Orienting yourself in a new city, nonetheless a new country - can be tricky at first. I’m happy that I had friends that were older students that I could ask about everything - but I know that not everyone is as lucky! Here’s my survival guide to get around in first year!
Where to live?
To find a place to stay when you don’t know the system is not the easiest. People have different ways to go on about this - but the most common way is to move into the university's dormitories, and then find a place from there. In the dorm you will typically have 2 people in 2 different bedrooms, together sharing a bath and a kitchen. The application for the dormitory is usually sent to you after being accepted to the university, if not it can be found on their website. The dorm is very cheap - although if you decide to leave before the semester ends (depending on how long you wrote that you would stay), you will lose the deposit (around 500 zloty). You can still choose to leave at any time if it does not work for you. Mind you that it is also possible to apply for an alone-room at the dorms, or to have a double room to yourself (slightly higher price). Wroclaw is full of other dormitories available for students - although UPWr’s dormitory is rated to be one of the best ones. For other flats you can always check online. I’ll recommend joining facebook groups like “Rent a flat in WROCLAW”, or “Flats in Wroclaw”. The dorm costs from around 600 zl and up, while other flats prices usually range between 1000-2500 zl (per month).
Where’s my classes?
Most of the classes through vet school will be held in the university buildings B1-B4 and A3. It might sound easy when you see the picture, but it can be a hassle in the beginning finding all the classrooms, and I recommend for the class to make a group chat. The main building (A3) has several entrances, leading to a lot of different classrooms and parts of the university. You’ll have the main entrance, but also 4 other doors around the same building which leads to different parts. The gym, biology, and the anatomy buildings can be found next to the university’s dormitory (Raj). The university also has 2 more parts that lie quite far away; one of them “Swojec” you might visit in later years when you have bee diseases.
Where to get my school equipment?
During the first year, the amount of needed medical equipment is rather limited. Books and pens can be found at any shopping mall - for example Pl. Grunwaldzki right next to the university. Same goes for computers and memory sticks, and other electronics. Lab coats, scrubs, glasses, gloves and similar surgical equipment can be bought in a shop fairly close to the university called Cezal! Otherwise the university also sells scrubs and lab coats with the university’s logo on it once a year.
What can I bring to class?
No food or sugary drinks are allowed in most classes, though in lectures you can bring a bottle of water. Generally you can bring writing material and your Ipad/computer to most classes, but in some labs they might deny bringing electrical devices like computers. Dogs are generally allowed in all lectures, but not in labs (although some teachers may allow dogs in labs too). For labs make sure to bring what the teacher sees as useful; always bring LAB COAT to labs.
Where to eat lunch?
You will not always have a lot of time to go out to buy lunch in between classes, so sometimes you may consider packing lunch. But sometimes you will have half an hour - 1.5 hour to eat lunch, and then you have quite a few options that are close to the university. You have several food shops with pre-made foods, or something more fancy over at Pl. Grunwaldzki's food court. The closest places, though, is either the university's food hall (located in the main building), or just across the street at Cynamon bar. In both the last mentioned ones you can pick what you want on your plate from the buffet and weigh your plate at the end - and you will pay for the weight. They are both pretty cheap.
Where is Dean’s office?
The Dean's office is the main office where you can get a sticker for your student card, or otherwise fix other papers necessary for the university. It is located on the 2nd floor of the A3 building (both the polish and the english one). Beware that it has specific opening times.
What websites do I need to know?
Generally the teachers will send out which platforms they will use for different things. You can find a lot of info on their main website, some subjects might be found on Google classroom, or on CKNO, some tests might be on testportal, and your grades and dormitory payments can be found on USOS. I also recommend following the university (UPWr) on instagram and facebook for updates! And hey make sure to join in on our football group on facebook to join our “football sundays”!
Restaurants and clubs?
Restaurants can be found all over Wroclaw, although a lot of the clubs and restaurants are located in Rynek (the old town)! We also have what we call “The party street” at Niepolda near Rynek.
How to write emails?
Teachers and professors have a much higher status in Poland than where I come from, and emails are to be written in a formal form. When writing a formal email to a teacher or a professor, make sure to start the email with “Dear sir/madam/dr/prof..” and end the email with something like “best wishes/regards..” and then your full name.
Where can I print out stuff?
Don’t have your own printer either? Don’t worry! There are several places around town where you can go and get your stuff printed for a cheap price. You can for example stop by Grunwald 24 which is close to the university.
What about transport?
Wroclaw is generally an easy city to get around in. Personally I am a huge fan of biking. Bikes can be bought at sports shops (but you generally don’t want an expensive and nice bike as bikes are stolen quite frequently here). You can also get a secondhand bike cheap at “The gypsy market” that is held on the weekends close to Auchan by Psie Pole. Public transport is also very easy to use in Wroclaw, where most trams go every few minutes. If you want to know which trams to take you can always check on google, or you can get the app “Jakdojade”. Each ride costs about a zloty or two - if you find yourself taking public transport often you might consider getting yourself a “season card” for the transport. This can be filled in on your student ID at shops close to the university (a tiny office across the road from Grunwaldzki). Generally for getting around in Poland - there are cheap trains or you might consider utilizing “Flix bus”. Remember that if you can’t find your flight from Wroclaw, you might find one from one of the neighboring cities (Krakow, Berlin, Katowice etc).
How to get a temporary residency in Poland?
This is generally a bit of a tricky process, depending on where you come from. For Europeans, it's obligatory to register your stay after 3 months of stay in Poland and for non-europeans after 30 days of stay. When you register your stay, you will get a PESEL number - a sort of polish registration number which is used for a person's verification in various Polish institutions. If you need to go through the process, though, this is what you need: (You might get these things directly from the dorm when you check in)
Apartment contract (that is booked far into the future) or a dorm confirmation of residence
Fill out THIS paper
Passport (not a copy)
Application for a PESEL number
They do not always speak english there so it could be an idea to bring a translator
I recommend booking a time so you don’t have to go there and wait for hours. Booking can be done HERE. They will give you the address and when to meet. When you go there they will give you further instructions of where to pick up your PESEL.
I hope this make you feel slightly more prepared for your arrival in Wroclaw. Best of luck on your journey!