Our first-year medicine and dentistry students have already taken an important step in their university journey. After an intensive orientation week, on September 14th they attended their first classes and began to experience everyday student life at PUMS.
Orientation week was a special time filled with new faces, important information and plenty of opportunities to get to know the place that, over the next few years, will become their academic home. Our new students discovered the structure and facilities of the university, met their colleagues and lecturers, learned more about the city and became familiar with the practical matters connected with studying and living here. There was also time for conversations, integration and leisure – because feeling at home is about much more than knowing where to find a classroom.
The programme also included meetings with representatives of the University and the city authorities, who welcomed our new students and shared valuable information about studying and living in the city. We were also honoured to welcome Mr Dermot Fitzpatrick, Head of Political Affairs from the Ambassy of Ireland in Warsaw, who addressed both the Irish students and the rest of our international student community with a warm message of welcome. His presence highlighted the importance of building an open, diverse and supportive academic community in which students from different countries can feel at home.
Starting university is an exciting experience, but it can also bring many questions. Where should I go? Who can I ask for help? How do university procedures work? What is student life like in the city? That is why we want to support our students from day one – or, in fact, from day -7. We begin preparing them even before their first official class, helping them understand the university, the city and the everyday realities of their new life here.
Our goal is clear: we want every first-year student to feel safe, informed and confident. We want them to know that they are not alone when facing new challenges and that there are people around them ready to offer guidance and support. Orientation week is an important part of this process, giving students the knowledge and confidence they need to begin their studies with greater ease.
Now, a new chapter has begun. The first classes may have brought a different rhythm, new responsibilities and perhaps a few butterflies in the stomach, but they also mark the beginning of a unique adventure. From the first lecture to the first friendships, from discovering the city to becoming part of the university community, every experience will help shape the years ahead.
We are proud to welcome our new students to our university and to our city. We hope that, with time, they will feel increasingly confident, connected and comfortable here. This is now their place to learn, grow, make memories and build their future. We are delighted to accompany them on this journey — and we look forward to seeing all that they will achieve!