Student From Bulgaria Shares Her Feelings About the Online Education in Poland

In light of the recent outbreak of coronavirus infection, there is a real explosion in the popularity of online education. And it's not just about online English schools or fitness courses, but also about full-fledged higher education programmes.

Many students say that the main advantage of distance learning is time-saving. You don't need to get up early to pack up, walk to the bus stop, then drive 6 stations, make the transition, overcome 2 more stations, and then spend 10 minutes to reach your faculty. Vice versa, students tell that they wake up 10 minutes before the classes and quickly get involved in work. How much free time has appeared!

Below you can find the other advantages of online studying:

• “I started to keep up with sports, yoga, stretching, and playing the piano. And finally, the stack of unread books has decreased”
• “I would never be able to go on with 2 internships, university, and sports at the same time!”
• “ One class I have in Warsaw, and the other in Kraków. I became independent from the location of my university. The only thing I need is my computer.”

At the same time, some students are not satisfied with the education on distance. For example, the lack of direct contact and live communication with the teacher and group mates. The home environment definitely could be distractive. Possible problems with equipment and Internet connection could face everyone.

The Digital Ambassador of Poland Maria Dosheva from Bulgaria has shared her experience and feelings about online education. Maria studies General Aviation at the University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow. She came to Poland because The University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow is one of the few universities in Europe that offers the Aviation Management program.

Maria says that so far studying in Poland has been the most interesting and life-changing experience in her life.

Do you feel safe in Poland while global pandemics arise?

Yes, I do. I feel as safe as I would feel at home.

Describe your experience with online education. Does your university fulfill your expectations?

Honestly, I had no expectations because this situation with COVID-19 was quite unusual and I never even imagined something like this would ever happen. However, the authorities of my university reacted pretty quickly. When the quarantine began my classes got canceled for the next week but right after that we began having online classes and lectures. The reason why this happened so fast is that our online activities were conducted via the interactive platform, which we have been already using for our studies as a secondary tool for creating project groups and getting our learning materials. Thanks to it we were able to join course rooms with our professors and colleagues and communicate with them, almost as if we were in the classroom.

What kinds of advantages and disadvantages did you notice in online education?

The biggest advantage for me is that I do not have to get up so early for the morning classes. Some 15 minutes before that is perfectly fine. A huge disadvantage, however, are the exams. I would rather have them in a traditional way.

What was the most interesting place where you took your laptop for online classes?

This answer might be rather disappointing, but I would have to say my bed.

Could you give any recommendations for the incoming students who are starting their first study year online?

I realize that the first year is supposed to be the most exciting one but unfortunately the situation forces us to limit social contacts. So, I would just say be patient and make the best of it!

Try to participate as much as you can!

You can read the article “5 Tips For the Incoming Foreign Students in Poland” following this link https://go-poland.pl/news/5-tips-incoming-foreign-students-poland