3 Golden Rules to choose the perfect university in Poland

The university is like a trampoline - if you push off well, you will quickly reach career heights ?

Interested in studying in Poland? In this article, we will tell you how to choose a university for admission, get a high-quality higher education and live a bright student life.

Each student sooner or later thinks about continuing his/her studies at the university. The first question which could arise is which university to choose. There are many selection criteria such as area of studies, subjects for admission, rating, location, etc. We hope that our recommendations will help you choose the right university.

Rule 1. First, choose a profession

Many of us start the application path with a search for a university, however, this is not the most crucial question here. The first question should be what to study, not where.

Think about who you are, what you’re good at and what you enjoy. This will help you choose career ideas that match your skills and interests.

In conditions of limited time for submission of documents, applicants sometimes have to "choose the first option available". And later 3-4 years of studying the area you are not interested in and spending energy on finding a job outside of your specialty is an unenviable prospect.

The right way to help you choose a university is to go through career guidance as early as possible. Definitely, it will not tell you the job which will bring you pleasure and huge money during the whole life, but it could show you the direction which is connected with your interests and skills.

Here you can find some of the free career guidance tests:

• https://www.123test.
• https://www.princetonreview.com/quiz/career-quiz
• https://www.careerexplorer.com/career-test/

Advice from the international student Anastasiia Pylypenko which is getting education in Poland:

“Focus on a subject that you like or, at least, the subject that does not cause difficulties for you. For me, It was chemistry. My dad works in the chemical industry, he often took me to the various chemical exhibitions. It really inspired me. Now I study at the Chemistry Department in Poland."

Rule 2. Make your own university rankings

Imagine the university of your dreams. What does it look like?

On the Internet, you will find many ratings of higher educational institutions in Poland, but only your personal one will give an objective picture.

Go to the web page STUYDYFINDER, put a filter by area of studies and write down the degree level and language in which you would like to study. You will see the list of Polish universities which have the study programmes matching your interests.

Most likely, there will be several dozen universities and institutes. Immediately cross out those that do not fit geographically (for example, you would like to study only in Warsaw) and then rank the list in more detail.

The selection criteria may include the following factors:

• Government or commercial
• Passing exam score or competition
• Effective teachers. It's great if the university employs doctors or candidates of sciences, as well as foreign lecturers.
• International programs. A must-have if you dream of a foreign internship or a double degree.
• Forms of study - full-time and part-time departments, distance learning and external studies
• Infrastructure - comfortable classrooms, modern libraries, laboratories, etc.
• Scholarship available. Financial incentives for good studies will help you quickly gain independence from your parents.
• Transport accessibility or availability of places in a dormitory.
• Student life – the presence of sports teams or research clubs, and extracurricular activities.

Select the indicators that are important for you and draw something like this table.

See which universities and institutes will gain the largest amount of pluses. This will provide you with a personalized ranking of universities, which will help you narrow your search and choose the most suitable institution.

Advice from the foreign student studying in Poland Pavlo Kubov:

“Do not only run for the most popular universities. Finding the best study programme matching your specialization is the most crucial, in my opinion. Ask people, research, visit university fairs, and you will definitely find it!”

Rule 3. Explore your favorite universities

The more you learn about educational institutions "on the shore", the easier it will be to sail through the waves of student life.

Information for choosing a university can be obtained from:

• NAWA Virtual Education Fairs,
• educational exhibitions,
• during the days of open doors of educational institutions,
• on the official website of the university,
• in groups of the university and faculties in social networks,
• on student forums and review sites

And also you can directly ask the questions and chat us on the social media pages of Ready, Study, Go Poland! Campaign.

And as a conclusion we add the comment from NAWA Digital Ambassador Eileen Mwalongo:

“Poland has also variety of choices of universities and a very good link with the Erasmus program that enables students to explore other education systems in Europe.”

Hopefully, you have found some useful tips for yourself in this article. 

Good luck in choosing your perfect university!