Michał Załuska

Development Studies, SOAS University of London

What have you been up to since you left Akademeia?

After I graduated from high school, I did the most reasonable thing to do – chill out. A-levels were pretty stressful for everyone that I know. Most of the time, I’ve been traveling with friends, going to music festivals, and just enjoying the end of school. When my course from Development Studies at SOAS started, not much has changed. Well, maybe instead of music festivals, there were bars, and I had a little bit of learning. I also started a language course from Spanish, participated in a music clip, and learned how to drift.

How studying at Akademeia helped you prepare for university?

Apart from teaching me English, Akademeia has taught me how to think critically and attempt various issues from many different perspectives. I believe that is the most important thing a school can do for you. It also showed me how to structure my thoughts and write about them. This skill is vital in university if you still care about grades.

What are your three favourite things about Akademeia?

My most favourite thing about Akademeia are teachers. Those are the people who inspired me, supported at every point of my education and were great fun to be around. In fact, they still are. Students are the next point. I have created many valuable friendships based on trust, support and good faith. The last point is not possible without the previous two – those are the memories.

Looking back at your own school time, what advice do you have for current Akademeia students?

If I can give you one advice, then it would refer to my previous answer. Create valuable relationships which will last for long, have fun and make some good memories. School isn’t only about learning but all the things that you do in between. Believe me, as much as getting into a good university is awesome; it will not make you happy until you have good friends to share your success with. Someone smart once said that if you don’t have anything to reminisce about then better change your life.

What are your projects for the future?

I don’t have any specific plans for my future. I want to try new things to find the one that gives the most fun and makes me happy. I know it sounds a bit clicheé. Nevertheless, it does not make this statement any less valuable.