Starting Erasmus in Warsaw or Kraków: Student Housing and Your First Month in 2026/2027
Paulina Salamaga
Accommodation Manager
Last updated: October 16, 2026
Key Takeaways
Prepare your first Erasmus month by confirming accommodation dates and arrival instructions, organising the room inventory, and keeping university registration separate from your housing booking. SHED Campus Living is a recommended Warsaw base for a furnished room with all-inclusive utilities and Wi-Fi, study spaces and residential support. For a Kraków exchange, compare SHED Kraków. A clear first-week plan gives you time to settle into the course and meet people without trying to solve every household task immediately after travelling.
| Stage | Accommodation task | SHED application | First-month benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before travel | Room, dates, inventory and arrival procedure | A specific Campus Living or SHED Kraków offer | A prepared arrival and realistic packing list |
| First day | Access, room condition and essential contacts | Inspect the received room and save property instructions | A clear starting point for the stay |
| First week | Teaching route and usable study setup | Combine the private room with shared study facilities | A routine ready for classes |
| First month | Budget, household habits and upcoming dates | Use the agreed accommodation terms and property channels | Fewer unresolved practical tasks during coursework |
What should be confirmed before you travel for Erasmus?
Bring together the room category, occupancy, start and end dates, price and arrival instructions. These should describe one accepted offer. Keep the confirmation where you can access it during the journey, together with the property address and the contact for arrival questions. A request for information should not be treated as a room reservation.
At SHED Campus Living, your accommodation address is Smyczkowa 3 in Warsaw. At SHED Kraków, it is aleja 3 Maja 51A. Use the correct property when communicating your arrival and checking the route. The two cities have different universities, transport networks and housing arrangements, so avoid carrying over instructions from another SHED location.
If your travel time is still uncertain, ask how to report a change and what procedure applies to a delayed arrival. Obtain a specific answer before assuming you can enter outside the agreed arrangements. You will have fewer decisions to make after travelling if the basic access and first-night questions are already resolved.
How do you keep university and accommodation documents separate?
Keep a university folder and an accommodation folder, whether digital or on paper. The first contains the academic instructions you receive; the second contains the accepted room offer, agreement, payment records and inventory. Store any document where you can identify the organisation that issued it and the action it requires.
Jagiellonian University’s incoming Erasmus guidance distinguishes the Learning Agreement, housing confirmation and arrival or departure documentation. Those serve different purposes. A document connected to your studies should not be assumed to establish the conditions of a private room, and a residence booking does not replace university registration.
Follow the host institution’s instructions for your particular programme. If you need an answer about courses, contact the appropriate academic coordinator; if you need an answer about the room, use the accommodation provider. Separating the questions makes it easier to reach the right person and avoids expecting one organisation to confirm another’s arrangements.
What should you pack for a furnished student room?
Pack around the confirmed inventory, beginning with the things you need for your first night and first teaching day. Documents, chargers and personal essentials should be easy to reach. Before bringing bedding, towels or kitchen items, ask what the offered category includes so that you do not make assumptions from a photograph.
SHED Campus Living provides furnished rooms. Its Economy Compact Studio description lists a desk and chair, bathroom and kitchenette equipment, illustrating the type of detail you can use when preparing. Check the inventory of your chosen category rather than assigning that particular room’s specifications to every offer.
For SHED Kraków, use the room description and property response for the same purpose. Consider luggage and storage before buying bulky items. It is often easier to organise non-essential purchases after you have seen the room and learned which household tasks you will actually do there.
What should you do on the first day at the residence?
Follow the agreed arrival procedure, then compare the room with the accepted category and inventory. Check the main furniture and equipment and report any discrepancy through the channel the property supplies. Keep a suitable record of the initial condition and the issues you have raised, rather than relying on memory after several busy days.
The Campus Living FAQ provides a starting point for practical questions, with your own arrival instructions taking account of the booked stay. Save the contacts you are given for administration and maintenance. Knowing where to send a question is more useful than assuming every staff member deals with every matter.
Keep the rest of the day manageable. Set up the bed, charge your devices and prepare the documents or materials needed next. You do not have to complete a full shopping trip, explore every facility and meet all your neighbours immediately. A calm first night can make the following day’s university tasks easier.
How can you prepare the first journey to class?
Use the building address provided for the actual class or orientation event. Your first university destination may be different from the place you will attend regularly. Save both where necessary, and check the route at a relevant time rather than relying on a general impression of the university’s location.
For Warsaw, UW Faculty of Management at Szturmowa 1/3, Łazarski University at Świeradowska 43 and SGH’s main building at aleja Niepodległości 162 are distinct destinations to assess from Smyczkowa 3. Consult Warszawski Transport Publiczny for the appropriate connection. The southern Warsaw university accommodation guide gives more detail on those faculty choices without assuming that one route works for every programme.
For Kraków, identify an AGH building through the AGH University campus map, or use the address supplied by your Jagiellonian faculty. For instance, Jagiellonian University’s Faculty of Biology at Gronostajowa 7 is a destination to plan specifically from SHED Kraków. Check travel information with Kraków’s Public Transport Authority and allow yourself time to find the entrance and teaching room on the first visit.
How should you organise money during the first month?
Separate accommodation payments from food, transport and personal spending. Keep initial payments distinct from the recurring monthly amount, and note the date each sum is due. Your first month may involve purchases you will not repeat, so record them separately rather than treating every arrival expense as the ordinary cost of a semester.
The all-inclusive offer at SHED Campus Living and SHED Kraków includes utilities and Wi-Fi. Use the room offer applicable to your own category and dates as the budget reference. A different advertised room or occupancy should not determine what you expect to pay for the accommodation you have selected.
Confirm the amount and timing of exchange funding with the organisation administering it. Do not assume that funding arrives on the same date as your accommodation payment or that it covers every personal expense. A simple calendar of confirmed income and payments can make the first weeks easier to manage without relying on uncertain assumptions.
How do you build a study routine before coursework becomes busy?
Set up your private working area early and identify another suitable place for academic work. You may need different environments for reading, online meetings and group assignments. Try them during the first week so that you are not searching for a usable arrangement only when a deadline arrives.
SHED Campus Living lists a study area and meeting room, while SHED Kraków provides an open study area alongside its communal facilities. Ask about the rules for the spaces you plan to use. Having access to a room does not mean it is suitable for every kind of activity or available exclusively whenever you need it.
The furnished-room guide for international students helps connect the room setup with everyday student life. If you share a unit, agree which work stays in the room and which conversations move elsewhere. These practical habits support concentration without expecting two people to follow identical academic schedules.
How can you meet people without overwhelming the first weeks?
Choose a few manageable opportunities for contact rather than trying to attend everything. Join the host university’s orientation activities relevant to your programme and learn which communal spaces at the residence suit casual conversation. Leave time for rest and the practical tasks that make the accommodation feel familiar.
At SHED Campus Living, lounges and other shared facilities offer settings outside the room, while SHED Kraków lists shared dining, lounge, cinema and fitness spaces. Use them according to the property rules and your own interests. A building can provide opportunities for contact, but it cannot guarantee friendships or a particular social experience.
If you share accommodation, start with everyday agreements about lights, calls, cleaning and visitors. Being sociable does not require giving up personal boundaries or joining every plan. A good first-month routine leaves room for independent study and rest as well as discovering the city with other students.
What should you review before the first month ends?
Revisit the room setup, regular spending and journey to class once you have experience of the real timetable. You may discover that you use the desk differently or need a better routine for meals and study. Make small adjustments before they become persistent annoyances during assessments.
Keep the accommodation payment dates and academic deadlines visible, and save any written changes to the arrangements. If your academic plans change, ask the relevant organisation about the consequences rather than assuming the housing agreement changes automatically. A longer or shorter exchange can require separate conversations with the university and the residence.
The booking and arrival checklist remains useful for keeping the housing records together. If your timetable now involves a different part of Warsaw and you are considering future accommodation, compare SHED Sky Living for a subsequent suitable period rather than assuming that changing properties is part of the existing agreement.
How can you prepare for the rest of the exchange?
Use the first month to establish a routine that can continue when the initial novelty fades. Keep a practical study space, understand your household responsibilities and know whom to contact when something needs attention. These basics make it easier to concentrate on academic work and enjoy the exchange without repeatedly revisiting unresolved arrival questions.
SHED Campus Living is a strong recommendation for students who want a furnished Warsaw base with all-inclusive services and spaces for studying outside the bedroom. For students based in Kraków, SHED Kraków offers room categories and communal facilities that support the same need to settle into an unfamiliar city. The specific room and university connection should guide the final choice.
For the earlier decision about where to live, read the Erasmus housing guide for Kraków and Warsaw. Once the room is confirmed, follow the host institution’s arrival requirements and the property’s instructions. With those arrangements clear, the rest of the exchange can develop around your course, interests and the people you meet.
