First TUL students attended a summer school organized by the University of Twente as part of the European Consortium of Innovative Universities (#ECIU). In their account of this event, they describe activities they took part in, new relationships and new skills they learned. They strongly encourage others to participate as well.
CuriousU Summer School
From 14 to 23 August 2022, the first students of our university took part in a summer school organised on the initiative of the University of Twente in the Netherlands as part of the European Consortium of Innovative Universities (ECIU). As Lodz University of Technology is a member of this consortium, two students were granted places free of the registration fee. The students also received funding from the university for travel expenses.
Ola and Matthew’s account:
Participating in events like this allows you to expand your knowledge and develop your skills, regardless of your field of study. There were as many as 13 different training paths to choose from! From entrepreneurship or learning Dutch to classes on health and happiness, to designing robots. We both opted for the 'Design the future' course focusing on innovation and designing solutions that are useful in the future. After completing the course, each participant received a certificate with the number of ECTS credits corresponding to each course.
We have to admit that we were very impressed with the campus itself. It had everything that a small town has - a supermarket, café, restaurant, ice cream parlour, bar and numerous places for all kinds of sports - a swimming pool, football, basketball courts and even baseball fields! The college is modern and very well-equipped, which we had the opportunity to see ourselves. There were oscilloscopes, soldering irons, different types of 3D printers, laser cutters, sewing machines and many other devices and tools.
In addition to the regular classes, extra activities were held every day, e.g. a games night, a class in salsa basics, graffiti painting, a Mario Kart tournament or an Escape room and parachute jumping in VR technology. There were so many attractions that sometimes it was impossible to take a breath. And that's just part of what the place offered!
There were several ways to spend the night and places to stay. It was possible to rent a room in a hotel, in a chalet for a dozen people, a two-person flex hotel or to spend those nights in one-person tents.
Mateusz: - The only option at no extra cost was a tent with a mattress and a sleeping bag in which you could easily sleep comfortably and even fit in several bags. Of course, during the 30-degree heat, the things inside could get very hot, but code-protected storage lockers were provided in the main tent.
Ola: - If you don't feel comfortable living in a tent or are simply afraid of the cold nights and field conditions, other options are available. I opted for a place in a two-person flex hotel. This allowed me to meet a new friend, but also to sleep in a comfortable bed in a lockable room without worrying about anything.
Overall, we evaluate the stay very positively. What do we appreciate most about it? First of all, the people and, what is related to that, perfecting our language skills. The two things are strongly connected, but you didn't need to speak English at a professional level to have fun😀 We have gained invaluable experience in project implementation and organising such large events. We have made a lot of friends with whom we are still in touch. On the last day, we really regretted that it lasted only 10 days... We had already got used to the people and the place and didn't want to leave.
If you have the opportunity - TAKE PART! Go for it, because it's really worth it 😊
Ola and Mateusz