Warsaw School of Economics (SGH)

With 1.7 million inhabitants, Warsaw is the largest city in Poland and has an unemployment rate of less than 3%. The city combines modern skyscrapers with traces of the past. Its grey image is undeserved: In fact 25% of the city is made up of parks and green spaces! A visit to Łazienki Park and the viewing platform at the Palace of Culture and Science are a must, as is a walk through the historical Old Town, Stare Miasto, from the 13th century (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and along the Royal Route to the Royal Castle with lots of sightseeing stops along the way. Because the cost of living in Warsaw is 45% lower than in Hamburg (Source: https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/comparison/hamburg/warsaw, as of January 2016), the entry costs certainly won’t stop you from discovering the city.

The Sabinki student halls are on campus at SGH. You can apply for them online on a first come, first served basis. HSBA students get preferential treatment thanks to the agreement with SGH. The rent for a furnished twin room is approximately EUR 435 per semester and per person. Bed linen is cleaned for free every two weeks, and washing machines and tumble-dryers are also available for use free of charge. There is also a gym, TV rooms, a snooker table and a courtyard with basketball hoops, a barbecue area and benches. Visitors can sleep over for EUR 2.75 per night (for a maximum of three nights).Furtermore, to live off campus, please look here for an appartment. 

The Republic of Poland ranks twenty-second on the list of the world’s richest countries (in terms of GDP), topping the league table for the Human Development Index. The name of the country broadly originates from the world “Pole” (“field” in English), as in the fifth century the Polish tribe was mainly made up of farmers. It has the most diverse range of animal and plant species in Europe. Poland boasts coastal areas, mountains, lowlands and highlands as well as forest that covers almost one third of the country. In their leisure time, Polish people like to engage in water sports, take a vacation on a barge, gather mushrooms, hike, go rafting and snowboarding. The average age of the Polish population is around 39, which is six years younger than the German average. They are extremely polite, and gestures such as helping a lady put on her coat or holding a door open for her, offering her a seat on a bus or giving her a kiss on the hand as a greeting are all very common. It is also common for Polish people to say no three times before accepting something.