What’s my day like? There’s not much variation. My day starts early, that’s for sure. I live a 25-minute bus ride away. Winter mornings are a strange thing, cold and quiet. I wait for the 6.45 bus. There are never many people at the bus stop. The later buses are all really busy, but that one is mostly empty. It’s very fast, only 25 minutes. I start at 7.15. It’s not too tight, time wise, normally. But I did one hour of training this morning, so I am late with all my tasks.
Oxford is a good place, loads of benefi ts. I get hot food for lunch and discounts in many places. That’s why I chose it. Some others give you nothing else. You work well if you think you get something real back, not just money.
After lunch I work in another building, and fi nish at 2.15. My kids go to school here in town. I don’t want them to take the bus by themselves. It’s a nice feeling when it is your mum who comes pick you up. While I wait for them I have time for myself, and I often take a walk when it’s sunny. Oxford is so nice when it’s sunny.
I look after them for the rest of the day, and help them with their homework. It’s my favourite time of the day, it makes me think that there is nothing more I can ask for.
I moved from Poland a few years ago, Christmas of 2009, if I am not mistaken. Poland is a beautiful country. Not only Warsaw, but we have so many beautiful places. People here have a strange idea of Poland, but it’s an amazing place. It would not come to mind when you think about places to visit on holiday, because most think of Polish people as…you know.
I started working here at the College soon after I moved. My parents told me not to go, I was doing well. I studied accounting at university in Poland, so I used to work in accounting back there. But I was young and I wanted some adventure in my life.
My life here in England is very diff erent. Universities here are very diff erent too, the standards are very diff erent. There was a big academy where all the lectures were, but nothing else. There we hundreds of people in lectures and professors just talked at you, and disappeared after it. You live next to your professor’s offi ce here, you get taught in small group in small rooms. It’s nothing like what I had. The whole atmosphere is diff erent, you must be learning even outside the class, just by being here. It sort of makes sense that from being student like you back in Poland I became a scout here. I looked at the world rankings one day – my university was really low down. Three hundred and something. Oxford was third. It makes sense, you know.
My older son came with me; he goes to school here and is very bright. He and the son I had here will grow up here, fi nish school, go to university here. He’ll have a good job, a good education. That is very important. He likes languages, he is learning Italian. I was young when I came, I wasn’t thinking about my kids’ educations, but it seems to become a more and more important thing now. I am glad they live here, I remained here for them. Some people don’t have that. It’s not easy, but I am fortunate.
Malgorata was in conversation with Anna Agnello
