need them unless you want your room to look like a pigsty. You can buy both of them from Auchan and Pepco, just don't forget either the dustpan or the mop bucket. But every problem has a solution. My roommate and I had forgotten about the bucket. Our neighbors had bought the bucket but not the mop, so we shared our items. You can also buy these things between 4 and share.

< li>Fairy (or similar).

< li>Bleach for the bathroom and maybe even to clean the floor of your room if you don't want to spend money on a floor cleaner.

< li>Detergent. To buy the detergent I recommend you go to Auchan because it has great variety, as well as softeners if you can afford this luxury. My friend and I spent an afternoon smelling softeners to buy the one we like best!

< li>a ball or rag to wipe the table with to get rid of fat stains or the like, such as yoghurts, milk, sauces...

< li>Glass cleaner, nobody likes to have a super dirty bathroom mirror all year round.

I think these things I've mentioned here are more than enough to keep a decently clean room. But if you feel you need more stuff, don't deprive yourself.

By the way, even though I haven't included it in any of the sections above because I survived without one despite the odds, it can be a good idea to buy a clothes-horse if you've been given a student hall without any space to hang your clothes like I was. More than once me and my housemate couldn't find a place to hang our laundry so we had to fill our room with our freshly washed clothes. It was a disaster! Clothes on the chairs, on the windows, on the table, in the bathroom... It was actually quite funny, but we could have sorted it out a lot sooner if we had bought a clothesline, so you know.

Where can I buy food?

Here's the stuff that will answer this question! Food. First of all I warn you: you will miss Mercadona. If you want to prepare your food yourself most people bought their food at Biedronka, a supermarket you'll recognise because it has a ladybug on the logo (biedronka is a ladybug in Polish).

There are also other supermarkets that are part of this chain such as Zabka (toad) and Małpa (monkey). Biedronka is normally bigger but Zabka and Małpa open earlier and close later. Great for last-minute emergencies.

Near the student halls there's a fairly large Biedronka which has practically everything although the the selection is smaller. But it's a great choice for buying things like milk as you won't have to walk far to get back home.

What I did was buy basics like milk, cereal, rice, yoghurt and meat in Biedronka and then go to Auchan for more variety when it comes to fruits and other products such as chocolate, cereal, toothpaste, etc., in Addition Auchan is quite a lot cheaper than the Biedronka although it is a bit further away.

Oh, and you probably wouldn't expect this but shops open on Sundays!

Where can you buy clothes?

As I said in my previous post about what I packed in my suitcase, Poland has the same shops as Spain does (Zara, H&M, Bershka, Mango... ) and some others that we don't have in Spain but are very good. So there's no need to worry about where to buy clothes.

Anyway, I'm adding this section in just in case you didn't bring any good warm coats for cold weather with you and you need one but you don't want to spend much either. You're in luck! On the outskirts of Lodz (almost 1H by tram) there is a pretty big outlet where you can find some really good bargains. I didn't look any further and bought my coat there. It was 30€ down from 120€ and, honestly, I didn't ever get cold. The best thing is to ask a Polish person about it and see if they'll take you there by car. That's how I got there so I couldn't tell you how to get there. I just remember it's called Ptak Outlet. Obviously, there aren't just coats there. They also sell shoes and other clothes, so really I would recommend you go there in the first or second week after arriving if you need to buy some clothes.

Besides, this isn't the only outlet in Lodz. There's also a Nike Outlet that's very good. We went there every other week at one point and the best bit is we nearly always bought something! I can tell you how to get here: go to the Sukcesja shopping centre (tram 15) and then go to Decathlon. Good luck finding a bargain!

What do I have to do in Lodz once I've arrived?

Yes, I know, you're already in Lodz and you're hoping the answer to this question is "that's it! Go enjoy yourself!" But I'm sorry to say that sadly there's still more bloody paperwork to do.

ISO paperwork

When you arrive, the next working day go to the ISO (right now it's located on the fourth floor of the DOM XIV) where they'll sign your arrival certificate. Don't forget! This is very important because you need to send a signed copy to your international relations office in order to receive your Erasmus grant. Once it's signed they'll also send a scanned copy to your email address so that you can send it directly.

In addition to this you must also bring a photocopy of your ID or passport as well as a copy of your health insurance that must be valid for the duration of your stay. I don't know how this works in your university, but from mine (as I've said before I am a student at the University of Santiago de Compostela) I can get an insurance for 15€ that is more than enough. Try to find out if they do something like this in your university, it definitely helps!

In addition to all this, the ISO will welcome you and explain how you can get a Student Card, or legytimacja as the Polish would say. And it's very important you do it as soon as possible so that you can benfit from the discounts on the trams and Polish trains that I mentioned before.

In addition, if there is something wrong with your Learning Agreement (LA) they will advise you and explain how you can make the possible changes you may want to make. Although for this you'll also have to talk to the coordinator in your destination faculty. You can ask them any queries you may have, whether it's about the university, the student halls, paperwork, Lodz itself etc. They'll be happy to help you, plus they'll give you a map indicating where all the faculties and other sites of interest are.

For now, this is all you have to do in ISO. In addition, a few days before the course starts, they'll send out an email asking you to attend a mandatory talk where they'll explain everything you need to know as well as give you a university welcome pack that includes a pen, a highlighter, a bag and a towel. Just don't get stressed out because you've just arrived in Lodz and the ISO hasn't sent you anything about a meeting yet. You'll get one sooner or later, believe me. The year I went to Lodz they didn't send us the mail until October 2nd, so once again, be patient!

ISO paperwork

Once you've finished in ISO, I would set course for your faculty with the help of the map you will have been given before meeting your coordinator. I think the map also tells you who your Polish coordinator is and their office hours. The coordinator will look at your Learning Agreement (LA) and if they haven't signed it yet, they will sign it. If it's already signed even better! Because you need everything in order to get the student card.

With respect to the paperwork at the faculty, in addition to the one you have to do with the Coordinator, you need to head the Dean's office. Go with the idea that you'll have to wait in line (for quite a while) as all Erasmus students as well as other students will be trying to get hold of their respective students Cards. You can always socialise with other Erasmus students in the line, any time is good for meeting new people! The ISO will have already explained what to do here, so I remember it being an easy procedure. However, they didn't give you the card there and then, it could take a few days (even a week) to arrive depending on your faculty and the students there are. For example, the majority of Erasmus students are in the Faculty of economics, so it will take longer for them to get the card. The Faculty of physics has less Erasmus students so everything will go faster.

You won't need to do more paperwork at the faculty until the end of Erasmus. You'll come across it relatively little compared to how often you come across it in Spain. Really.

I think you know the basics of making the transition as quick and as painless as possible! but let's continue with the post in case you want to know more about Lodz and your Erasmus experience. After all, knowledge is power.

What is the weather like in Lodz?

If you've read my previous posts, you can pretty much get an idea of what the weather is like in Poland. The difference between what you thought it would be like and what your parents told you it would be like is minimal. < strong>Winter is coming. The difference being it may start in October and not end until April, but when the gentle summer warmth arrives (because it can't be called heat) you'll appreciate it more.

The weather here is quite tough, especially if you come from southern Spain, but it's nothing that'll prevent you from enjoying the experience to the max. You're probably reading this right now in your 38°C house, a month before you leave for your Erasmus experience and you're probably thinking, "I don't leave home when it's -10 ° C outside", but believe me, you will leave the house, and even at night for a night out!

My advice to you is to be prepared for almost always grey skies and temperatures lower than you're used to. Anyway, as I said, if you get there in September, you can walk outside without a coat. If you like snow, you're in luck. When I went, it started snowing on October 12th. There was some intense snow, but the worst bit is when the snow starts to melt and it gets dirty, it can make the city look horrible.

The hardest months - as far as cold is concerned - are usually December, January and February. Luckily, I spent the vast majority of them in Spain for Christmas where I got ready for the Polish cold, because I was so hot here. Mientras mis amigos/as estaban soportando una ola de frío de -23ºC. Besides, the worst part of these months is that it gets dark very early, there were days where it was already dark at 15:30 and it was already nighttime at 16:00. It also got light very early. In fact, when you go out at night, when you get in the pub, club or disco it's night and when you leave, though you may not have noticed, it's already daytime!

Don't panic either! Even if it's cold, honestly as soon as you get into a enclosed place, you're going to be hot because the heating will be on full. So, don't dress like an Eskimo and instead wear something that doesn't make you sweat when you're in a flat, class, room or. In fact, considering how cold it is outside you'll always see people in the student halls dressed in shorts and a short sleeve t-shirt.

Let's continue with the snow. When it snows double check the trams because some may not be running or it will take them three times as long to reach the destination. In addition, snow is ideal for if you want to find snowmen on campus and have snowball fights with your friends as if you were a child again. As soon as you see so much snow, you just can't help it.

Now that I've told you about the snow, let me tell you about the ice, because yes, it's rare to have snow without ice. And ice is much more dangerous because of the many slips and trips it causes. So when you leave the residence, be careful not to stumble, not just because it might be embarrassing, but because no one would like to spend part of their Erasmus with a sprained ankle. The trick to walking on ice is the following - this isn't what my own creation, ISO put it on their Facebook page to let us know - you have move your center of gravity forward a bit. That's to say, don't walk straight, but with your back slightly bent forward and legs shoulder width apart. Have you noticed? A bit like a penguin!

As for rain - it doesn't rain all that much really - but when it does rain, get ready!

Despite the inclement weather, you're going to have a good time and it's not all as bad as it's made out to be. By the end of March or the beginning of April you'll start to see good weather and people won't think twice about going out to sunbathe in the grass areas around the student halls and even light up a barbecue. You probably be invited to more than one a week! So, as you can see, as much as people try to get it into your head that Polish weather is always going to be horrible, they're wrong. Fortunately for us, eh?

what can I do in my spare time?

The answer to this question is one of my favorites I think. As an Erasmus student, you're not going to have much free time. And no, I don't mean that you're going to have to study a lot and you won't be able to leave the student halls, but rather your other Erasmus friends will be constantly bombarding you with thousands of plans: a surprise party for X because it's their birthday, breakfast in at your friends place, inviting everyone to dinner at your hall, having lunch out, going for a walk, organising trips... An endless list of activities, you won't have time to get bored.

Maybe this answer didn't convince you because how can you know if your friends will be like this? But don't worry, there really is a lot to do in Lodz (even in winter!) so it will be difficult for you to get bored.

Leisure

First of all, something which made me more excited when I found out I was going to Lodz is that in Lodz there is ice rink which is much cheaper than the ones in Spain, even considering the rental of the ice-skates. Although I only ended up going about 5 times in the end. So it's a good plan for an afternoon where you're sat in you student halls wondering what to do that day. It's very easy to find a few friends who want to join you. And, if you've never done ice skating, I encourage you to try it. Even though you might knock yourself here and there, it's super fun and you have to try it at least once in your lifetime.

Near the student halls there's also a few go-kart tracks that aren't bad and you and your friends will surely be guaranteed a few laughs. Anyway, I would wait for ESN to organise a trip here because when going in group they usually have quite a good discount.

InManufaktura , the city's factory that they transformed into a shopping center, there are also a lot of options. Manufaktura is more than a shopping center, it's more like a mini-city within Lodz (without the houses) because outside the main building there are other buildings with restaurants, electronic stores, cafes... even a < strong>Museum of Contemporary Art . Definitely worth visiting!

In addition to what was said above in Manufaktura there is also a Cinema -much better than most Spanish cinemas - which may save you one winter's evening. Entrance costs about 28 pln (which is about £6). Many of the films are in Polish but subtitled in English, so go along and practice reading! It is true, however, that there are some films that are shown in English.

Also, right where the cinema is there's a game room (billiards, foosball table... ) that is usually filled with Polish people as well as Erasmus students. Anyway, I don't actually want to talk to you about this, I want to talk to you about the Laser Tag game which is right next door. If you already know what it is, don't hesitate to try it out or go again. If you don't know much about it, it's a bit like Paintball but with lasers instead of paint. Honestly, it's great fun and something new to try. The best thing is to go with premade teams so you don't have to wait, but that's up to you. Also in Manufaktura you have a fairly cheap bowling alley which you can go to with your friends on an afternoon off.

Another strange thing and I totally recommend is the Escape Room. I went for the first time in Poland although now there are already many for Spain too. If you've already gone and you like them, go try this one, they have an English version too and if you have never gone, go try it! Escape Rooms consists of a real-life escapism game. You're locked in a room and you have to decipher riddles - almost always using logic - to get out of the room in less than 1h. Time flies by!

In addition to all this, if the weather's nice you can take a walk through the many forests in Lodz such as the Łagiewniki which is the largest urban park in Europe no more, no less.

Cultural things to do

On the other hand, if you're looking for a cultural visit, Lodz also has a lot of sites that can be very interesting. Although it may not seem like it, it has quite a few museums and a quite a lot of history.

If you're interested in the history of World War II, you can go to the Radegast Station Museum, where Jews were deported to concentration camps at Auschwitz as well as to the Jewish ghetto. Besides, Lodz has the largest Jewish cemetery in Europe. If you've never been to one I recommend you visit it. It's strange.

Other interesting places to visit are the Museum of the textile industry, a key player within Lodz's economy until 1990, or the Cinema Museum. Lodz is a very important place for Polish cinema. In fact it even has its own Walk of Fame in Piotrkowska.

Anyway, my advice is that if you want to know more about the culture join the excursions organised by one of the Polish teachers (we called him "moustache guy" because of the big moustache he has). Don't worry if you don't know how to join these trips, he will send you an email every time he's prepared a trip, you and all the Erasmus students will go. Honestly, they're very diverse excursions that are totally worth it. He takes you to the place in question and, if there's something to explain he explains it. Or he'll leave you to it so you can enjoy yourself. What's more, these excursions are completely free! You just have to pay for the tram if you need to.

Some of the tours I went to with the Moustache guy included the zoo, the Textile Museum, The History Museum of Lodz, the Jewish cemetery... We also went to other events like the ballet.

Normally, if these are excursions where there isn't limited places, you don't have to do anything when you receive the email. Just show up at the place he mentioned in the email on the right day and time. If there's limited places, you do have to answer the email saying you're interested in the activity and askig for your name to be put on the list. If you just missed out, don't worry, he usually tries to get some extra tickets. Anyway, next time he organises an excursion, he'll give priority to those who haven't been before.

how much will I have to study?

Yes, I'm sure your parents have told you that Poland is not the best Erasmus destination because you're not going to learn anything. In fact, they may not be wrong, at least if they mean academically. But, if it isn't the potential for academic learning, what else would attract Erasmus students to Poland? Yes, good grades are a very important thing to bear in mind when choosing a destination. Attention! It's not that the level of education in Poland is low, but rather it's that they don't mix mobility students with Polish students, so in your class you'll be surrounded by other Erasmus students with little desire to study and teachers that will take this into account.

To answer this question, it's important to take into account your career because, although all subjects are relatively simple, some are even more so. So yes, whatever you have to study< / strong> < strong>will largely depend on your career.

If you're a typical Erasmus student, you'll most likely be associated with the faculties of economics, Business Administration or International Relations. If so, you're in luck! These faculties are the easiest to pass and so they're a great way of getting all those subjects you thought would stop you completing your degree out the way. Module coordinators are usually softer when it comes to grading subjects. Anyway, if you're going to be enrolled in another faculty, don't worry. They're probably easy too.

What's the teaching like?

Unlike most universities and/or faculties in Spain, in Poland you're aren't assessed by long end of module examinations, but rather with presentations and group work - just like Erasmus. The other option can also be exercises that you have to complete and then hand in.

¿Qué nota me van a poner en España?

I know what you want to hear: you've won the lottery, you're going to get the same grades as you get in Poland! But the sad reality is that this depends not only on your home university but also on your faculty.

For a start, grades in Poland are on a scale of 0 to 5 (depending on the teacher 5+) Therefore, even if you get a 5 in Poland, it doesn't mean you're going to get a 5 in your home country, phew! But it doesn't mean you're going to get full marks either. Find out before you go, but in general it will be a grade that is equivalent to the Polish one.

For example, all five of my Polish grades were treated as a 10 by my Spanish university (100%). Another thing you have to be careful about is that in Poland 2/5 is a pass mark but that doesn't mean that it will be approved as such in your home university. Aim high and you'll go far!

how was your experience?

I'll tell you my personal experience. < / strong>the timetable is not at all like my Spanish timetable. In fact, I only had one hour of each subject per week - 2 at most - so in total I had about 5 hours of class per week. Yeah, as weird as that sounds, it's true.

Throughout the year I had subjects in both Mathematics (6) and Economics (3) as well as the Polish course I told you about and, to be honest, it was all very easy. All except for a Mathematics subject, complex analysis.

This wasn't excessively difficult either, but it was harder in comparison with the other subjects. And in this subject, the teacher gave us a huge book to read on our own. We had to do the (impossible) exercises she asked us to hand in, about thirty a week. Finally, we were evaluated both practically and theoretically, which almost no teacher does. However, in the end she made up for it with the grade she gave.

In another mathematics subject, the teacher simply gave us a sheet of exercises and notes. The best part? We never had to go back to class again, once we finished the exercises, we handed them in, and can you imagine, we got a 5+! Well, that's a lie. Actually the best part was when we found the answers to the exercises on the Internet. Live to see, see to believe.

In one of the first trimester subjects, the teacher only took into account class attendance, so you just had to sit and keep the chair warm for one hour a week.

The Polish course was also quite simple. However, this depended quite a lot on the teacher you got. For example, if you had Barbara, you would be sweating from all the work. But others like Halina or Slawomir (“moustache guy”) were synonymous with giving 5's away. Especially Slawomir. If you can choose your teacher, I recommend him. He always prepared talks about Poland and explained the things every Polish person knows, has, or does. Once, he even brought us a cake that he had prepared that was really tasty!

In the economics course (Statistics Methods for Management) the teacher taught you how to use Eurostat and the "datasets". This way, you could prepare a presentation with that data and the very simple things that she had taught you. Piece of cake! Above all, keep in mind that the teacher will often leave the room during your presentation so you were just speaking to the other students. Conclusion: 5/5.

Without a doubt, the best thing was when I did really badly in an exam for one of my subjects because it had coincided with Juwenalia. After having correctly (and miraculously) one of the five questions that the professor had asked me, he told me:

- Well, I can give you a 4/5, okay?

And, given the amount I had studied, I was happy with that grade. But just to test my luck I told him:

- It would be better if it were a 5. To which he replied:

- Well, okay... do you need a 5?

- Well it definitely wouldn't hurt to raise my average.

- Well, ok then! Does your friend also need to raise his average?

Conclusion: both 5/5.

note: post in creation. If you have any doubts please leave a comment. I will answer it as quickly as possible. : )

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