Logistics at WAT vs SGGW: Everything they won’t tell you about these courses

Mathematical Statistics (SGGW) – Conqueror in Building 6

Classes take place at the Faculty of Economic Sciences (Faculty of Economic Sciences), often in the rooms at the Crystal Hall. Statistics are a “wall” for logisticians, on which many students end up. The exam can be a multiple-choice test with negative points, which makes it better not to mark the answer if you are unsure. Failure to pass a statistic automatically blocks Econometrics, creating a dangerous jam in the study plan.

Operational Research (WAT/SGGW) – chain of dependencies

It is a major subject that teaches optimization (Simplex method, transport). At the Military University of Technology, operational research requires proficiency in matrices. Failure to pass this course blocks access to Logistics Process Design. Without passing the operational examinations, the student cannot proceed to the 3rd year of studies, which de facto means the need to take a dean’s leave or repeat the year.

Technical Mechanics (WAT) – an engineering barrier

For engineering logistics at WAT, mechanics is a filter-subject. Implemented in the Technology Building (building 61), it requires an understanding of the distribution of forces and the strength of materials. Entrance fees to laboratories are eliminating – lack of preparation in theory results in not being allowed to practice, which after two such incidents closes the way to passing the course in the first term.

Fundamentals of Economics and Microeconomics (SGGW) – theoretical wall

Although they seem lighter, at SGGW the exams in micro- and macroeconomics are very detailed. They require knowledge of charts and interpretation of market changes. Students often neglect these subjects, which ends up with the accumulation of revisions in the summer session and the so-called “September campaign”.

The most difficult semester

At the Military University of Technology , the critical moment is undoubtedly Semester 1. It is a time of adaptation to military discipline (even for civilians) and a clash with mathematics. If a student survives the first session, statistically they have an 80% chance of graduating.

At SGGW, the crisis comes in Semester 3. This is when quantitative subjects (statistics, econometrics) and the first large warehouse projects come in. This is when USOS records the most entries about the “failed stage of studies”.

Internships in Logistics

Passing the internship is a critical requirement in the field of Logistics (both at the Military University of Technology and the Warsaw University of Life Sciences) to be admitted to the diploma exam. Although Warsaw is the logistics hub of Polish, students often “lecture” not on the lack of offers, but on administrative procedures in the USOS system and failure to meet intra-university deadlines.

Procedure for completing internships at WAT (WLO)

At the Military University of Technology, in the engineering profile, internships usually last 4 weeks (160 hours). The student must independently find a workplace that corresponds to logistics engineering (e.g. automated warehouses, forwarding companies, maintenance departments).

• Barrier: The internship agreement must be signed by the Dean of the Faculty of Safety, Logistics and Management (often in Building 135) before they begin. Undertaking practices without an approved agreement results in their nullity.
• Internship Log: WAT is rigorous in its approach to documentation. Each day must be described in terms of the acquired engineering competencies. “Opinions about WAT logistics internships” often indicate that internship supervisors on behalf of universities can reject the diary for too general descriptions (e.g. “working at a computer” instead of “optimizing warehouse processes in the WMS system”).

Internship at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (Faculty of Economic Sciences)

At SGGW, internships are often carried out after the 4th semester. Students are required by the “Internship Charter”, and the process of choosing a company is a bit more liberal than at the University of Technology, as long as the position concerns contract logistics, production planning or supply chain analysis.

• Location: Internship coordinators are located in Building 34 (WNE).
• Problem: The biggest challenge is the coincidence of deadlines. SGGW has a very rigid time frame for delivering documents after the internship is completed (usually 14 days). Being late results in failing the subject “Internship”, which generates a deficit of points in USOS and the need to repeat the module for a fee (despite physically completing the internship).

What do Logistics students fail to cope with the most?

Optimization in Excel and ERP systems

Most candidates for logistics believe that these are “business” studies. The reality in the laboratories at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (building 34) or the Military University of Technology (building 61) quickly verifies this.

• Barrier: Advanced analytics in Excel (pivot tables, Solver, VBA macros). Logisticians at WAT must additionally master process modeling systems (e.g. FlexSim, AnyLogic).
• Why do they fall off? Students are not able to translate the content of a task (transport problem) into a mathematical model. Lack of proficiency in IT tools makes semester projects grade at 2.0, which blocks access to the exam session.

Technical English

Logistics is an international industry. Both SGGW and WAT place emphasis on Incoterms terminology, customs procedures and transport documentation in English.

• Problem: During language exams, students often fail at specialist vocabulary. “Deletion from the list of students” procedures are sometimes triggered by unpassed language courses, which are treated as compulsory courses with a large number of ECTS credits assigned to them (often 4-6 ECTS).

Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Warehousing Projects

In the 3rd year (semester 5 and 6), students must prepare extensive logistics infrastructure projects.

• Specifics: The project consists in calculating the capacity of the warehouse, selecting the right racks, forklifts and IT systems.
• Fatal error: The most common reason for failure is data inconsistency – e.g. the selection of a transport fleet that is not able to handle the calculated volume of orders. The teachers at WAT are inexorable in this regard – a logical error in the project means that it must be completely redrawn.

Logistics in Warsaw – Work after graduation and a WAT diploma vs. SGGW

Warsaw, due to the proximity of the S8, S2 expressways and the A2 motorway, offers a gigantic labour market (Nadarzyn, Błonie, Pruszków, Piaseczno).

• Engineer Profile (WAT): Employers (e.g. DHL, Raben, DB Schenker) value WAT graduates more highly in technical, analytical and production process optimization positions. An engineer from WAT is perceived as a person with “hard” mathematical skills.
• Manager profile (SGGW): SGGW graduates are more likely to work in the departments of purchasing, demand planning and international forwarding. Their advantage is a broader economic view and knowledge of market mechanisms.

How to write an effective appeal to the Dean?

When the status “to be deleted” appears in the USOS system, the student has the last resort: a request for reconsideration of the case.

Specific: An appeal cannot be a “plea for mercy”. An effective letter must include:

1. Indication of specific random difficulties (e.g. medical documentation, certificate of difficult family situation).
2. A proposal for a recovery plan (e.g. a declaration of passing the missing ECTS within a specific deadline).
3. Demonstrating progress so far (if the student has failed only one subject and has good grades from the rest).

Local specificity: At WAT, the Deans value reliability – if a student regularly attended classes, but “failed” one exam, the chances of getting a condition are high. At SGGW, it is important to pay fees on time – financial arrears in the USOS system practically block any appeal path.

Condition, Commission and Deletion

Condition (Conditional Entry)

If you do not pass the exam on the retake date, you are entitled to conditional enrolment, as long as you do not exceed the ECTS limit.

• Costs: At the Military University of Technology, the rate for repeating a course depends on the number of hours, but on average it costs about PLN 100-150 for 1 ECTS. At SGGW, the rate is similar (approx. 120–180 PLN/ECTS). For a course for 6 ECTS, the condition costs nearly PLN 1000.
• Limits: A condition can usually be taken twice from the same subject. The third failure is usually the need to repeat the whole year.

Commission (Board Exam)

Last resort. You submit an application for a commission to the Dean within 7 days of the announcement of the results of the correction, arguing, for example, the examiner’s bias or gross procedural irregularities. The composition is usually: Dean, examiner, second specialist in a given field and a representative of the local government. At the Military University of Life Sciences, the atmosphere is very formal, at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences the emphasis is on theoretical knowledge. The real chance of passing the commission is about 10-15%.

Deletion

The decision to delete appears in the USOS after the minutes of the amendment session are closed. You have 14 days to file an appeal with the Rector. The key to success is to demonstrate random premises (illness, difficult family situation). If the appeal is rejected, the only option to resume studies (usually possible after a one-year break).

Top Questions Asked by Logistics Students

Is it possible to have a deficit of points at WAT in the 1st year?

According to the Regulations of Studies at the Military University of Technology, a student may apply for conditional enrolment for the next semester if his/her total score deficit does not exceed the permissible value determined by the Dean of the Faculty of Security, Logistics and Management (usually it is approx. 10–12 ECTS). However, it should be remembered that in the first year, these thresholds are guarded very strictly. If you fail, for example, Mathematical Analysis and Physics, your deficit may be between 12 and 16 ECTS, which automatically blocks the possibility of obtaining the “condition”. In such a situation, the only way out is to apply for the repetition of the entire year or semester, which is associated with fees for each ECTS credit of the courses that must be repeated. Inactivity in this area results in the removal of students from the list due to lack of progress in their studies.

What if I don’t pass the statistics at SGGW twice?

At SGGW, the situation after the second failure in the retake exam in mathematical statistics is serious. This subject is treated as “sequential”, which means that failing to pass it blocks the possibility of implementing econometrics and advanced logistics modules. If you have already used two approaches (basic and retake term), you must apply for conditional enrolment with repetition of the course in the next academic year. However, if you fail the statistics again (i.e. de facto for the third or fourth time during your entire studies), the Dean of the Faculty of Economics may refuse another condition. Then the only way is to repeat the entire semester in which this subject occurs. It is worth monitoring the status in USOSweb, because after issuing a second unsatisfactory grade, the system may block the possibility of self-registration for courses in the higher semester.

Does WAT recognize sick leave after the 7-day period?

The regulations of WAT studies are precise in this matter: the student is obliged to justify his absence from classes (especially colloquia and exams) immediately, no later than within 7 days of the cessation of the reason for absence. The sick leave must be issued on an official form. Exceeding this deadline means that the lecturer has the right to refuse to set an additional deadline for credit, which results in an unsatisfactory grade on the first date. In exceptional situations (hospital stay, coma, serious accident), the Dean may reinstate the date at the student’s request, but this requires documenting the inability to contact the university within the statutory deadline. It is recommended to send a scan of the sick leave by e-mail to the supervisor and the Dean’s Office while the illness is still ongoing.

What does a conditional entry in USOS at SGGW look like step by step?

The procedure of conditional entry at SGGW is formalized and takes place through the USOSweb system and paper (or electronic) applications. When the 2.0 grade from the retake session appears in your system, you have 7 days to submit an application to the Vice-Dean for Education. In USOSweb, in the “For students” -> “Applications” section, you select the template for the conditional entry application. You must enter the name of the course, the number of missing ECTS credits and the justification (e.g. difficulty of the material, random reasons). After the application is accepted by the Dean, the system will charge a fee for ECTS credits for the repeated course. You must pay it to the individual student account visible in USOS. Only after the payment has been credited and the semester status has been changed to “registered with point debt”, you will be able to enroll in class groups in the next semester.

Is it possible to change the exercise group at SGGW logistics?

Changing the group to SGGW is possible mainly in the “exchange” system or with the consent of the operators. Officially, registration for classes takes place at USOS in designated rounds. If you haven’t been able to sign up for the group you want, you’ll need to find a person who wants to swap with you. Then both students go to the lecturers in both groups for permission, and with a signed request they go to the dean’s office so that the employee makes a manual change in the system. Once the semester starts (usually after 2 weeks), the lists are blocked and it becomes almost impossible to change the group, unless there are conflicts in the timetable after entering the condition.

Is the board exam at WAT more difficult than the regular one?

The board exam at the Military University of Technology does not have to be more difficult in terms of content, but the mental pressure is much greater. It takes place in front of a 3-person committee, which eliminates the possibility of any inaccuracies. At WAT, it often has an oral or mixed form (blackboard tasks + theory). The committee checks knowledge from the entire scope of the material, not only from selected sections. The plus is that the committee is composed of an impartial specialist from another department, which guarantees the fairness of the assessment. However, statistics show that people who have deficiencies in the foundations join the consignment, hence the low pass rate.

What subjects block promotion to the 2nd year at SGGW?

At the SGGW Logistics Department, the key blocking subjects (prerequisites) are: Mathematics, Mathematical Statistics and Microeconomics. Without passing Mathematics in the 1st semester, you will not be registered for Statistics in the 2nd semester. This creates a domino effect – the lack of statistics makes it impossible to complete items in the field of logistics, supply and production in Year 2. That is why at SGGW it is said that the first year is a fight for a “clean slate” so as not to drag the point debt into the field subjects.

What if USOS does not see my rating and the registration deadline is approaching?

In such a situation, you should contact the instructor immediately. At both universities, the lecturer is responsible for entering grades into the protocols in USOS. If there is no evaluation and the protocol is closed, the instructor must issue the so-called “annex to the protocol”. Don’t wait until the last minute, because technical errors in USOS do not relieve you of the responsibility of registering for items on time. Without a grade in the system, USOS may treat the course as failed, which will prevent you from enrolling in the next stages of studies in the registration rounds.