Student guide – how to navigate your first days at univeristy
Welcome to the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences! You've got into uni, but for some moving to a new school, a new city, can be challenging. That is why we have prepared a guide for you, where you will find all the information you need to find your way during your first year.
Surely you have a question in your head: - What now? ... You think: - I'm on the list of accepted candidates, but I don't know what to do next! Fortunately, there is a guide to answer your questions.
Let's start with the most important thing – no, not the documents – the introductory day!
Each person registered for the first year of studies is required to participate in the classes during the introductory day. Remember that this is a condition for passing the first semester. This meeting should also be attended by students of the 1st year of MA studies who have obtained an engineer or bachelor's degree at another university. During the introductory day, you will get important and necessary information about student cards and lesson plans. It will also be a great opportunity to meet new friends. Maybe you'll make a whole group of friends right away, or you’ll pair up with someone and stick with them until the end of your studies. The introductory day schedule and other useful information can be found here, and other important days and events can be found in the academic calendar.
And since we already mentioned the documents ...
Dean's Office
In the dean's offices of your faculty you can take care of most formalities related to studies. Here, for example, you collect and extend your ID cards. Here you can also apply for a social scholarship or a disabilities scholarship, submit various applications, e.g. for sabbatical leave, repeating subjects or individual organization of studies. Also here, at the end of your studies, you will be submitting your diploma theses. Just remember to always go to the dean's office with completed forms, which you will find in USOS and with all other required documents, so that you do not stand in the queue for nothing (and these can be long – we recommend taking a book or a fully charged phone and headphones).
On the faculty website, in the “Dean’s Office” tab, you can familiarize yourself with the working hours of the relevant dean’s office that can also be contacted by e-mail and by phone.
More information is available on the faculty websites:
Prof. Damian Knecht is the Vice-rector for Student Affairs photo by Grymuza
USOS – university study system
It sounds like the name of a Greek god - and rightly so, because it’s as powerful as an ancient deity. It contains practically everything that you will need to navigate the course of your studies, e.g. your grades, all forms, diploma exams, registration for classes or payments. Remember that a subject is passed only with a 3 grade. A 2 unfortunately, in university, means that you failed the subject.
Syllabus
Here you will find all the detailed information on individual classes: the form of credit, the number of ECTS points or the number of hours of classes. Syllabuses for all fields of study can be found here. Remember to find your field of study, choose the right course of study. Be it engineering, bachelor's degree etc.
The main building of UPWr - here is the Rector's Office and the Center for Student Affairs photo by Tomasz Lewandowski
University mail
Each student gets their university email, which is set up on the Gmail platform by the University Information Technology Center. It is the primary channel to communicate with administration employees and lecturers, and a virtual disk with unlimited capacity as part of the G Suite service.
To log in to the email, use the following data:
Your email: ID card number @ student.upwr.edu.pl - example: 12345@student.upwr.edu.pl
Your password: the last seven digits of your PESEL number and @ - example: 1234567@ Remember that according to the regulations of studies, you are obliged to use this e-mail to contact the university.
* For foreigners, ID No. (PESEL) is generated for the purpose of logging in to the University’s systems; it should not be used outside the University.
Any questions regarding your email in the student@upwr.edu.pl domain should be sent to poczta@student.upwr.edu.pl
Are you proud of where you study? Do you want a hoodie or a t-shirt with our logo? If so, check out the this link.
Center for Student Affairs
As the name suggests, the Center for Student Affairs deals with student affairs. This is where you will learn everything about the dormitories, apply for the Rector's Scholarship and the Minister of Education and Science scholarship for significant achievements (that's why it's worth studying well!), And you will also get information about student science clubs and creative groups.
General university classes
Enrollment for university-wide subjects, carried out at the Department of Foreign Languages and Humanities and Social Sciences and the School of Physical Education and Sport, take place electronically in the UL system only in the second semester or the second year, depending on the subject.
Library
Our students also have access to a well-equipped library with many online collections. During the pandemic, they proved to be extremely useful! To activate an account in the library, download the declaration form from the website of the Main Library - tab "Documents and Forms". The completed and signed declaration can be sent to the following address:
Ordered books should be picked up within 3 days at the Lending Room of the Main Library, ul. Norwida 29, entrance no. 2.
To borrow the books that have been ordered, the student ID card must be shown.
• Extension
The user has the right to extend the due dates of books borrowed once. To extend/renew the books, the user must login to his/her library account. Extension/renewal is possible if the deadline for returning the book has not expired.
• Returning books
Books borrowed from the Main Library are returned only through the drop box on the outer wall of the Library building.
Student scientific clubs and other student activity
There are over 40 student science clubs at UPWr! Many of them are awarded and receive considerable funding to implement their ideas.
For example, last year, the representatives of the Landscape Architecture Student Science Club prepared a concept for the development of an area around the Palace in Kiełczyn, located near Dzierżoniów.
As part of the funding from the FAST program, Animal Nutrition Student Science Club received three thousand PLN for the implementation of the urban black fly breeding project intended for the production of insect protein, the Soil Science and Environmental Protection Student Science Club received four thousand PLN for a project concerning the study of the quality of garden soils in Wrocław in terms of trace elements of microplastics and soil entomofauna, and the EZA Student Science Club received four thousand PLN of funding from the Student Activity Fund program for a project concerning the study of Wrocław ticks.
To join a research club, contact the club’s supervisor. You can find all student science clubs here:
And if you don’t want to join a science club, remember that there are other student organizations and clubs, creative groups, such as the UPWr Choir, student research projects, QeerUP, UPWr summer school or AZS. AZS is the Academic Sports Association – here you can develop your sports passions by joining sections such as handball, skiing, basketball, badminton, futsal or karate. You can find out more on their website.
How to address the lecturers?
"Madam / sir" is definitely out of the question. Lecturers should be addressed using the appropriate titles: Professor, doctor, etc. Remember about the exception which is the habilitated doctor. You should call them Professor also. To be sure how to address the lecturer, remember that you can find them in the employee search engine at upwr.edu.pl or on USOS.
Email etiquette
The principle of appropriate addressing also applies when writing emails. Remember never to start an email with "hi” or “hello" – this form of greeting assumes familiarity with the recipient. It’s best to write Dear Prof. XYZ or DR. XYZ.
UPWr employs over 1,660 people, almost 740 academic teachers, and over 270 professors and habilitated doctors. Photo by Tomasz Lewandowski
If you need help
We know that life can be hard, and studies can sometimes be a pain. A failed exam session, too much material to learn. If you need someone to talk to about your problems, whatever they may be, we have created the Support and Accessibility Center.
At the centre, you will find more than psychological help. It's also the roght place for people with disabilities who are looking for help.
UPWr also has a Welcome Point for forigners, so if you ever need help, the staff there will be more than happy to guide you through some tough bureaucracy or finding accomodation.
Where to study
In addition to the general reading room or the quiet study space in the library, further study and relaxation areas have been created at the university in recent years. These include: the Bee&Chill Patio in the UPWr Main Library and Work & Chillout Zone, at the Biskupin campus.
The Bee&Chill Patio is a new space in the university library where you can enjoy some fresh air, relax and chat with friends. It is a social space with a courtyard designed entirely by Karolina Kelner from SKN Landscape Architecture and built as part of the UPWr Participatory Budget for 2022.
The work & chillout zone, meanwhile, is located on the Biskupin campus. Here you can relax between classes, study and do projects. It is located in the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Science building on the first floor.
Campus map
To find the above-mentioned Center for Student Affairs, your dean's office or the Support and Accessibility Center, and also to not get lost before classes, we recommend that you check out our campus map.
Where to eat
There are two student canteens at the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences: the Vanilia canteen in the main building (25 Norwida Street), open from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (breakfast offer from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.) and the canteen in the Didactic and Research Centre (24a Grunwaldzki Square), open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Monday to Saturday) and 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (on Sundays). The canteens operate as a buffet with food by weight, allowing everyone to compose their own meal. The dishes are labelled, grouped by starchy side dishes, meat dishes, fish dishes, vegetarian dishes and salads.
Also in the vicinity of the main building are Cinnamon Bistro, a two-storey establishment with a weight buffet, an Asian restaurant Panda Ramen and Starbucks café, where you can enjoy a coffee, a sweet treat, as well as work or study.
Courses and jobs
Are you studying and want to work extra? Or do you want to have a look at some course offers for students? You will find plenty of offers for apprenticeships, jobs or courses at the Careers Office.
Stay informed
All important information appears on our social media as soon as possible, so in addition to visiting our main page, upwr.edu.pl, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. You can also join the UPWr News Facebook group, where we all share important information and announcements.
You can also check out our mural, where you can take some IG photos. If you tag them with #upwr and #mamyzielonepojecie, you will have a chance for a shoutout from the university ;)
Student dictionary:
ECTS – these are the points at which the value of each subject is determined. In order to pass to the next year of studies, each student – in accordance with their study program - is required to obtain a fixed number of ECTS points.
Rector – the person managing the university. Most often it is one of the university professors.
Dean – head of a university department.
Starosta – a student representative to university authorities (their duties include consulting decisions with the group and taking actions on behalf of its members).
The year's guardian – a person appointed who represents the interests of students towards the faculty authorities and academic teachers, and provides students with advice and assistance in both individual and faculty matters. Usually one of the lecturers.
Exam session – twice a year there is an exam session, at the end of every semester.
Entrance test- the equivalent of a quizz. It checks the knowledge of students from the last few classes.
Labs – short for Laboratory classes – they allow students to participate or independently conduct various types of research and experiments.
"Rector's hours" - days or hours free from classes determined by the rector in special circumstances
Colloquium – the equivalent of tests.
Juwenalia – an annual student party held in May. Wocław usually holds a parade, during which students dress up in various costumes, and in the evenings there are concerts.
Other important information
Every foreigner, including students, is obliged to legalize their stay in Poland. Important links:
URBANCARD ON ELECTRONIC STUDENT ID CARD – you can integrate your urbancard, which is a city transport card on which you can download tickets, with your student ID card.
Now you are fully prepared to face your first days at the university. The inauguration of the academic year will take place on October 4th and will be broadcast online. You will be able to see who is who and what the rector looks like (this knowledge may be useful in order not to accidentally say anything in the corridor, when passing His Magnificence!).
See you on October 4th! Students are holding an outdoor game on this day too – it start's at 3 pm at the CDN building and will end at the Biskupin Campus with an integration of some sorts.
Two food technology and human nutrition students from the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences took part in a summer school organised by Jiangnan University in China.
Colletotrichum acericola – this is the first species of fungus discovered in Wrocław. Found by accident and on an interesting host. – It is an ash-leaf maple, an alien and invasive tree species that has 'escaped breeding' and is threatening our local environment – says Dr Katarzyna Patejuk from the Department of Phytopathology and Mycology.
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