Poland: The Eastern Marvel

Foraying steadily into the big league in the world map of higher education at the geographical and cultural crosspoint where east weds west lies Poland.

Though considered east European in essence, Poland ideally takes to central spot in the continent which gives away the important role it plays in luring massive interest commercially and culturally. As far as the cultural context goes, Poland can well be called a marriage between old-world charming east Europe and its very modern and neighbouring counterpart in west Europe.

That said Poland, being ahead and alert in the education sector, particularly higher education and university studies becomes a well made choice for ambitious students to look forward to owing to many factors. Investment is gold here and the drive to learn and excel is high. Poland punches harder than apparent from the outside.

We cover down the top seven reasons  why you should study in Poland:

1. Its not just a pretty place but a country with single minded reverence to knowledge and learning. It has withstood the test of time and turmoil. History goes back in time when the poles fought back with resilience using education as their weapon. Underground classes were carried out in large numbers all through this phase.
2. Poland has also gained a place in the good books of large corporates and conglomerates serving as a launchpad and in research and development.
3. Poland is by and large a young nation with a bigger student population and diverse at that.The Poles are a welcoming and bunch among which 90% at least speak English and it would be a rare thing if you don’t  find multilingual poles around. They are academically and economically successful credit goes to a culmination of hard-working and zealous population….
4. Students of art are in for a treat because the whole of Poland being a lowland is replete with nature’s bounty and the remaining land has pieces of history to offer at every stop. History, language, culture, literature,music etc. were studied with enthusiasm to keep them alive and safe from extinction during WW2 and that is why these subjects as specialization courses are popular and extensively covered even today in Poland .
5. Nature’s love bestowed on Poland makes her appeal to every adventurous soul.
6. History is rife with stories of world war 2 but a lot is also said about their fine culture, the simplistic poles, their love for candy, wine and the beautiful side of the country …all of which are true.
7. Bordering Poland is 7 picturesque countries. What’s common between all of them is that they all fall in the Schengen territory. So if you aren’t already full of Poland, navigate around as you like minus any hassle of border controls.

Higher education in Poland

As in most European countries studies in Poland is subject to the Bologna process protocols .

Mode of teaching is most popularly English followed by Polish and other foreign languages.

In your checklist

Tuition fees for state universities:

A lump sum of EUR 3000 per year for:

1. Doctoral, PG and specialist courses
2. Scientific, Artistic, specialist and habilitation internships

EUR 2000 per year for :

1. vocational higher studies, master’s and pg programmes
2. language courses including Polish

Private HEIs(higher education institutions)

• EUR 8000-12000 per year for medical and MBA programmes
• EUR 2000-6000 for all other programmes

On an average, regular students must keep aside a minimum of 300-700 euros as monthly living expenses apart from tuition fees. You can opt for lesser priced dormitories at university over private rooms for your long stay in Poland but remember to book it down well in advance if you want to ensure getting one. Dormitories come around 55-100 euros and private rooms cost 120 euros at the least.

Another area where you can expect to slash rates are medical care and public transport by flashing your private insurance policy and Polish student card respectively. The latter however is limited to students below 26 years.

If you intend to manage costs by working part-time, know that Non EU/EEE students are given second preference on vacancies and only with a work permit at hand.

  And you’re ready to go….

A little east here and a little west there, Poland amusingly is a mini Europe.

The globetrotter will tell you that if you plan to discover Europe, begin right from here..