10 TEACHING SHOCKS TO EXPECT IN POLISH EDUCATION

As international students we are pretty used to different systems of tutoring. In fact, the Nigerian in me was expecting a strict style of education in Poland as I thought the UK standard was what all countries in Europe adopted, my parents would even often say to me, "study hard ooo, their grading system is different abroad ooo", my heart will be doing gbim gbim. Alas, there was no cause for alarm. Although, I can't really conclude if it was just my school that was laid back or it was like that in most Polish universities. Anyway, I'm thankful studying in Poland didn't give me depression. However, as laid back as the education system was generally, there were some "teaching shocks" I didn't see coming, especially the gym lessons. If you are planning to study in Poland, these are some of the tutoring systems to look forward to. Enjoy 😉 

Photo by Severinus Dewantara on Unsplash

THE ACCENTS - 

This shouldn't necessarily be a shock as it is well known that Poland is not an English speaking country, but it is to serve as a reminder in case you were hoping it would be different. To add to that, lecturers in Polish universities are mostly from Poland and Ukraine, the universities have very few African, Asian or native English teaching staff. That being said, while the teachers nationalities weren’t entirely shocking to me, it was a bit difficult for me to adapt to their accent, in fact, it took a long while. However, that helped develop my listening and comprehending abilities. Today, I can boast of being able to understand the use of English in any European accent thrown my way. ✌🏿

MAJORITY OF THE LECTURERS ARE CONSIDERATE - 

I spent some of the best and most memorable times of my young life in high school. I loved high school so much so, that the thought of going to uni terrified me. It also didn't help that university lecturers in my country were famous for being overly strict and no-nonsense, stories from my siblings and elder ones around me, didn't soothe my soul either. So, I took this mentality with me when I travelled abroad to study. Unbeknownst to me, university teaching styles are relative. The lecturers are calmer and more considerate in Poland and most parts of Europe. You can freely discuss and agree to disagree with your lecturers, you have direct access to them either by email or their social media accounts. You can explain personal issues with them when you are having a bad day, they are generally understanding. This doesn't cancel out the fact that some of them might be strict in terms of their school work but behind all that strictness, there is a considerate fellow. Ergo, let not your hearts be troubled about your study in Poland, you will be fine 😊.

THEY DON'T USE THE TERMS "FIRST CLASS" AND "SECOND CLASS" - 

Those with the UK educational system will understand this point better. If your country uses the British system of education, it is to your understanding that when you graduate from university, your grade point average is classified into four categories, the highest being "First class honours" (70% or higher), followed by "Second class honours upper division" (60 - 69%), "Second class honours lower division" (50 - 59%), and "Third class honours" (40 - 49%). Well, don't expect to see these in Poland, after you defend your thesis and receive your certificate, expect to see something like "Good", "Very Good", depending on your GPA. In addition, your highest grade point is 5 rather than 100. So if you have a 4.5 or higher on your certificate, you get a "Very Good" and 4.4 to 4.0, you get a "Good", while lower than 4.0 - 3.0, you get a "Pass", less than 3.0, I believe that's a "Fail". It depends on the school really but endeavour to not get a "Fail", I believe in you 😍.

YOU ARE ALLOWED TO BE ABSENT TWICE - 

Yeah, speaking more on Polish universities being considerate, they understand that personal issues can sometimes get in the way of your studies. Be it apartment hunting, legal issues (residence card palaver), menstrual pain 🙈, break-up with a significant other or usual burn out. Therefore, you are given the freedom of being absent twice, from each classes you take, without any explanation. However, a valid proof or reason will be requested from you, if you need to be unavailable a third, fourth, fifth time or more. Please bear in mind that this rule depends on the school and the lecturer in charge of your course, but, majority approve of this, so don't panic.

YOU GET EXTRA OR FREE POINTS FOR BEING ACTIVE IN CLASS - 

This makes me feel bad for shy and introverted people. Nevertheless, most lecturers love it when their students engage with them in class, I mean who wouldn't. Imagine standing and teaching in front of a class filled with 20 students or more and all they do is stare at you, agree with everything you say, don't give their opinions on issues or don't even answer your questions, obviously they'll feel like they are doing something wrong, hence, the reason why some lecturers make it mandatory or give extra points to active students. As you are aware that the major rules for excelling in schools are "attend classes" and "pass your exams". Well, some lectures can decide to exempt very active students from writing exams, so you can decide to be active and skip writing exams or you can be inactive then write exams. 

Now, what qualifies one for being an active student? It's simple really. First and most importantly, you have to attend all classes in the semester and arrive early, you have to be engaging (agree to disagree with your lecturers - it shows that you are listening and that you care about what is being taught), ask and answer questions, even when you don't completely know the answer to the question, say what's on your mind, I have noticed that majority of them love that, so if you are the inquisitive and talkative type, congrats to you, you get a free point 😁.

SMOKING IS ALLOWED AT SCHOOL - 

Well, smoking cigarettes is legal in Poland, so I wouldn't necessarily call this a culture shock but if you were expecting that schools would be an exception in terms of smoking, you got it wrong. So don't be surprised when your lecturer(s) and class mates request smoking break. Albeit the exception is high school #obviously. 

YOU ARE PERMITTED TO FAIL YOUR EXAMS TWICE - 

That is pretty generous I must say, I know in most countries you are allowed to retake your exams for free after failing once. Poland being the academically considerate country that it is, lets you retake your exams twice for free on any failed courses. However, you would have to pay if you fail a third time, I believe the amount you pay is 200 EUR (not very sure, it might have increased). So please try as much as you can to do well in your exams, if you can't get 5 at least try to get 3.

GYM CLASSES ARE MANDATORY - 

I doubt if this rule applies to masters students but I know that those studying for a Bachelors degree must undertake physical education lessons once a week. It usually lasts for two hours or less and it's part of your semester curriculum. It is also not a course you can skip except you have medical issues. In case of medical issues you are required to show a proof from your doctor, if your medical records turn out valid, you will be assigned a classroom course.

NO SCHOOL HOSTEL - 

I believe with the exception of the UK, no other countries in Europe provide you with hostels on the school campus (correct me if I am wrong). I remember this being such a huge shock for me. Although, as much as the school doesn't provide hostels, they usually partner with and recommend accommodation agencies. But it is not a must to utilize their services, you are free to find housing on your own terms.

STATIONERY ARE NOT MANDATORY - 

When calculating university expenses, most parents and self sponsored students tend to add a huge budget for stationery, in fact some people are really particular about it. I know that in countries like Nigeria, having a complete set of academic stationery are important but to my surprise, it wasn't so needed here in Poland. Yes you should have your notebooks, textbooks and perhaps jotters but you might not be needing them a lot, depending on what course you are studying. Also, our lecturers tend to send us PowerPoint presentations of the previous day lectures via our class email, so you can decide to study with that instead of jotting things down. You can also write things down on your smartphone via the "note" application. Furthermore, thanks to Google, buying textbooks at exorbitant prices is no longer mandatory, if you look hard enough, you will find a free soft copy of the needed textbook online or in your university library. So in all honesty, you might not need to break a bank trying to buy school supplies, then again, it depends on the course you are studying.