International students stories

Hello, I’m Ricardo. I could not have chosen a better destination than what I chose which was a city in Poland called Kalisz. During my Erasmus+ course, I came across many people, namely teachers, our supervisor, the dormitory staff, among other people who have always helped me and guided me in the best possible way. My colleagues and I still managed to visit several destinations within Poland, such as Krakow, Warsaw, Sopot, Gdansk, and many others, which were good experiences that I will never forget.
Regarding the training part, everything went well despite the fact that we were in a pandemic season, the classes were all online, but even so we had all the help and help from our teachers. A big thank you for everything to everyone and I hope in the future I still find these phenomenal people who helped me so much.
To all students who are looking to have a different experience and go from Erasmus+, I strongly advise you to think about going to Kalisz in Poland.

The Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, Portugal

Hi, my name is Cătălina and I spent my Erasmus mobility in Kalisz. It was my first Erasmus experience and sadly it was during a pandemic but I was still able to enjoy it.

Kalisz is a small but lovely city and it’s in the center of Poland so it is easy to visit other cities. Poland is a beautiful country and has a lot of great places that I got the chance to visit.  I met a lot of students from different countries and it was  great to spend time with them and to learn a little bit about their culture.

Also the teachers were very nice and friendly, and even though the classes were online I enjoyed it and and I learned something new from everyone and of course a big thank you to Monika that was very kind and helpful all the time.

I’m really happy that I had this opportunity, I left with a lot of beautiful memories.  I think Erasmus is something every student should experience at least once during their student life!

Stefan Cel Mare University of Suceava, Romania

The Erasmus+ experience was a very good thing for me. I’ve met a lot of new friends and we had an amazing time together.
Poland is beautiful and so are the cities I’ve visited, besides Kalisz, like Krakow, Wroclaw, and Zakopane.
Above all, the quarantine, we’ve all been through, made us have a great time staying together and getting to know each other better.
I think it was the best way to spend the quarantine.

University of Vlora “Ismail Qemali”, Albania

It was a good journey and I will recommend for other students to come and visit this great city and to take part in the Erasmus+ in Kalisz.

Stefan Cel Mare University of Suceava, Romania

I am a physiotherapy graduate from Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University in Turkey. I came from Turkey to Poland for the Erasmus+ Programme. I had my internship at Regional Hospital in Kalisz. Hence, I could experience how the health sector of another country looks like. I’ve learned the differences between the Turkish and Polish health sectors. This allowed me to gain a different standpoint for my job. Before I came to Poland, Erasmus+ Coordinator of PWSZ Kalisz University helped me. I’ve had my dormitory set up before I even came here. After I came to Poland, I was brought to where my internship was located, where I had its details explained. My mentors in the hospital were very polite, helpful, and knowledgeable. I am very grateful to them, and I’ve had good relationships with them during my traineeship. I still am in contact with them. Life in the dormitory was nice. I’ve met new friends from other countries. We had school trips organized, which allowed us to see Wroclaw and Poznan. The university organized various activities for us. In short, the university took care of us. Living in Kalisz was beautiful. Kalisz is a beautiful city – quiet, tidy, and with nice parks. Life was cheaper than in other European countries. It was possible to afford living there with just an Erasmus+ scholarship. However, if you would want to visit other countries, you would have to save some money first. My friends and I traveled to Gdansk, Krakow, Prague, Vienna, and Budapest.
To summarize, the Erasmus+ life was unbelievable. I’ve had many different experiences and valuable memories.
I think everyone should participate in the Erasmus+ programme.
I wish that everyone has good things happen to them during the Erasmus+.

Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University, Turkey

Kalisz doesn’t have the Eiffel tower, but it has a huge Park Miejski to visit. You can find peace everywhere and people are very tolerant. Could you imagine, in another city, that the city president would meet the Erasmus+ students and give them a gift from the city?

My name is Mehmet. I was in Kalisz/Poland for nearly 5 months. When I arrived there for the first time, I was a little bit worried about the city. But later, when I went to my uni, I’ve met international coordinators Monica and Eva. They were very, very friendly and helped me and my friends fully. They prepared some tours for us to get to know Kalisz and Poland. They always have been taking care of our problems and needs. Because of these good people, I am very happy that I went to Kalisz.
Now I know more and more about Poland and Europe.
Thank you very much to everyone who’s been kind to us.

Mersin Universitesi, Turkey

My name is Kürşat, I’m from Turkey. I study at the of Osmaniye Korkut Ata University. I’ve been to Kalisz for six months. Kalisz is a very beautiful and peaceful city and I love it. I’ve met many different friends and had a good time.

Osmaniye Korkut Ata University, Turkey

Before my first the Erasmus+ in Poland, I was really scared. I used to stay near my family almost all the time. However, when I’ve come to Poland, I’ve realized that the people there are really friendly. Even those, who couldn’t speak English tried to help me at the train station. I’ve arrived in Kalisz and where I’ve met a lot of people from different countries and of different religions. Regardless, we’ve shared one trait – the common respect to each other. I’ve learned not to judge people based on their stereotypes. Despite being the only person from Bulgaria there, I’ve felt like I was the part of this strong, accessible, and friendly community. I’ve found a home in Kalisz,  and it will forever remain in my heart. This is the case mainly due to helpful teachers there. The international office was amazing, always helpful and reliable, particularly Manasterska PhD. She was always fair and kind, especially when she served the role of a teacher. I’ve learned something from everyone in that university. Some things were practical and nearly everyone was using some new and creative solutions. I believe that all of them were making a part of the complete whole of the university, and they’ve left a special mark in all of us. To conclude,  Kalisz welcomes you just the way you are. It doesn’t matter whether you speak fluently, or what you believe in. Each of the friends I’ve made at the Erasmus+ taught me new things.  So, I really can say that the Erasmus+ made me a better person.

Stopanska Akademia “D.A. Tsenov” Svishtov, Bulgaria

Hi, My name is Sırrı and I’m from Turkey. I was in Kalisz two years ago and I spent a really great time there. I promised myself to come to Kalisz again. As you know, studying abroad and living in another country, in a different culture is not as easy as it sounds but I felt like at home in Kalisz. The city is small that’s true but we found a lot of things to do together. You can find everything you need easily. The professors were so nice and always tried to show us more than our classes. They arranged some visits to local hospitals and other health centers. International Relations Office staff organized some meetings, trips, and other events for us. I’m really looking forward to visiting the city and reviving all the good memories again. Don’t hesitate to go to Kalisz!

Mus Alparslan University, Turkey