Turkiye- cok yi!! Past Review
By Courtney M (Elementary Education, Berea College) - abroad from 05/10/2012 to 05/31/2012 with
Berea College: Istanbul - Middle Eastern Cultures: Religion and Arts in Context
This was one of the best experiences of my life!
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
This class involved a lot of going out into Turkey and just meeting people. Academically, there were a lot of locations we visited and assignments we had to get to know the culture of Turkey a little bit better. As far as resources went, I'm the kind of person who likes to be able to find an answer if I'm not sure about something, and if it wasn't in our manuals, I couldn't find it, so I wasn't too fond of that. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
We had class every morning, but if we weren't on an outing together, it was hard to find the professors because they were off doing their own thing. I never felt unsafe, but if I had a question, it was nearly impossible to find anyone to ask. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
All the accommodations were wonderful. |
| * Food: |
SO MANY CARBS!! But it was all delicious. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Besides being an American and sticking out like a sore thumb with my pale skin, light hair,and blue eyes, I felt really integrated. Actually, it was a very integrated program with more discussions with Turks and learning through discussion than through a textbook and the professors. I really enjoyed it. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
A lot of people got sick on this trip because we were always going and didn't get much rest. I understand that we were in another country on a tight schedule, but I know I felt horrible a few days and still kept going because I didn't want to miss anything or felt like I had to. They did accommodate me when it came to certain things, like I could take the tramway instead of walking a mile back to the hotel, but I think they could have been a little more aware of those issues. |
| * Safety: |
I never felt unsafe or threatened. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
Everything was very affordable and most costs were included in the program cost, so I really only had to worry about snacks I wanted, water, and souvenirs. Everything else was taken care of. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | Yes |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
The program professors encouraged us to use the language, but the Turks we spent most of our time with spoke English, so it wasn't a large component of the program, or not as much as the program planned for. We did learn some basic phrases and were able to communicate basic things. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Getting to talk to the people is the best way to learn. They help you with pronunciation and correct word choices. We learned a lot more about the language through Turks than through books. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | How Westernized Turkey really is! I wasn't expecting it at all. |
