Study / Warsaw School of Economics vs Jagiellonian University [10]

What do you want to study? At what level? What programs are you thinking of? What is your educational background? What do you plan on doing with the degree you earn in Poland? Where are you from (citizenship)? How old are you? Do you speak Polish? Do you have any pertinent experience in the field? How do you plan to pay for your studies and stay in Poland? Why, of all places, do you want to study in Poland? The more generous you are with information about yourself, the more useful the answer you will receive. You've provided so little, that no one can even give a general answer.

Life / Racism & study with part time jobs in Warsaw ? [53]


Based on the attitude you showed in your question and answers above, I don't think you will be comfortable in Poland, and Polish people will not be comfortable around you. Sorry, but I just don't see anything that would make me think that you could find a home in Poland. You're better off staying in Africa, as you seem to say yourself. Poland just ain't in your future.

Study / Which is the best university to study international/european law and international relation in Poland? [29]

Pretty much a waste of time studying international relations as a foreign student anywhere in Poland. What do you hope to do with the degree? Flip burgers at McDonald's? Stock shelves at Tesco?

Sorry, but international relations is a useless field of study unless you are a top student at a top school, as practically all "humanities" fields are (the fields that don't have lots and lots of math). Study something useful with lots of applied math so that you will be able to find a job in the future, support yourself and your family and enjoy life. Something useful like petroleum, geological or biomedical engineering, econometrics, actuarial sciences. financial mathematics or financial engineering.

Math is money, kid. Learn that lesson now, or spend the rest of your life parking the cars and polishing the shoes of those who do learn. The choice is yours.

Work / Software Engineer in Wroclaw. Reasonable salary for this position? [16]


I missed that. Sorry.


That's about 7250 PLN gross a month (not 8000). 5000 PLN a month, or 1250 Euros, after taxes. As a single young male, you can live comfortably, albeit modestly, on that much and have a little to save each month. Not much. About 250 Euros a month. Your goal of 400 Euros a month is a bit optimistic, and would require discipline and sacrifice.

A modest one-bedroom apartment near (not in) the city center will cost about 475 Euros, rent, estate fees and all utilities included except telephone/internet/TV, which should cost you about 25 Euros or so. A studio is a bit cheaper, about 400 Euros all inclusive.

Your city transit card will cost about 20 Euros.

Food and household supplies will cost you 200 to 300 Euros a month, less if you cook Polish staple foods at home, more if you eat out a lot.

Entertainment, recreation, continuing education, travel and big purchases like clothing and electronics are all wild cards. Depends on your lifestyle, taste and expectations.

That's about 800 to 1000 Euro right there. Leaving the rest for savings. At the 6400 gross they have offered, you would have to be extremely disciplined and frugal indeed to save up anything substantial at all. Like I said, your savings potential will be modest, at best.


I just pointed out the biggest disadvantage of working in Poland. You'll have to decide whether it's worth it for your personal reasons. No offense taken, of course.


I'd do no such thing.


I agree with frd that this is at the low end of the normal range. You might have some ability to ask for more. You have to decide if it is enough for you to achieve your plans and goals.

Work / I know 4 languages and am moving to Warsaw by next year, jobs advice? [25]

Oh, yeah! Poland is the land of milk and honey for unqualified, inexperienced slackers and flunkies. All you have to do is speak a foreign language and, of course, you get a fat paycheck.

Earth to Romek! Earth to Romek! Come in, Romek!

Work / I know 4 languages and am moving to Warsaw by next year, jobs advice? [25]


Get real. He would certainly not qualify as either. He's a flunky, pure and simple, and will be paid accordingly. Nobody's going to pay him premium wages because he has nothing premium to offer. At all.

Work / I know 4 languages and am moving to Warsaw by next year, jobs advice? [25]


There's no need to attract unqualified, inexperienced native speakers to do a monkey job because there is already a good supply in the country as it is, and wages like 4000 PLN gross are attractive to them. Like I said, there is no desperate shortage of Spanish native-speakers in Poland, unless they happen to have heavy-duty qualifications and experience, which the OP doesn't.

The OP, like gazillions of other Spaniards, has limited, non-specialist IT knowledge and zero IT experience besides help-desk work, which is not worth much in terms of negotiating wages. Why, in God's name, do you think they can expect as much as an experienced technical specialist? What could possibly make him worth "attracting" to Poland, from an employer's viewpoint?

Work / Software Engineer in Wroclaw. Reasonable salary for this position? [16]


That's less than a ten percent difference. Apparently, that is all they value you at. Actually, I would find a revised offer like that more insulting than sticking with the original offer. Maybe they are testing you to see how much of a sucker you are.

The thing that is going to hurt the most is the huge drop in savings potential in absolute dollars. You'll be earning a measly $20,000, or 14,000 pounds a year.

Personally, I can't see why you think it would be worth it. And most Polish engineers would agree. That's why so many of them emigrate to the UK, and not the other way around. But then you said you have your own private personal reasons, so you will have to weigh matters and decide if it's right for you.

Work / I know 4 languages and am moving to Warsaw by next year, jobs advice? [25]

I started and ran the largest weekly social gathering for young tech and science people in Wrocław for six years, so my engineering and tech network is huge, and even included Spaniards who work in technical support at HP. And no, I am not confusing local wages with foreigner wages. 4000 gross is the most the OP can expect. If that.

Work / Has anyone had experience of teaching with Berlitz Poland? [20]


It's not easy for Americans and Canadians to fine work unless they already have a residency permit and can work as independent contractors on "garbage" contracts. You can't get a residency permit without a real full-time work contract, and few employers are willing these days to go through the hassle of applying for a work permit, especially for an unqualified and inexperienced non-EU citizen.

And translation work is probably out of the question, too. Without a college degree and experience in an area of specialty, they have little to offer besides the fact they are a native speak who knows Polish. I can't see any agency going through the trouble of hiring them full-time for generic, non-specialist translating.

Work / I know 4 languages and am moving to Warsaw by next year, jobs advice? [25]


Those that are bringing in 6000 a month sure are.


And they earn substantially less. 4000 a month, tops, or even less. Why in God's name do you think that they should earn more? It's a monkey job. Monkey jobs get money pay.


Get real. Call center experience might mean something in terms of landing a job, but it doesn't fatten your paycheck any (unless it's highly advanced). And Spanish speakers with basic IT knowledge are not in desperate demand in Poland.

Work / Software Engineer in Wroclaw. Reasonable salary for this position? [16]


Not at all. You would be foolish to settle for 6k. And you're right. Wrocław is not much cheaper than Warsaw.

Work / I know 4 languages and am moving to Warsaw by next year, jobs advice? [25]


That's correct. But the operative word is "technical". The OP says that his IT skills are basic/intermediate, so that rules out the higher paying specialist troubleshooting jobs you are talking about and leaves the lower paying "just read the friggin' script" jobs the OP is likely to get without advanced and specialized IT knowledge and experience.

And I didn't "scare off" the OP. I just made him aware that much better options exist elsewhere, and that his time would be spent more wisely pursuing those.

Work / Software Engineer in Wroclaw. Reasonable salary for this position? [16]



It is. Hardly worth coming to Poland for so little.


Pretty much the minimum to make it worthwhile for a single male. Forget about it if you are bringing any family along. However, unless you have management experience or experience with exotic subjects, they are unlikely to offer you this much. You can try, but don't be surprised or disappointed if they say no. After all, 8,000 PLN a month comes out to a lousy $25,000 US, 23,000 Euro or 17,000 pounds. Hardly something to be thrilled about.

My advice is to seek employment in a richer Western or English-speaking country. Earnings, saving potential, career advancement and job satisfaction are much higher than in Poland. On the other hand, cost of living relative to wages is high in Poland, especially in the big popular cities of Warsaw, Kraków and Wrocław. More than anything, savings potential should be your prime concern.

Also, don't think of Poland as a "back door" to the richer countries EU. If you can't get in through the front door, beef up your qualifications at home and try again in a year or two.

Work / Has anyone had experience of teaching with Berlitz Poland? [20]


Berlitz is NOTORIOUSLY cheap. The normal rate at better schools is more than double that, even triple, so what they are offering is just plain atrocious. Forget about it and look elsewhere.

As a rule, though, there are not to many opportunities for non-EU citizens. It's much easier to hire people from the UK and Ireland. You'd be lucky to find work in the lousier schools like Callan, Avalon or Direct Method schools and Berlitz, where the wages are low and working conditions are poor.

Sorry, but the opportunities for teaching in Poland for unqualified non-EU citizens have long dried up. That ship has long sailed. Even for EU citizens, it is less attractive because wages have stagnated while the cost of living has continued to rise.


Probably not. You will almost certainly be expected to contribute for your room and board. About 1500 PLN would be fair. Poles do not abide parasites or freeloaders.


Not by a long shot.

Life / Where can I find English books in Lublin? [13]

The period of immorality and wanton debauchery that proceeds the end of the world, when men with scruples will be rare as hens teeth. Parody of fundamentalist Christian speech, used here for humorous effect.

Life / Where can I find English books in Lublin? [13]


Or download pdf's from the internet. I haven't bought a paper book for reading for fun in ten years now, and even most of the technical books I need are available for free on chomikuj, torrent or emule. Aaaaarrrrgggghhhh! I'm a pirate! But if you still have scruples in these end times, there are plenty of places where you can buy legitimate e-books for very little money, or even download them legally for free.

Work / I know 4 languages and am moving to Warsaw by next year, jobs advice? [25]


Frankly, no. Back office work would pay half of that, or less, and without being able to speak Polish, is pretty much out of the question.

Like I said, the only thing that would pay more is advanced programming. Without Polish and Programming, 4000 PLN would be the upper limit, and you could possibly make less than that.

In any case, your life during your years of study in Poland are going to be lean and fun-free, especially with a job like working in a call center. Warsaw is an expensive city, and it will break your heart when you see people all around you having fun and spending lots of cash when you have to think twice before making a major purchase like a hot dog.

You really have to rethink this because earning potential in Poland is abysmally low in Poland compared to the cost of living, especially in Warsaw. Also because the degree you get will not be worth very much. There are more realistic options elsewhere, as Rozumiemnic pointed out. One of my former students is studying in London and funding his studies and living expenses by working part-time as a waiter.

And consider a higher-earning subject to study than IT, as I said above. You, your parents and your children will be glad you did. If you're going to suffer and agonize about spending the few pennies you have in your tattered pocket on a lousy hotdog, it might as well be for something that enables you to feast on steak and lobster in the future.

Work / I know 4 languages and am moving to Warsaw by next year, jobs advice? [25]


Yes, but you would have to pay for it.



Yes, you would be able to get a job in a call center.


About 4000 PLN monthly brutto is about the best you can expect, unless you have some rare, highly technical expertise. Your French and Catalan will not be too salable, but your Spanish will be, and your English will allow you to function in a call-center environment.

4000 PLN brutto is about 2600 netto. Probably not enough to live comfortably in Warsaw and pay for school.

You are unlikely to earn more unless you are a pretty advanced programmer or have a masters in engineering.

I would strongly advise against studying at any of the private schools. Study only at the University of Warsaw or the Warsaw University of Technology (Politechnika Warszawska). Generally, degrees from private schools are worthless even inside Poland, and worth even less outside of Poland.

Also, evening and weekend studies are held in lower regard both inside and outside of Poland, as are courses taught in English.

You would be much better off studying full time at a good school in Spain or the West, and picking a program that is more likely to land you a better paying job like petroleum, geological or biomedical engineering, econometrics, actuarial sciences, financial mathematics or financial engineering. Take a year off to brush up on your math before you start. Talk to your family about financing your studies.

Travel / Warsaw and nice cities in the neighborhood worth visit - travelling by train [6]

There's nothing worth seeing in Skierniewice. At all. (I used to live there).

Try £owicz, with Arkady and Nieborów. Very, very pleasant and can take up a full day or more.

Otherwise, £ódzkie is by far the least interesting province of Poland as far as tourism is concerned. Astounding bereft of anything of touristic value.

You might also try Żyrardów, but only if you speak Polish and are into the history of planned industrial towns. If so, it's quite fascinating and can keep you occupied for a day. If not, there's nothing there for you.

Work / How to find work in Warsaw "if u don't speak Polish" ! [176]



I've lived in both Germany and Poland, and Denmark, as well, and speak all three languages well. Yes, it is difficult, if not impossible, to be "part of society" if you don't know the local language, and read extensively the local literature and press. You can survive, that's true, and maybe even live relatively comfortably. More so in Denmark than in Poland, but without deep knowledge of the local language and culture, like history, politics, geography and literature, you will be most certainly an outsider.

This doesn't mean that you will not be able to make friends, especially among younger students and educated people. But you will be limited in whom you will be able to communicate with and in understanding the significance and context of events, happenings and other social phenomena that, in a conversation, the other party would just assume you know already.

Knowing the local language, culture and literature well put you on a whole different plane of existence than those who don't.

Work / Moving to Poland to work installing fire sprinkler systems [8]


Sign a five year contract for an oil company in Alaska, Scotland, Norway or the Gulf, and then you could retire to Poland and live off the interest on the money you saved. Or you can work two or three months on an oil platform and spend the rest of the year on vacation in Poland.

There's precious little reason to earn money in Poland if you can do so elsewhere. The wages are too low, and your skills, qualifications and union membership can bring you much more elsewhere.

Love / Do I need to be Confirmed in order to get married in the Catholic church in Poland? [41]


Have you thought about having the actual sacramental marriage done in the UK, perhaps in private, followed up by a public blessing ceremony in Poland for friends and family, which looks practically the same as a wedding ceremony?

A pastor in the UK is far less likely to pull silly shenanigans than a pastor in Poland, where many pastors act like little dictators. A pastor in Poland can pull all kinds of nasty stunts that can ruin your wedding, but there is little they can do if asked to bless an already-existing Catholic marriage.

Your friends and family don't have to be any the wiser. The blessing ceremony can be tailored to look like the "real" marriage ceremony.

Your baptismal certificate from the Anglican church is valid in the Catholic Church as well, but that has to be approved by your bishop so that it can be recorded, who should provide you with a document saying as much that you can present to the priest. This is done routinely and without any hassle in the UK. Expect a little more hassle in Poland.

Also, if you plan on getting married in Poland, a letter in Polish from a Polish priest living in the UK effusively attesting to your good standing and regular participation as a Catholic there would be a great help, especially if he is a pastor. Even better if he is your pastor. If you can score one from a bishop, all the better.

I have had two Polish friends whose weddings were ruined by ruthless Polish pastors, hence the caution.

Work / Salary for a senior software engineer in Poland [195]


Not likely that you will earn anything near enough to make monthly payments of that size. Harry's estimate of at least 14000 gross is pretty much spot on, as a minimum. Wages like that are reserved for top-level senior managers and administrators, and heavy-duty, highly experienced specialists in niche areas like HBase and SAP. Don't know if your DB2 qualifies.

If you have debts this high to pay, then Poland is the wrong country for you. Concentrate on finding a much better paying job in a richer country where wages are much higher.

Study / Would attending a Cosmetology school in Poland also allow me to work in the US? [9]


It appears that there is one thing that hasn't quite sunk in yet. As far as health-care related certification and licensure goes, California is not "the USA". It's a whole different world. It's hard for medical professionals from other states to get licensed in California, never mind from other countries.

As for foreign students studying medicine in Poland, they do it for one or more of three reasons: 1) couldn't get into medical school at home or a better country; b) couldn't afford it; and/or c) they think they can save time, like you.

If they want to practice in the States, they have major hoops to jump through, especially in California. It can take a considerable amount of effort, money and time to do so, so that it might well turn out that it would have been much easier, cheaper and faster to study in the US in the first place.

Law / My permanent residence card is being cancelled due to divorcing within 2 years of receiving it [19]


Chances are remote to the extreme that it will be granted.


It's his decision to make, in accordance with Polish law, of course. Your only chance is to convince him to decide otherwise, backed up by solid legal reasoning and evidence. And from what you described, there isn't any of either.

Basically, things are not looking good.

UK, Ireland / Polish songs for open mic in a Polish restaurant in UK [5]

Biały miś: youtube.com/watch?v=63JDDK-nRHc

Hey sokoły: youtube.com/watch?v=OVqIFguK20c

Study / Would attending a Cosmetology school in Poland also allow me to work in the US? [9]


MUCH more realistic than trying to find work in California.


Sorta kinda. Some states may have no state-specific requirements at all. In the others, the requirements for licensure/certification are pretty easy to fulfill, and enforcement is generally lax. California, on the other hand, is in a whole other class of its own when it comes to professional licensure and enforcement. No other state comes remotely close.

Study / Would attending a Cosmetology school in Poland also allow me to work in the US? [9]


It would be a complete waste of time. Nobody is going to offer you a job with sponsorship, least of all in California.

Sorry, honey, but California is not the place to go unless you have serious qualifications, and beauty school is far from that. It's a very, very tight job market at the bottom of the ladder because of undocumented aliens and the high cost of living. For unskilled jobs, you're probably better off staying in Poland.

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]

Volunteering is not part of Polish culture, at least nowhere to the extent as it is in English speaking countries.

Your best bet would be to try the Jesuit junior high school in Kraków:

KOSTKA Publiczne Gimnazjum Jezuitów
im. Św. Stanisława Kostki w Krakowie
ul. Spółdzielców 5
30-682 Kraków
tel +48 12 655 09 24

Academic director:
Józef Rostworowski
nadzor@kostka.edu.pl