The aim of the research was to establish the relationship between Polish and Ukrainian students’ social distance towards „others” and their place of residence. Social distance is defined according to the conception of E. Bogardus, as the level of liking and closeness of relations, or aversion and avoiding contacts with certain people or social groups. „Other” is understood as a person of different nationality. The author employs diagnostic poll as the method and the social distance scale as the tool of research. 480 students from Poland and 491 from Ukraine were included in the study. The analyses proved the existence of directly proportional relationship between the investigated factors. The subjects coming from large cities show more positive attitude towards „others” than the ones who live in towns and villages. Large cities are becoming more and more culturally diversified in terms of material, spiritual and symbolic spheres. The strangers who arrive at big agglomerations bring different cultural patterns, axiological and normative systems as well as languages.. They come in order to seek employment or as tourists. The situation leads to more intense contacts and multidimensional interactions, which, in turn, result in getting to know each other, increased understanding of individuality, tolerance and acceptance of values. The phenomenon in not usually found in towns and villages.

This study aimed to evaluate the COVID-19 pandemic anxiety experienced by students in Poland and its impact on their: social support, satisfaction with studying online and expectations of success in life. The data was obtained from a survey of Polish public and private university students. The research presented here examined the environmental and psychosocial effects of social withdrawal during the first period of the pandemic on the well-being and confidence in their chances for success in academic study. Recognising the individual and social condition of adolescents standing at the threshold of social maturity is essential to understanding the pedagogical and motivational consequences of institutional anti-pandemic regulation.

In the aftermath of the Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the outburst of conflict in the eastern part of Ukraine in 2014, thousands of Ukrainian migrants came to Poland. Many of them settled down and found jobs. On the onset of war in 2022, Ukrainian students were the most populous group among foreigners at Polish universities. The war in their home country had an impact on their families and friends. Young Poles, who made friends with Ukrainian students, take the war personally. Due to its unique nature, the perception of the conflict among young people has attracted the authors’ research interest. Additionally, it seems to be an added value when we compare attitudes of Polish students with those of Slovakian ones, as the latter do not share the same experience. The main goal of this article is to analyse opinions about the war in Ukraine among students studying in Poland and Slovakia, and their attitudes and behaviours towards refugees expressed online and offline. Results presented in the article have been taken from a questionnaire survey involving a group of 459 students. The survey took place in Spring 2022. The quantitative analysis of data is designed to provide answers to the following research questions: What sources of information about the war do young people use? What do young people think about the war in Ukraine, its causes and consequences? What forms of refugee-oriented activity do young people resort to? Have students encountered any form of resentment towards particular nationality groups in connection with the outbreak of the war?