Different perspectives are often one of the hardest things to overcome when living in a new culture. When people grow up in different communities with different backgrounds, languages and religions, they often see issues in a different light. One of these moments was really obvious to me when I began to discuss education with my students here in Poland. Colleges in Poland are vastly different from those in the U.S., and I very often hit a cultural barrier when trying to teach and participate as I did during the last three years in the U.S.
One of the main differences between universities in the two countries is the sense of community involved with going to school. In American universities, you feel very connected to other students and the university itself, if you are an active participant at school. There are college campuses that center all the academics in the same area and clubs for students to get involved after the school day ends. In contrast in Poland, classroom buildings are spread out across whole cities, and most students have never heard of extracurricular activities, let alone participated in one. While Poland has dormitories in which students live, these places do not have common spaces or Resident Advisors to plan events like in the U.S.
