Erasmus Experience in Wroclaw, Poland by Pablo

Why did you choose to go to Wrocław, Poland?

Well, actually it wasn't my first option, nor even the country. But in the end I end up here and I have enjoyed to have chosen this place for the Erasmus experience since.

Source

How long is the scholarship? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

It depends on many things: the kind of scholarship you have and how many scholarships you can get, the type of country, discount per numerous family, etc. In my case, I just have the Erasmus scholarship of approximately € 1200 per 7 months, even though I shall stay for 10 months. The life here is cheap, although you need external help for survive with that amount of money that period of time.

What is the student lifestyle like in Wrocław?

It depends on the person and the kind of student. Many people come here to free themselves and to become wild party animals. However, there are also the relaxed type of people that enjoy calmer environments and who like to focus on the studies. This experience is also an amazing opportunity to know people from all over the world and to travel around Europe cheaper than you would have expected.

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

I would recommend it to students doing a Bachelor degree but I won't recommend it to Computer Science doing a Master degree, because there are many repeated subjects where the same professors from the Bachelor who teach the same.

What is the food like?

There're so many tasty food like Żurek and other kinds of soup and many other traditional polish dishes. Other types of food are fried with garrison of vegetables such as mashed potatoes and salads.

Source

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Wrocław?

I have some troubles between my home university and the university there and because of that I was close to not be able to come to Erasmus. But, taking apart my case, the university here gives you a website to enroll to the different dormitories in the city. If none of these dormitories convince you (because you have to share room, bathroom, etc. ), you can always search for an apartment for yourself with some friends or people you meet in the erasmus groups on Facebook or other common social media.

How much does it cost to live in Wrocław?

If you choose to live in a dormitory, which is the cheapest option, it will cost you around 520 zl (~ € 140), plus food and transport can easily go up to € 300. And if you are a person that likes to save money, with that amount will be enough, but if you like to party maybe you'll need a bit more for crowdfund yourself.

Is the language easy to get to grips with? Are there language courses available at the University?

It's not easy, and it doesn't get easier (too many declensions and cases). Although with the language courses in the university you can learn to manage the type of conversations you would need at the supermarket or a restaurant.

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Wrocław from your city?

From Murcia, the easiest and most economical way is to buy a cheap flight ticket on time from Alicante, where there are always 2 flights per week from each city (2 Alicante-Wrocław and 2 Wrocław-Alicante), and it's always easy to come back whenever you need it, due to the closeness of the airport to the city and the ease of get there by public transport.

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Wroclaw?

Anywhere near the Rynek (marketplace) will be a good option for sure. There're lots of bars, pubs and discos close to it.

And for eating? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Wroclaw?

There are many restaurant nationalities in here. I would recommend typical polish places though, because the others, although they are amazing, you can visit elsewhere. This places are, for example: Vega, Kurna chata, Pierogarnia, etc.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

There're available free-tours for visiting the city and to learn about the culture and traditions here. But I would recommend Panorama Racławicka, the old jewish neighborhood, the Rynek, etc.

Source

Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to Wroclaw in the future?

Don't isolate yourselves and try to go out and meet a lot of different people. You're not alone and for sure there's always someone that share the same feeling with you. This can be a life changing experience if you enjoy doing it, you don't need to suffer for being in here. That being said, I will also recommend to be a bit careful with people here because they are very religious people, and often some of them are racist or even homophobic, so try to not start a fight with a polish person. Apart from that, enjoy your future experience here or elsewhere you decide to go!