Report on Erasmus+ program
Of Elena Klimova, the first participant from MPEI,
Student of ITNPE who visited Wroclawska Polytechnika in her 2 year of the Master course
in spring 2016

I've been to Poland for studying on Erasmus+, it is a program of EU upon exchange of students and teachers between the Universities of Europe and other countries, including Russia. During the time of studying one can find friends from Portugal, Spain, India, Italy, France, Turkey, Ukraine and Belarus.

Wroclaw University of Technology impresses by its size. Main buildings that form the Campus are consentrated in one place. The hostels are a little farther, as well as the architects’ and chemists’ buildings.

Some subjects from the Learning Agreement were unavailable because of missing a teacher or schedule, but I instantly received the substitutional ones. Moreover, I could choose the subjects, language and disciplines from other faculties and manage your timetable in the first two weeks if something is unsatisfying.

Education itself is similar to Russian: lectures, seminars and laboratory practice. All the schedules, marks, special messages or notifications are in the JSOS system that is available for all the students and teachers.

The campuses are situated in 15 minutes walk or 3 stops on tramway nearby the university. The conditions disappointed me first, but I got used to them. Four rooms were connected by the narrow corridor with the WC. There were other hostels next to us, and in them the conveniences were much better in design and furniture features.

Apart from the study, in Polytechnika the students’ life is in its blossom. The international students’ organization ESN that is represented in the majority of European Universities, is taking care of the students’ leisure time.

On the first week after getting acquainted with the University, when we were being told about the education, we were involved in interesting events: games, picnic, parties. During the semester the events like trips to other cities, rafting, football, volleyball, sightseeing were available for the students.

But the most wanted feast for all students of Polytechnika and Wroclaw in general is Juvenalia. It is a students’ festival for 3-4 days.

The first day there was a BBQ party. All the students gathered near the hostel on a grass and cooked sausages. And after the twilight, the laser show was projected on the windows of the hostel, colorful and amazing, though the building itself was common and modest.

The next day, the parade was starting right from the University, with a multitude of participants: the costumes of fairies, trolls, Egyptians, monks, blockbuster heroes, robots, pizzas, bathrobes, some make a collective disguise, like a train or a dragon. Such a variety and fantasy feast! And then all this masked crowd goes to the hostels, where a great party and a concert are held.

Wroclaw is one of the biggest and most beautiful cities of Poland, very much like Prague in the Middle ages, with the masterpieces of architecture of all ages.

The Oder river, on which the city is based, forms many branches and channels, and is spanned by more than 100 bridges. Many green zones and parks give a special charm to Wroclaw. One can have a picnic or rent a bike that is not expensive at all.

Cathedral Island is an awesome eldest part of the town, and on the Marketplace, one of the biggest central squares in Europe, there are a Town Hall, monuments and a fountain. The whole square is surrounded by multicolored houses.

Small bronze gnomes are one more particularity of Wroclaw. They began to be installed in 2001, their number continues to grow and now totals about 270.

The places of gnome habitation sometimes attract true sightseeing tours.

The friends willing to go to Wroclaw on the next year asked me, should they go to or not. My response is that they definitely should. Apart from the precious experience of studying abroad, communicating with foreign students and teachers, it is a perfect chance to see other countries, live in Europe and receive a lot of positive impressions.

Thanks to MPEI! Thanks to Erasmus!