What do foreigners think about studying in Lublin, the atmosphere of the city, its inhabitants? Let’s take a short overview.
KUL, UMCS, and Medical University next to other universities in Lublin host thousands of foreigner students, and both parties seem to be happy about it! Yet, it’s a Janus-faced reality with outstanding achievements done by Polish Education System on the one hand, and serious developmental procedures to be carried out on the other hand.
On the bright side, educational institutions are mastering the art of being visitors’ hub with increasing numbers flock to the generous hospitable city -Lublin is the second city after Warsaw that hosts the biggest number of foreigner students. Students are satisfied with the cooperative and friendly methodology of teaching at the Polish colleges. Many of the polled students, after asking them about their opinions in studying in Lublin, answered that the social atmosphere is always a plus where they met zero anti foreigners atmosphere:
“The Poles can’t be nicer and warmer, they smile and help all the time”.
Carlos, age 22, KUL student (European Studies MA)
Actually, apart from isolated private incidents, this is exactly what every foreigner echoes when asked about tolerance in Lublin: Polish people are to be credited for their open hearts!
Yet, this pink picture bears its own downside where universities themselves need some infrastructural amendments. After EU accession in May 2004, Poland adopted the Western European countries educational approach hooking its facilities with cutting-edge technological devices. Projectors, touch-sensitive interactive screens, visual and audio gadgets are available in almost every university and even school. But some of the communist era’s leftovers could be traced as integrated elements inside those institutions.
“We barely say a word in the class, we sit for hours and teachers speak for hours, then we go home!”
Rami, age 26, Medical University student
Moreover, the complaints between students could be summarized as:
- TOO MANY EXAMS
- Prolonged attending hours
- Teacher-oriented methodology; students are passive receivers
- Everything is theoretical; we barely make a trip or go for any practical training related to our studies
- No athletic, musical or artistic activities. If you are studying philosophy, you learn ONLY about philosophy, law is the same, medicine is the same, there are no parallel activities.
Hence, as students, you may have your own say about this heated debate which you can share on this very blog. Do you go for praising your study here in Lublin or you would start a revolution against it 🙂
Assef Salloom