One semester at UKSW

Mariam Jikurashvili, student of International Relations Bachelor program of Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani University, spent spring semester of 2020-2021 academic year at Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw (Poland) within FUCE (Federation of European Catholic Universities) scholarship program. Despite the pandemic, Mariam has managed to go to Poland and gain student life’s experience there. Mariam shares her experiences with us:

How well did your expectations for this mobility program come about?

I think all my expectations were met, starting from the fact that I got the experience of studying at a European university, I had the opportunity to learn interesting courses not only from my field and in this regard I think I have successfully overcome a great challenge. I met a lot of people, lecturers, students or exchange students from different countries.

What was the most important benefit for you from this program?

The most important thing I have learned from this program was independence, a high sense of responsibility and the understanding that I represented not only myself, but my university and my country.  

Which personal skills did this program help you improve?

The first thing I must mention is punctuality and definitely self-confidence. I think this successful program improves the self-esteem of each participant.

Which professional skills did this mobility help you to improve?

Thanks to this program I have learned to rearrange the information correctly and to memorize / use the required material relatively comparatively. I think the above-mentioned experience will definitely be useful for me in my whole life, as one of the most practical methods.

Which of the subjects taught there would you single out the most? and why?

I would like to take a look at Ludwig Wittgenstein's philosophical thinking and writing course, which was unique in the first because it was taught by one of the most powerful contemporary Polish lecturers / philosophers, and the course itself, despite its complexity and unrelated philosophy, has been so interesting and profound. Under the influence of philosophy, I will probably continue to read and study his works for many more years.

If there was a course that you took abroad and if not for this exchange program, you would not be able to pass it in Georgia …

Probably a course in the study of world religions, which has left a special role with its profound content in my general education.

What do you miss the most?

I miss every day of the morning listening to my favorite lectures and the joy of leisurely wandering the streets of Warsaw, discovering new things in people, architecture or cooking.

Compare student life in Georgia and abroad …

First of all, I should mention the direct attitude of lecturers and students. I think there is often a big barrier between students and lecturers in Georgia. From the first day in UKSW, I saw that the professors look at you as their friends, not just a student. In Poland student life is taken more seriously, than in Georgia, I think. According to current year's statistics, the percentage of students at my host university who failed subjects was only 4%. Which means that students take all subjects with great seriousness and responsibility.

What are the advantages of participating in an exchange program? Why should a student participate in a similar program?

Let's start with the fact that you become part of a new and very interesting country, university and environment, you get a different, standard European experience in terms of education and you meet extremely interesting people who definitely have an impact on your life.

Your recommendation for other students who wish to participate in the exchange program

If you are the lucky person who was given this chance, congratulations! You are preparing for a very beautiful and interesting stage of life, which will surely remain in your memory forever.

Complete the sentence: If not this exchange program, I ...

If it was not this exchange program, I would have thought I was free, without knowing what freedom really is.

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