Practical recommendations

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WWhile it is difficult to make a universal list of recommendations that could make a stay in Poland more comfortable for foreign students, it seems that the following could be helpful.

Regarding foreign students

„ Guidelines for preparing for the arrival in a foreign country

Students lack information at the stage of preparing for a stay abroad. They do not have clear guidelines on what documents they should bring, whether ID photos are required to prepare the documents, and how long it takes to receive them.

„ Faster scholarship payouts

Since a stay abroad makes it necessary to cover the costs of travel to the destination, accommodation, purchase of educational materials, public transport tickets, etc., the procedure for paying out scholarships should be facilitated and accelerated.

„ Information on climate and weather conditions

Providing reliable information on the climate and weather conditions in specific months as well as recommendations for the necessary clothing, would also facilitate proper preparation for a stay abroad. Though Poland is typically associated with a very cold climate, winters have not been too harsh in recent years and temperatures can get rather high even in early spring. Many students find themselves undaunted by low temperatures yet find it challenging to cope with the rapidly fading daylight in the autumn and winter. It would be advisable to prepare them for this and show them how to deal with mood drops caused by the lack of sunlight.

„ Off-campus accommodation

Students often decide to rent accommodation on their own, so it seems necessary to prepare a guide on renting apartments or rooms outside the campus, containing such things as addresses of websites or search engines for tenants, a list of recommended real estate agencies as well as templates of rental agreements in both Polish and English.

„ City transport

Before arrival, students should receive a detailed explanation of how public transport works, the types of tariffs as well as ways to buy public transport tickets and the locations where they can do so. Students should postpone purchasing season tickets as initially they often do not have a student ID entitling them to discounts, meaning that any discount ticket they hold is effectively invalid. It is also worth teaching them how to use local mobile apps (e.g. Jak dojadę) that facilitate moving around the city.

„ Local language – absolute minimum

Even though some students attended the basic preparatory language course, the classes did not meet their expectations and they still could not communicate in Polish. The absolute minimum that could make one’s stay in Poland much easier is the knowledge of the alphabet and the basic rules of reading in Polish, enabling e.g. the correct pronunciation of destination names and addresses, especially street names.

„ Language survival kit

Upon their arrival, students should receive some practical information, e.g. a survival kit in the form of a language guide. It would present the most common everyday situations in which the lack of knowledge of the local language can be troublesome, e.g. shopping, doctor’s appointments, conversations at the reception desk, renting a flat or purchasing public transport tickets.

Bilingual or multilingual instructions on how to act in specific situations, or sample phrasebooks with bilingual dialogues for various occasions, can be prepared during translation classes held as part of foreign language philology courses conducted at universities hosting foreign students.

„ Health service

Due to the problems with access to medical services, frequently mentioned in the interviews, it is crucial to provide a local guide explaining the rules of accessing the health service along with contact details of primary care physicians. It is worth attaching sample forms to be completed (e.g. a declaration of choosing a primary care physician) as well as informing students about the possibility of using paid medical care.

„ Providing a peer guardian

Providing a foreigner with a buddy who can help solve non-standard problems and show her or him around the university and the city is a very effective form of support in the first weeks of stay. Young Poles volunteering to perform such services may include them among the achievements that constitute grounds for applying for scholarships or awards.

„ Sharing one’s experience with other foreigners

It is worth encouraging foreigners who have been in Poland for a long time to develop informal guides on day-to-day life in a given city or provide relevant social media posts or videos.

„ Internet access

When abroad, one needs easy access to a free wireless internet connection.

This allows students to resolve most problems, including searching for any information they need as well as dealing with matters related to the course of study or living conditions. The role of the internet is also invaluable

in maintaining contacts with relatives in the home country who can support students emotionally at the initial stage of their stay.

„ Establishing local contacts

It is worth emphasising in guidelines and other information materials that making an acquaintance with a local person is the key to a fruitful and satisfying stay abroad.

Regarding university personnel

„ Training for all university employees to raise awareness of the needs of foreign

students

Employees of all levels and types of positions are advised to take part in training sessions aimed at sensitising them to the needs of foreign students and presenting forms of assisting and facilitating their stay in Poland. Such training may be effected through self-study (e.g. webinars). Training materials are available on the websites of EU-funded projects such as SOLVINC12 .

Attention should also be paid to university jobs that do not require regular use of foreign language skills. Respondents often reported problems in communicating with doormen at student dormitories as part of day-to-day interactions. Such employees should be offered basic training focusing on greater openness towards foreigners, and if necessary, developing the ability to use an online translator.

„ Transparent rules for assessing students and communicating with them

Students are very often unaware of the grading system with respect to the subject taught by a given lecturer. Lecturers with foreigners in their groups should provide a short note on the grading scale they apply and the tasks that the student should perform to be able to pass their subject. Such information is normally published in the syllabus, but foreign students do not always know how to find it – they need clear, concise guidelines. Students should also be well informed about how to communicate with the group outside of on-site classes. If the lecturer sends additional information, e.g. to the group’s e-mail, the foreigner should be included in the mailing list.

The developed materials should be available primarily online or in a printed form. It is worth involving both Polish and foreign students in their development to minimise the distance and increase the accessibility of the information provided.

12 A project aimed at solving intercultural conflicts in cooperation with students from different countries, cf. Online tool – SOLVINC: solvinc.eu