Moving into a new city and a new country is an overwhelming experience. You suddenly find yourself in a different environment, and there are so many places and things totally new – just waiting to be discovered. A fast-paced cosmopolitan city like Warsaw is a great place to study and enjoy the social life. Find out what some of our foreign students say about their stay in Warsaw and education at Collegium Civitas.
There are many parks, palaces, and leisure centers around Warsaw, so you will always have something to do during your time in the city or traveling around the outskirts of Warsaw. I recommend going to Jinn & Joy, a small restaurant a short walk from the Palace of Culture and Science that has a very unique vibe about it. I would recommend exploring the city on your own terms, find what you see the joy in and just do your own thing.
Erasmus student Mykola Blashkiv from Ireland
Warsaw has impressed me immensely! People, weather, forests, places – and the atmosphere as a whole – is incredible. I feel myself like “on my plate”. I found harmony and life balance, living here. Especially, I would like to highlight the places, which I fell in love with. There are so many cozy cafes, where you can not only eat but relax as well. Life goes smoothly, and you really enjoy being here. And my TOP-5 places are:
- Bułkę przez Bibułkę
- Charlotte Menora
- Escobar
- Elektrownia Powiśle
- El Chapo
CC student Zarina Saidrasulova from Uzbekistan
If you guys want to live in a vintage, tranquil and beautiful city with low living costs, Warsaw is definitely the most suitable for you. I enjoy every bit of my life when living here, it is a completely different culture from my country. People are nice, especially at the university, shopping malls and restaurants are great. In case you have a long, productive day at school or work, walking along the Old Town could heal your mental health well. Moreover, I would spend all my votes for Jinn & Joy, a very cool pub on Chmielna street, highly recommended.
CC student Viet-Duy Tran from Vietnam
Warsaw is a city full of blossoming creativity, a strong fashion, and while not endless, a solid list of restaurants, cafes and bars to explore.
SAM: I never expected to find a menu like the one SAM (Powiśle) has in Poland. Eclectic healthy juices, “fitness” omelletes packed with seeds, spinach and avocado or tabbouleh mezze plates, this makes a casual cafe feel reminiscent of what you’d find somewhere like London.
Hala Koszyki is a three-story market hall with international food stalls, bars and shops, and is the only market like this in all of Poland. Young people come at night, using the space to catch up with friends or, during the day, to grab a beer at the bar after work.
Ale Wino: Where to eat in Warsaw if you love wine? Ale Wino is a wine bar with a truly unique cuisine. Delicious, seasonal food at affordable prices. Also, Warsaw offers a unique opportunity to cross the city without ever leaving a park. Starting at the Citadel in Żoliborz and continuing all the way to Mokotów, the green walking and cycling trail is located on the Warsaw escarpment. All these cafés and restaurants along the way make for a great pit stop or two if your legs get tired.
CC student Anastasiia Paskar from Ukraine
Living in Warsaw has definite pros, such as most places are within walking distance, the trams, buses, and underground are easy to access and figure out. The city is one that you may not like at first, but grow fond of later. It is full of history and traditions. The people are harder to get to know than I expected, but Warsaw is a fun and easy city to live in. Students must visit Chopin’s concerts in Łazienki Park, would be my first recommendation. Old Town always has events and people around, which makes it a fun place to frequently visit.
Evelyn Stacey from the USA participated in CC internship program
My favorite street in Warsaw is Nowy Świat because it is a mix of an old town and a new cosmopolitan city, and there are so many interesting shops, restaurants, and stuff like that. But I also like the Old Town, the royal palace and the square, and for sure the small shops where you can buy huge waffle with fruit and chocolate!
Erasmus student Bárbara Álvarez Solanilla from Spain
Living in Warsaw is the best place I have ever imagined. It’s like the more I know about the place, the more I fell in love with the place . The people are so helpful and polite. There are so many great places such as interesting museums, Old Town, shopping malls, parks, sports clubs, a variety of delicious restaurants – if you are a student, you get a discount.
CC student Jargal Batchuluun from Mongolia
The semester I spent as a graduate student at Collegium Civitas in Warsaw was truly one of the best experiences of my collegiate career. I was able to study at ease in my native language, and yet still be immersed in the extremely unique and inviting Polish culture that surrounded me outside the lecture hall. The Polish students in our classes were quick to welcome us and help us in any way they could. Also, the staff and faculty of the small college provided a great resource for navigating the streets of Warsaw and the curriculum. Every faculty member I came into contact with was warm and amiable and genuinely wanted me to succeed. When studying at Collegium Civitas, I was also given the opportunity to take an intern position at a local NGO. The Academy for the Development of Philanthropy in Poland gave me a place to put my skills into practical use. I was given a broad range of tasks to do, from research and editing to translation and helping with presentations. I also made contacts in the professional world that I never would have made had I not been given the internship. All in all, my time in Warsaw studying at Collegium Civitas has proved to be one of the most developmental periods of my life educationally, professionally, and nearly in every aspect of my life, and I am very grateful to have had this wonderful experience.
CC student Cassandra Garcia from the USA