Questions about studying at UAM In Poznan ( US citizen )

Hello, I know this is a broad question, but I figured I need to start somewhere.

I'm 18, about to finish my first year of college in the States, however I have always been interested in Poland. I have family and friends in Poznań, although I was not born there; so I am mainly looking at Adam Mickiewicz University. I'm currently learning Polish and picking it up quite well, however I doubt I will be fully fluent till I'm surrounded by the language, is this a problem?

I have already sent an email with various questions. However through my experience of applying to college in the states, they take forever to respond.

I am looking for a place to start, I know I need a VISA, and in order to attain that I have to go to a consulate. But I am having trouble finding any sort of forms to apply with or requirements and I'm worried I will not meet the deadline in July. Furthermore, how would I pay for the tuition?

If anyone has experience and could help me get started I would appreciate it very much!

You said nothing about yourself: what you want to study, what you are currently studying and where, your grades, whether you want to pursue studies in Polish or English, what are your long-term life goals, etc., so nobody can give you more than a general answer.

My general answer is to forget about it. Higher education in the States is far superior to anything you will find in Poland, and studying in Poland offers few, if any, advantages. The programs taught in English are generally of very low quality, and are not worth the money. Student support is sorely lacking, and it a harsh, hostile and heartless every-dog-for-himself type of environment. Polish universities care very little about undergraduate students. Funding is very tight, and practical courses are abysmal. University bureaucracy is horrendous. I have never, ever heard anyone say anything positive about higher education in Poland versus more developed countries, and by far most Polish students and academics dream about studying, teaching or doing research in the West.

Oddly, I just sent a student I have been mentoring to Portland State. He's having a much better time there that he was at a one of the better Polish universities on the same level or better than AMU in Poznań.

Finding work as a student is very difficult in Poland. Doubly so if you are a foreigner. Youth unemployment is very high, much higher than in the States. Forget about university sponsored jobs. They essentially do not exist. Make your plans based on the assumption that you will definitely not be able to earn as you learn.

There might be some circumstances under which studying in Poland might be a viable alternative for you, but there are practically always better options available to you in the States. Ask yourself why you are thinking about studying in Poland, and what you expect to accomplish by doing so.

Check here general info about studying in Poland: study in poland. You have to 1st get accepted to Uni, only then you apply for student Visa. I think that you need to posses some Polish language certificate recognized in Poland in order to study in Polish as foreigner. Other option is to study in English and perhaps do master in Polish after you learn the language better.

It seems that UAM has some foreigners studying in Polish already, because they have full webpage of information about it:

rejestracja.amu.edu.pl/Strona/Matrix/kandydaci/cudzoziemcy

Have you read it?

@DominicB Thank you very much for being realistic! I apologize about that lack of information; the Portland I am from is in Connecticut. In high school I believe I held around a 2.7 GPA, I'm not sure if Polish Universities look at clubs and such; so I won't go into detail there. Currently I am holding around a 3.5 GPA, and by the end of this semester will have 21 credits. I haven't declared my major yet, as I decided to go to a community college for the first two years to get my general education classes done for cheap. If I were to study in Poland I would be limited to study in English, which I have a question about further on. After that I was planning on transferring to a large out of state university. The only problem I have with that is the insane cost (Would be $50,000+ per year). Community college is really disturbing. I'm learning things I have known since my high school and having to pay around $5,000 a year for them. Which I why I was considering studying in Poland.

However if what you said is true, and you certainly seem to know your stuff, it may not be worth it. Is studying English useless out there? I'm unsure of where you can go beyond the degree. Furthermore, is it similar to the states where there is student housing? Or are you on your own? I can't seem to find that on the website.

Again thanks for such a detailed response.

@monitor I have read that, the school has actually already replied to my email which is astounding. I'm used to waiting at least a week for colleges here. I wouldn't be able to use their study abroad program as my current college has absolutely no funding. (They just cut every single sport). I wouldn't be able to study in polish yet, so english would be preferred. Thank you for the link, I'll look more into that right now.

With a few very limited exceptions Dom is right on the money there.

@Harry Do you mean the classes are so poorly taught they are hard, or something along those lines? Also does this translate to a useless degree then?

It will be relatively easy to transfer those credits to another US university, while it would be nigh impossible to do so to a Polish university.


With a 3.5 GPA, you might qualify for a merit scholarship to an American University. Furthermore, you may well qualify for a needs-based scholarship, as well as student employment. All of that will not be possible in Poland, at all.

Here is a list of "good value" colleges in the US. There are plenty more lists like this on the internet:

kiplinger.com/tool/college/T014-S001-kiplinger-s-best-values-in-public-colleges/


Smart move, as long as those courses are recognized by the school you apply to in the future.


Most courses taught in English at Polish universities are a joke, and the degrees are of little value both in and outside of Poland. As Monitor rightly points out, there are some exceptions, but they are few and far between.


Not at all. It's not part of the educational mentality here.


Studying English is just about useless anywhere, and doubly so in a non-English speaking country. "Humanistics" degrees in general are a poor investment, unless you are a top student at one of the extremely exclusive and selective toppity top universities. That includes majors like art, music, performing arts, theater, cinema, languages, literature, philosophy, "soft sciences" like psychology and sociology, journalism, international relations, communications, political science, ethnic and culture studies, religion and theology, economics, business, "general studies", tourism, "pre-law" and the like. Basically, anything that appeals to the math-shy slacker.

The best predictor of future earning potential the amount of high-level applied mathematics you have taken. I know that young people don't like hearing it, but in the real world, math is money. Unless you're happy with flipping burgers at McDonalds or being a barrista at Starbucks for the rest of your life and spending your retirement working as a greeter at Walmart, seriously consider studying applied mathematics fields like econometrics, financial or actuarial mathematics, higher level accounting, engineering or hard sciences. It would be a better investment even if it meant taking another year at community or local state college to beef up your math and science basics before you transfer. Financial aid is also easier to come by for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) students than for humanities students. Unless you parents have left you a sizable trust fund that will last you for life, future earnings potential should be a very high priority. Ignore anyone who tells you to study what you love, and let the future sort itself out. It won't, and you'll end up hating what you studied with a passion.


Student housing is available, though the waiting list may be long and you're not guaranteed a place.

Yes, my credits are transferable to the universities I have been looking into here in the States. However most universities here are beginning to lose money to community college transfers. Which leads to them changing the names of the course or making slight changes to the curriculum. I found this out the hard way by talking to University of Connecticut about transferring. So I am not sure how long my courses will stay transferable. I appreciate the list of colleges! I'll certainly check those out.

Do you have any examples of exceptions of English degrees being useful?

I am more interested in psychology, which I would need a masters in if I do want to do much with it. I've been looking into science or math degrees but I can't seem to find a a topic that interests me to much. Not because it's hard, it's just never been my area of interest. I am however taking as many math classes as I can to keep my options open. However that's another topic.

Thank you again for the points you're making, it's a huge help.

That would be like giving examples of people who won the lottery. It's not a good idea to base life decisions on exceptions.


Not much more useful than English. The number of new grads in psychology each year exceeds the total number of people already working in the field altogether. Places for grad school are limited, competition is fierce, and there is less financial aid available than for STEM fields. Even with a graduate degree, finding a job ain't easy, and the lifetime earning potential is poor.


Best bet is to keep on looking. There is plenty to choose from. There is bound to be something that appeals to you.


Smart move. It'll make getting into a good school and getting financial aid a lot easier.

Also, take a course or two in critical thinking. One of the best time-and-trouble saving tools a student can have in their toolbox.

Ah! That makes much more sense now, chances are I will skip studying in Poland then; perhaps I'll look into study abroad programs in the future.

I am aware about the unsteady future in Psychology; this is the main reason why I haven't declared my major yet.

I'll continue the search for majors. Thank you again for being realistic, that's exactly what I was looking for.

I don't know about USA, but in Poland Psychology has no Future.


Did you really ask what you wrote, or rather if studying in English is useless?

In the US, with a masters you are able to obtain a certificate and practice as a Clinical Psychologist. With a PhD you have the possibility of teaching.

Overall, Psychology isn't very useful here either; especially not with a four year degree.

I was referring to studying English in Poland. I wasn't sure if studying there would make finding, for example, an English teaching job easier. Teaching has always interested me, but from the looks of it English teachers aren't flourishing in Poland.

Going to university to become an English teacher is ridiculous. You will spend more than you will ever earn. English teachers in Poland make about $8,000 to $10,000 a year after taxes. Very few make more, and not much more. Opportunities for English teachers have dried up a bit because of the financial crisis. For people like you from outside of the European Union, jobs are very scarce because few schools are willing to go through the hassle of getting work permission for you when they could hire someone from the UK or Ireland without the hassle, and few and fewer are offering real work contracts, opting for useless "garbage contracts" instead. So basically the boat has sailed as far as English teaching for Americans in Europe is concerned, Poland included.

Really, I can't see any demand for English majors anywhere. The only practical reason to study it is for your own amusement.

As for psychology, getting work as a clinical psychologist is pretty darn hard. And being an academic in a non-science field is a drag when you see all the best things going to the science departments and you end up with the scraps. Think very long and very hard about a career in teaching. It's not for everyone, and you really have to have a calling and talent to enjoy the job. Job satisfaction among teachers is notoriously low.

washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/02/21/u-s-teachers-job-satisfaction-craters-report/

Yet SOMEBODY out there has to teach the Poles English! It's a dirty job, but someone's got to do itLOL