Polish is not an easy language to learn. I visited a lot of different countries and I was always able to communicate with people in other countries because they all spoke English. With the exception of my visit in Russia, I never had any difficulty communicating as a foreigner. When I first arrived in Poland, I didn't feel the need to learn the local language in order to communicate, however, I soon realized that only young people speak English. I frequently found myself in unusual situations when the cashier at the grocery store asked me something in Polish and I was unable to respond. The only thing I could say was: "English, please?" However, they are frequently unable to respond in any language other than Polish or Russian. This was an unusual situation for me, and it caused me some difficulty at first. Dealing with such unexpected situations causes anxiety at first because learning the language in such a short period of time puts a lot of pressure on yourself.
However, this pressure also helped me in picking up large amounts of information in a short period of time. I was also put in an unfamiliar situation because Kozminski University's teaching methods differed a lot from those of the University of Liechtenstein. Kozminski University takes a more practical approach to learning because you can use practical tools like Excel in a variety of subjects. This was a very unusual terrain at first, but it thought me that for all unfamiliar situations you need resilience. Being resilient means to being able to handle pressure well, deal effectively with setbacks, not allowing changes and challenges to distract you and keeping up the work. Setting clear goals and thinking optimistically helped me to stay focused. Also, just communicating with others was very helpful. I realized that there are many others in a similar situation.
My self-awareness also helped me in improving my ability to deal with unusual situations. Just knowing my own strengths and weaknesses helps me to deal with stressful situations more effectively, because I am aware of what was causing my anxiousness in the first place. A huge first step for me is to figure out first why the situation is so "unfamiliar" to me. Setting long-term goals also helped me in navigating in this unfamiliar terrain. I realized that not only will Excel be required to pass this course, but it will also be required in many workplaces. It increases my stamina and helps me get through difficult times. My brain slowly adjusted to the new changes and it built up a structure for navigating through Excel. This structure assisted me in focusing and automating my actions and it prevents information overload. What also helped me in unfamiliar situations is to take a step back and observe the situation. I tend to turn off all social media and just observe the situation. This allows me to relax because my brain is breaking down the task in smaller subtasks. This small break helps me to orient myself before exploring the entire „terrain“. It helps me in comprehending a small proportion of the larger situation and it also facilitates locating a possible solution without having to search in the entire „network“. I usually break down a new situation in three steps: I first clarify what is being done, what steps I need to take and in what order, and what the expected outcome should be. These steps may appear trivial, but they have frequently worked for me and I can use them almost anywhere: When using Excel and when learning a new language.
I realize that unfamiliar situations are always difficult to cope with, and everyone has to face them, but if I follow a certain pattern, it helps me to deal with them better. And, eventually, I realize that unfamiliar situations become familiar, and everything that appeared to be a challenge is now a simple, easy to repeat task.