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By Clement Adinya
Stepping off the plane and into the crisp air of Poland marked the beginning of a profound chapter for the five of us representing Veritas University as exchange students in Poland.
As Erasmus students in Toruń, we were immediately thrusted into a vibrant blend of new academic horizons and cultural discoveries. Over the past few months, this journey has transformed from a daunting leap into the unknown into a beautifully rich tapestry of shared experiences, learning, and unforgettable memories.
Coming from the warmth of Nigeria, the weather was an immediate and biting shock. During our first few days, the temperature hovered around a chilly eight to nine degrees Celsius, plummeting to negative two degrees as soon as the sun went down. When we mingled with the other students, our jaws dropped as they casually mentioned surviving negative twenty degrees just a month before we arrived!
At first, we were constantly shivering, wrapped in layers upon layers of clothing, but as the weeks passed and the season gently shifted towards spring, we have found ourselves not just surviving the weather, but truly enjoying it.
As we began to navigate the city, the initial shock of the cold was quickly replaced by a deep sense of awe at how society functions here. Everything moves with a quiet, predictable rhythm that is so entirely different from the lively, bustling energy of home. We quickly learned that jaywalking is an absolute taboo; you will see people standing patiently at a zebra crossing, waiting for the light to turn green, even if the road is completely empty.
The orderliness on the roads is mesmerizing, with cars staying perfectly within their lanes regardless of the traffic. This clockwork precision extends to the public transportation system as well. Using a brilliant local app called Jakdojade, we can track our buses and trams down to the exact minute. The buses only ever stop at designated shelters or bus stops.
That sense of beautiful unfamiliarity followed us right into our daily routines, especially when it came to food. We initially considered eating at the academic hotel’s restaurant, but we quickly realized the prices were a bit too expensive for our students’ budgets. So, driven by both financial sense and a deep longing for the taste of home, we decided to take charge of our own meals.
We bought our own cooking utensils, but stepping into local supermarkets like Auchan, Biedronka, and Lidl for the first time felt like entering a maze. Our smartphones became our lifelines, with Google Translate constantly open as we hovered over labels, trying to figure out exactly what we were buying.
The biggest surprise at the stores, however, happened at the checkout counter. Back home, we are so used to having our groceries packed into free nylon bags, but here, we realized we had to purchase reusable packaging bags for our items.
We also discovered a fascinating recycling culture: whenever we buy drinks in plastic bottles or cans, we have to pay an extra deposit fee for the packaging itself. It’s an incredibly smart system, though, because once we finish our drinks and feed the empty bottles into a recycling machine, we get that money right back!
While we have been busy cooking our own familiar meals, we have also embraced the local culture. During a beautiful welcome lunch organized by the academy, we had our first real taste of Polish hospitality. We were served a steaming, hearty traditional Polish bean soup topped with crunchy breadcrumbs, which was the perfect remedy for the cold weather.
The main course felt a bit closer to home, tender chicken and potatoes, but with a funny twist: our plates had two entirely different types of coleslaw, one traditional Polish and one Western style like we know in Nigeria! Sitting there, eating good food and sharing laughs, we had the distinct honour of talking with the Rector of the academy. He listened with genuine interest as we explained why we chose Poland and what we are passionate about. In that moment, we felt incredibly welcomed and seen.
That feeling of being seen has carried over completely into our academic life. Studying at AKSiM has been a breath of fresh air. It is a very unique setup, with many of our classes taking place right here in our academic hotel.
The pace of learning feels very intentional. Whenever we have a lecture that stretches beyond an hour and a half, the professors pause everything for a ten to twenty-minute break. It sounds like a small detail, but it gives our brains time to rest, assimilate the heavy information, and regroup before diving back in. Because the students’ population here is much smaller, the professors can look us in the eye. They give us individual attention, ensuring that not a single student is left behind struggling with a concept.
But an Erasmus exchange is not just about what happens inside the classroom; it is about the people you meet. Our group of twenty-one Erasmus students has quickly become a tight-knit, global family. It’s a beautiful mix: five of us from Nigeria, four from Namibia, two from Kosovo, and ten from Ukraine.
We spent hours simply talking and marveling at the differences in our cultures. Our academic hotel is always alive with the sounds of us playing Uno, intensely debating games of Werewolf, or crowding around PC games.
When we want to burn off energy, we hit the courts to play and watch football and basketball. They even managed to teach us a traditional Polish dance, which was full of clumsy missteps and endless laughter.
The spirit of travel and exploration is incredibly contagious here. While many Erasmus students are constantly on the move, travelling across different countries in Europe, our experience has been a bit different. As much as we would genuinely love to explore beyond Poland, financial constraints have made that difficult for us at the moment. Instead, we have focused on making the most of where we are, immersing ourselves in our local environment, adjusting to life here, and finding joy in the everyday experiences around us.
Recently, some of us the Erasmus students, alongside our wonderful mentor, Filip, went for a massive one-day group trip to the capital city, Warsaw. Walking through the grand streets of the capital together, sharing stories and taking pictures, was a moment we will never forget. Ultimately, this Erasmus exchange has been far more than just a semester abroad; it has been a profound period of personal and academic growth.
From braving the freezing temperatures and deciphering grocery labels to mastering new subjects and building lifelong friendships across continents, every moment has been enriching. We are immensely proud to represent Veritas University on this global stage, and we look forward to bringing the knowledge, global perspective, and cherished memories back home with us.
Adinya, a 300 Level Computer Science Student of Veritas University, Abuja is on an Erasmus Exchange programme in Poland.