Living in Warsaw 

    Poland is well known for its Slavic hospitality. The visitors should have no problems making friends as Poles are almost always interested in meeting foreigners. Poles have a highly developed sense of humor; they love jokes and have at least one for every occasion. Humor and laughter in the face of hardship are a big part of being Polish. 

    Communication in Poland is not a serious problem. Warsaw is a university town and the level of foreign language education is quite high, especially among young people. English is by far most frequently used; German, French, and Russian are also popular. 

The złoty is the official Polish currency. If you would like to exchange your money or cash traveler's checks, it can be done in one of many Warsaw banks. If all you need is a simple cash exchange, it might be easier to do it in a "kantor" (kantors are private money exchange offices; you can find them at railway stations, in hotels, shops, restaurants, movie theaters and many other places). Major credit cards are accepted in hotels, travel agencies, and many shops and restaurants. 

    Shopping in Warsaw is certainly the same, like in capitals of Western Europe. Today, you will find shops well stocked with a variety of high-quality Polish and Western goods; just about every imaginable product is available within easy walking distance of the University. The free-market economy is alive and the shopping scene in Warsaw, full of department stores, fashion retailers, secondhand book-shops, and street markets, is changing almost every day. 

    When it comes to clothing, you have to realize that weather in central Poland varies a lot. Warm clothing and good shoes are needed for winter which can be cold, with snow and temperatures below -10°C. Summer, on the other hand, is warm, but rarely very hot, with average maximum daily temperatures around 22°C. 

Accommodation 

     The University has several dormitories scattered throughout Warsaw. Most students of the Faculty of Electronics and Information Technology live in the 15-story Riviera located within a 5-minute walk of the Faculty building. The residents are accommodated in shared fully-furnished rooms. Bathroom facilities, kitchens, laundries, study areas and meeting rooms are located on each floor. Computer laboratories, music practice rooms, photographic dark-rooms, sports and recreation facilities, shops, and dining rooms are also available. Other dormitories with single and shared rooms are located within a few kilometers of the main campus, but are well served by public transportation; travel times vary from 5 to 20 minutes. 
     Room charges are in the range of 50 EUR per month and are payable each month in advance. The cost of the University housing is well below marked rates. Therefore, the demand for rooms is higher than the supply and not all international students are guaranteed University accommodation, especially if they are not able to meet all conditions of entry (academic and financial) by September 1 of the year of admission. Rooms in the dormitories will be assigned on a first-come first-serve basis within the available limits. 
 If you would like to apply for accommodation in a University dormitory, you should do so as early as possible. "Application for Accommodation" forms will be mailed to all students admitted to the Electrical and Computer Engineering program. 
    The University's Office for International Student Affairs is in touch with a number of accommodation agencies that rent privately owned apartments. High- and low-standard, furnished and unfurnished rooms and apartments for single students and for couples with and without children are available. Rents vary significantly, depending on location and standard. A medium-standard two-bedroom apartment not far away from the University rents for 200-300 EUR. Cheaper accommodation may be found in areas outside central Warsaw. Rents are payable in advance; in many cases, a deposit is requested. Although the Office for International Student Affairs staff are not able to assist each student in visiting prospective accommodation and to make decisions on a student's behalf, they are available to give help and advice on tenancy agreements and other housing issues. 
     Living a few kilometers away from the University presents no problem because of the excellent public transportation system in Warsaw. There are hundreds of tram and bus lines. Even more important, transportation is inexpensive (about 0.60 EUR per ride or 25 EUR for a monthly travel card; different ticket schemes are offered by city transportation). 

Dining 

Social Life 

     The social life of the University is concentrated in student clubs. Three major clubs, located at Riviera-Remont, Stodoła, and Mospan cultural centers, and 15 small clubs provide numerous opportunities for students to grow and develop new interests. Each club has a number of activity groups organizing various cultural events. You can enjoy cinema shows, art exhibitions, dramatic group presentations, lectures by visiting speakers, political debates, song recitals, as well as rock, jazz or classical music concerts. Student clubs frequently attract internationally  famous people. The Jazz Club "Remont" alone managed to bring Buddy Rich, Woody Herman, Jan Garbarek, Anthony Braxton, Lester Bowie, Ray Charles, Bobby McFerrin and many other famous musicians to perform for the University students and their guests. Most cultural events in student clubs are free of charge for all University students. When visiting one of the University cultural centers not only can you watch and listen, but also actively participate in happenings or theater productions, or simply dance to the disco music. If you are a gifted singer or dancer, the internationally recognized Song and Dance Ensemble is waiting for you. 
       Student clubs run their own shops and publish a variety of information materials. A radio station owned and operated by the students broadcast informational and musical programs several hours a day. 

Sports and Recreation 

    Sport gives the students another opportunity to find some relief from academic pressures. On-campus sport and recreation activities are coordinated by the University Center of Physical Education and Sports. The Center, open to all University students, is run by a highly qualified staff of 40 which include former coaches of the national teams and members of the Polish Olympic team. 
      The Center staff organize indoor and outdoor activities for keen athletes capable of high-level competition and for those who just enjoy a casual game of volleyball. Most sport facilities located in and around student dormitories are available to all students at no charge; coaching is also free. Currently, the most popular sports are soccer, volleyball, basketball, indoor and outdoor track, swimming, tennis, table tennis, judo, karate, and kickboxing. Chess, bridge, strategy games, and other forms of recreation also attract many students. Clearly, the sport activities are not limited to the campus area; the University has a strong tradition in skiing, sailing, windsurfing, and mountain climbing. 
      A very popular form of recreation among the University students is tourism. Tourist clubs frequently organize weekend hiking trips to interesting places in Poland and longer summer expeditions to destinations all over the world. Members of "Maluch", the club associated with our Faculty, recently visited the Spanish Pyrenees (climbing to the highest peak, Pico de Aneto), Altai Mountains in Central Asia, Austrian and German Alps (climbing expedition), French and Swiss Alps (biking tour), Dolomites (climbing expedition), and many places in Central and Eastern Europe. 
     Approximately, 7500 students participate in some form of sport or recreational activities. Many of them compete in the interfaculty games. The 1300 most talented students are members of the University Sports Club. They compete in a variety of local and intercollegiate leagues as well as in national and international events. For several years, the Club has been ranked as the best among sports clubs of all engineering-oriented universities and colleges in Poland. 

Health Services 

Religious Life 

    Although the Roman Catholic Church is the dominant church in Poland, there are 48 active religious organizations in Warsaw, representing other Christian denominations, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and other faiths. Most ofthese organizations conduct religious services for their members. Numerous Warsaw churches and chapels offer opportunities for worship and meditation, social service, personal counseling, and cultural and social events. On request, students are given information regarding houses of worship or are put in touch with their spiritual leaders in the city. 
 

Getting Information and Assistance