I want to move Poland from Chicago area and study.. Job prospects, cost of food, healthcare, other expenses

Hello everyone!

I am a young(18) college student (1st year) who lives in Illinois. I've visited Poland many times in my life because I have family there and I absolutely love spending time there.... the problem is that I don't really want to sign up for huge loans here for school. I want to go to a good university in Chicago but the cost is horrible! $45.000 a YEAR. After 4 years, that's $180.000, that's like a mortgage! I've considered moving to Poland in order to go to school before, but I was always scared that even if I take english classes at the university of £ódź I'll have a hard time because of two reasons. One is that the American language does differ from the English (UK) language. The way things are written and said is somewhat different, I don't know if it would be very tiresome to study in an accent that is different to me! I know Polish 100% fluently so I'm not worried about that. The second reason is that I don't know what it is like to actually go to a university in Poland, where will I get a job? How will I pay for food? Is food expensive? What about healthcare? Does Poland even allow taking out loans for school? I know NOTHING about what the living expenses are or school expenses. Yes, my parents can afford to send over SOME money but not too much. ($500) is that even enough? I would love it if someone could explain all these things to me, I tried researching myself but I don't trust the web, I would rather hear it from someone who lives there or has attended school there recently.

***By the way I would love to live there one day, it's been my dream to live there until I'm old. I love the lifestyle. Going to school there would help me learn more about my culture, I wouldn't be stuck here paying off several hundred thousand dollar loans.

Thanks.

One is that the American language does differ from the English (UK) language. The way things are written and said is somewhat different, I don't know if it would be very tiresome to study in an accent that is different to me!

the differences are miniscule - if you want to study in Europe cos it is cheaper, obvs some things are going to be different - as you are already complaining about the possibility of people speaking english in a different accent to yours, i would say that studying abroad is really not for you. Your 'culture' is American not European.

so why the problem with English ? after all you will be in Poland.

mmm guess she wants to study in English so it will be easier to get in and easier to do the course....?

@fiveforthedive

Nobody is going to be able to give you a useful answer because you have left out a lot of important information from your post, like:

1) are you a Polish citizen?

2) what do you intend to study?

3) where do you intend to study?

4) What are your grades like and what were your SAT scores?

5) you say you have family here. Will you be living with them? How much do you expect that to cost?

6) how much do you have to spend on your education? If the only source of money you have is $500 a month from your parents, then living and studying in Poland is probably not an option.

7) what kind of carrer do you expect to persue when you finish your education?

Now, some general observations. University course in English at Polish unviersities tend to be of poor quality.

Without exception, there is no university in Poland that could compare with the best universities in Chicago. If you think you are going to get an education as good as one at, say, the University of Chicago or Loyola, you are sorely mistaken.

You've created a false dichotomy. You're choice is not only between expensive universities in Chicago and universities in Poland. There are a lot of options open to you in the US that provide excellent education for very little money. It would be best to explore those options.

Getting a job in Poland is difficult, and the wages are very low, especially for jobs an unexperienced 18-year-old can do. It's incredibly difficult if you are not a Polish or EU citizen or resident (which doesn't mean just that you live here. It involves getting a residence permit, usually after having lived here for five years).

There are no school loans in Poland. At least none that you could possibly qualify for.

A degree from Poland is generally worth a lot less on the US job market than one from the States. A lot depends on the university and the program you study, of course, but this is generally true.

Poland, or at least some cities in Poland, is a great place to live if you do not have a job that pays well. Those are off limits to you until you get a good education.

Your information deficit is so great that studying in Poland starting this fall is out of the question. You have A LOT of research to do, and you will not be able to make an well-informed decision on time for this academic year. Go to school in the States this year, even if it means attending community college.

Last of all, the differences between American English and British English are minor. Furthermore, the differences are way too small to make any difference when studying in Poland. Most Poles who speak English cannot tell the difference between the two.

First of all, if you cannot afford it (i.e. no scholarship), why on earth would you want to spend a fortune for an undergrad degree??? That just seems unjustified... I would agree with DominicB above: definitely explore your community colleges. You need to be able to get good grades there, decide on your major and look for ways do some research/internship, etc. to beef up your skills/chances, then apply for a transfer and a scholarship at a decent state uni... there is no need to get in serious debt for decent education. I know people with degrees from respected unis who work crappy jobs with miserable earnings, as well as those with majors such as sociology/history from no-name unis who managed to become very successful... at the end of the day, it is what you are able to make out of any given opportunity - educational institutions being no different... don't get the hype get to you...

You can survive on $500 a month in Poland.

I agree! A Polish diploma is not more than a piece of (toilet?) paper outside of Poland. There are too many mickey-mouse schools, attended a lot by 3rd world people as a cheap way to enter the UE and there is a big reputation in cheating in Poland. Poles who have money and who are serious about their studies go to the West as they know that western diplomas have more value. Why should an American or Western European or an Australian/New Zelander, for ex, come to study in Poland? No sense!

Not at all if you have to pay for school.

If you can handle poverty.

That's roughly 1,500 zloty a month. So it would be like living on $1,500 a month in the US. I lived on less. If you have no mortgage or rent and just have to pay for food and basic needs it's a livable amount.

Poverty wages.


Not really, but $1500 isn't great, is it?


Nothing to boast about.


Grown-ups do usually have to pay for somewhere to live.

wsb-nlu.edu.pl

you can get an American bachelors from National-Louis University and be an official student of that school in Chicago and pay ALOT less by living in Poland. Message me if you want more info, I've studied in a few different universities in Poland.

Agreed!


Is that a good thing?

1,500 PLN a month on top of fixed expenses like rent, untilities, and school costs would enable you to lead a very frugal, monastic existence. You might satisfy your basic needs, but not very much beyond that.

IF you don't drink, don't smoke and are young, single-and-not-looking, in excellent health and exceedingly self-disciplined, yes, you can do it. But it's going to be tiring and frustrating.

Eating out in a mid-range restaurant is going to be a special event. Same with going to the movies, or buying a book. God forbid if you have to go to the dentist or doctor, especially if it means losing time at work or having to buy expensive medications. Saving up money will be impossible, and you'll be living without a rainy-day fund. Travelling is out, as even a cheap day jaunt to a nearby city will be a major item on your limited budget. Buying clothes is going to require a lot of restraint. Food is going to be very basic, and you'll have to be a wise and frugal shopper.

Sure, it can be done, and lots of people do it. Doesn't mean it's going to be fun, though, because you'll be constantly worried that unexpected expenses will arise.

Hardly. That's over 350zl a week - which would go a long way for a student.


On 350zl a week? I think you must have a strange skewed view of costs in Poland if you think that those things are major expenses. A cinema ticket costs about 25zl, a mid range restaurant will cost about 50zl, a cheap weekend trip can be as cheap as 45zl for a weekend train pass...the list goes on.

Of course, you won't live like a king, but a student would find it perfectly easy to live on 350zl a week.

American student about her studies in Poland :

Poland has surprised me in a lot of ways. I'm surprised by how much I like the language and want to learn it, how the sun completely disappears in the winter time but the summertime has perfect weather with lots of places to walk to and outdoor cafes to sit with friends and have a cold drink. I'm surprised by how many historical places there are to see in Poland and how beautiful the Tatra mountains in Zakopane are (my favorite place). Also, I love all of the foods here that are different from the American food I'm used to, I love poziomki, pierogi z jagodami, and rosol.

A lot of truth and reason why you want to leave state and move down so low for study in Poland are missing. Well you can email me to hear more advise,

When calculating school costs, you shouldn't include living expenses as they are going to be the same whether you go to school or not. If you are serious about university join a national guard unit (one weekend a month, 2 weeks a year) and they'll pay your tuition. You'll get a monthly stipend which will help your living expenses and you'll graduate with very little debt and have an education, than move to Poland.

Not sure if you are familiar with the post high school academic process but there are such things as studying abroad and graduate school...

I very much recommend studying in Poland, Kraków especially. From my own experience, I've learned poles like to see the worst side of everything, and there'll always be two sides in a coin so just try to focus on what's good. I've fallen in love with Krakow. With the artistic vibe, the culture, and the charm of the city. Poland is currently the sixth biggest economy in the EU, it's a developed country with a very high HDI, it belongs to the west and it's about time poles realize that.

Anyway, the Jagiellonian University offers very good education and the tuition fees are just so much lower, it almost doesn't make sense to me why someone would study in America. The quality of life is great, one of the lower violence rates in the EU, and people are very friendly and open. There's a new BA programme of International Relations taught entirely in English at JU and it's supposed to be very good. Also, it costs only 3650 eur per year.

If you want to ask me anything else: raiany_silva@msn.com

And here's the link to the program:
sis.uj.edu.pl/undergraduate-programmes/international-relations-an d-area-studies/

(add)htp://ww. (t+w)

Do you know if they have a good business program??? Cause I really want to go their for a year to study abroad probably my senior year of college or might wait till grad school.

A programme that costs only 3650 Euro a year for non-EU citizens isn't likely to be very good.

Hello! I'm sorry I would send this as a personal message however I just registered and this is my first post so I can't send anything yet :) Also this is the first forum I've ever joined so please excuse me if I don't exhibit the proper etiquette ;D

I live outside of Chicago and will be moving to Poland to study in the fall! I will be in Lublin. I would like to be able have a chance to chat with you more about your plans!

Also, I wouldn't worry about the British English. I lived abroad for 6 months and most of my English speaking friends were from the UK. It was challenging for the first few weeks but you quickly adapt! It can be a lot of fun! Especially when they say something that sounds so outrageously wrong...haha :)