Why Poland turned out to be a real stroke of luck for Linda

Linda Radtke spent the winter semester 2022/23 in Poznan. She has had a great passion for foreign languages and other cultures since her school days, which is why Poland was not her first experience abroad. Although Linda actually had completely different plans for her semester abroad, she recommends Poznań University of Economics to anyone interested in studying abroad.

Unexpected things often happen: Linda initially prioritised Moscow and Paris among the more than 70 existing partnerships with renowned universities worldwide. ‘I was accepted for Moscow straight away, but due to the current circumstances, my idea of a semester in Russia was dashed overnight,’ she recalls. Linda was therefore quickly offered a place in Paris. However, she was registered for the Bachelor's programme there and would not have been able to choose any Master's courses or have them credited. ‘The registration deadlines had expired almost everywhere, which is why I could only re-register at a few universities,’ she explains her choice of Poznań University of Economics.

‘Really involved in life’

Linda gained her first experience abroad while still at school in America and then on her IBS Bachelor's degree programme in Spain. There, she only had contact with exchange students or other Germans, so she wasn't really involved in everyday life. It was very different in Poland: ‘I lived in a hall of residence and had daily contact with local students,’ says Linda, thinking back to shared cooking and games evenings. She also made contact with a ‘buddy’ at the University of Economics in Poznań before she arrived, who helped her move into the hall of residence, provided her with all the information she needed and made the initial period easier for her. Choosing a course was then very straightforward: Linda indicated in advance which courses she would like to attend and was enrolled in all of them directly. So things work differently than in Germany.

Residence, excursions and Polish food

Linda also remembers her exchange university as being very organised and structured in general: ‘If you choose Poznan, you don't have to do much planning because so much is taken off your hands,’ she says, citing just one advantage. For example, the 24-year-old was able to indicate during her enrolment that she wanted a place in a hall of residence - which was then allocated to her directly. There, she lived in a room with another student and shared a bathroom with two other students. Each floor also shared two kitchens and a large laundry room, making it easy for Linda to socialise. ‘I only paid 150 euros a month for the hall of residence and didn't have any stress when looking for accommodation,’ which contributed greatly to Linda feeling at home in Poznan the whole time. The student also liked the surrounding cities such as Krakow and Warsaw, so she often went on excursions by train with other students at weekends - because this is also super cheap in Poland. For example, the ESN (the Erasmus Student Network) organised a three-day trip to Krakow. The first day started with a city tour along impressive churches or the Wawel Castle with the Wawel Dragon. ‘On the second day, we visited the Auschwitz concentration camp. This was of course very depressing, but I would definitely recommend it for a trip to Krakow,’ reports Linda. The group left the city to explore the surrounding area. In the evening, however, they returned to take part in a pub crawl. Linda and her friends then made the trip to Warsaw on their own: here, too, they explored sightseeing spots such as the Palace of Culture. Linda remembers a visit to one of the many Bar Mleczny (milk bar) as a particular highlight. These can be compared to a German snack bar, so Linda was able to try typical Polish food at a very reasonable price. The special thing about the ‘milk bars’ is that they are traditionally a place for everyone, including politicians, artists, tourists, students and the homeless. Even today, they are still characterised by their retro-style furnishings and wall tiles, which are intended to reflect traditional cuisine.

Experience - even beyond her studies

Linda has been studying at UPB for a number of years - initially for a Bachelor's degree in IBS and now in her fourth Master's semester in Business Administration. The change enabled her to focus on marketing and further deepen her business skills. In her Master's thesis, she will focus on physical activity and would then like to gain a foothold in marketing. Physical activity is measured in Linda's Master's thesis using step counts. ‘Roughly speaking, an experiment will be used to investigate whether a certain treatment can increase physical activity,’ she says of her initial ideas. And in addition to her specialist knowledge, Linda's experiences abroad continue to accompany her: ‘I broadened my horizons and got to know so many people and ways of teaching,’ she says, recognising the benefits of a semester abroad - even beyond her studies. But what was Linda's highlight in Poznan? ‘What made Poznan special for me was definitely the people and the great atmosphere there. No matter where and when, there was always something going on in the city, so there was never a dull moment.’ So it's no wonder that Linda visited Poznan again in the summer to meet up with her Polish friends from her semester abroad.

What you probably didn't know:

• Poznań has a special St Martin's Crossaint, the Rogal Świętomarciński. This is one of the symbols of Poznań and is also sold at some stalls in the city outside of St Martin's Day. Interestingly, only certified producers are allowed to sell the real croissant, which is why the use of the name is very limited and cannot be used outside the region.
• If you look for souvenirs from Poznań, you will find goats everywhere. This is related to a tradition that can still be observed today: If you stroll across the market square, you will immediately notice the impressive town hall, at the top of which you can see two small doors. Hidden behind them are a pair of billy goats, which emerge every day at exactly midday and bump their horns while a trumpeter accompanies them musically.
• Poznań is known by the locals as the capital of the potato. The people of Poznań are so crazy about potatoes that they occasionally refer to themselves as Pyra, which is the regional word for potato.

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Insights into Linda's semester abroad in Poland