Study /
Where to study IT - average French school, or one of the best in Poland ? [5]
Hello!
I know this is a forum mostly for foreigners discussing the way Poland is, not necessarily for Polish people themselves. I have read some interesting discussions here, so I'd like to talk with people who have both knowledge of Poland and western European countries (in this case France, I guess).
Soo... My situation: I'm currently at exchange program in one of the engineering schools in France. Before, I have studied for two years at one of the top IT courses in Kraków. I think about staying in France, but at the same time I also think about coming back to Poland.
In my opinion, the French school I attend is a lot more richer than Polish one. They have a lot more toys, a lot more equipment than what we had in Poland. But also it's a lot less.. hm.. demanding ? For example professors do not require that we'd be on Travaux Diriges or Travaux Pratiques (equivalent to Polish "ćwiczenia" and "laboratoria", more or less). There are less courses per semester, (5-6, in Poland 7-8). And I think the knowledge required from us is not that high. Though instead of having few tests during the semester, and 3 attempts at passing an exam, there is only one middle exam and one final exam per course in the French school. Personally, I think it's better to demand more from students and give them more attempts to pass the exams, than to demand less and give less chances.
The other pluses of the particular French school: For two semesters, you go for paid inter ship. French companies are obligated to pay a minimal amount of money to interns, but it's usually only enough to cover cost of living. Less demanding studies mean more time to do stuff in your free time (for example your own projects, which can make you more attractive to potential employers). Also, you can choose your own courses.
The pluses of the Kraków's course ?: About 30-50% of students are able to find a part-time IT job during their third year of studies (The bachelor of engineering takes 7 semesters). More knowledge, but less free time. More theoretical approach - which I found helped me doing more practical courses in France.
And there are things related to living in France or Poland.
In France, without finding a part time job, I won't be able to have enough money for living. I can get support from my family, but I'd rather avoid that - this would cripple them a bit.
And even though in France people get paid a lot better than in Poland, I probably wouldn't be able to save money for future until I finish my studies and go to work 5d 8h. In Poland, if I'd manage to find a part-time job in IT, I could probably save up to 500PLN per month, which is like 125 euros.
And the last thing... If I return to Poland, I will probably have to extend my bachelor by one year, to do the courses I didn't do during the third year. Bachelor of Engineering in 4.5 years.. hm :/.
By staying in France, I could obtain their Ingénieur title, which is equivalent to Polish magister. That would mean staying 2 years here, and this title would be obtained in total 5 years.
So, my question is - what would you do in this situation ? Is there something else I should think about, which I don't know of ? If you have experience with Polish or French education system, could you share with your observations ?
If someone has any questions about the education system in Poland or France, I'll try to answer.
