Bartosz Gołędowski, from Poland, is studying a PhD in geosciences at Aarhus University in Denmark. He got a taste for the country during his master's degree, when he came to Aarhus on an exchange program.
Bartosz, 27, is ambitious and talented. Having completed his bachelor’s degree from the University of Warsaw, Poland, he felt it was time for new challenges in new settings. “I had a strong urge to experience a new environment and improve my skills in the field of marine geology,” he says.
Bartosz says that one of the most positive things about studying at Aarhus has been getting guidance from great teachers. “They are professional, easy to get along with and willing to help you with anything regarding your studies,” he observes.
The informal student-teacher relationship and egalitarian structure of the university impressed him too. “Aarhus is a modern university and so is the way it functions. It is very well managed. Actually, I can’t think of a better place to study in,” he states.
Work, and play
When he finished his exchange program at Aarhus, and was not getting any funds to support himself, he had to work part-time to earn some money. Paid fieldwork at the Department of Geosciences (where he studied) and vacation jobs with a mining company in Greenland in addition to working for an environmental company as a project assistant, helped him gain experience as well as support himself financially.
He has now obtained a PhD grant from the Faculty of Science at Aarhus University to fund his research.
As a PhD student, university life has been great fun for him. Since Aarhus is a university town, there are numerous party places to suit everybody’s tastes. Bartosz informs that although the city is not a metropolis, plenty of events, festivals, music concerts featuring world-known artists are available for all. “Danes love to party and some of the events are truly mind-blowing and one-of-a-kind,” he says.
Bartosz highly recommends cycling or biking in Denmark. “Although the weather can be quite dreadful, the cycling infrastructure is fantastic. Get a good bike and an even better rain gear… Use money on vacations to more sunny destinations of the world,” he suggests.
Sharing a slice of advice from his own experiences as an international student in Denmark, Bartosz informs that making new friendships here may require some effort. “You have to be persistent in your relations with Danish people,” he observes.
Golden opportunities
An international experience, he feels, has given him the confidence and knowledge to be a global citizen. “Studying abroad gave me the experience and education in many interesting fields. My career prospects have improved by a 100% or maybe even 200%,” he says.
Doing a PhD has presented him with several golden opportunities to develop contacts in both the academic and private sector. This has given him the confidence to be sure about his future prospects. “I am not worried about my future career as I am already receiving offers from companies interested in hiring me,” he says.
At Aarhus, Bartosz enjoyed meeting people from various parts of the world the most. He feels that studying abroad has broadened his horizons and intensified his urge to travel to other countries. He will soon complete his PhD and plans to travel around the world before getting a job and settling down in one place.
“I have too high expectations from my professional life and a strong will to explore the world a bit more,” he says. He plans to leave the academic life and work in the private sector as a geologist, preferably in an oil company in the near future.
For Bartosz, the experience of studying abroad has been a memorable one and something he will recommend to everybody. “Yes, yes, yes. Go for it. It’s worth it. Such experience is simply invaluable,” he says enthusiastically.