Eye-opening, phenomenal, I couldn't have chosen a better place. Past Review
By A student (Communication, Trinity University) - abroad from 01/11/2015 to 05/31/2015 with
Bogazici University: Istanbul - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I learned how to experience other cultures more, and I grew more comfortable being my true self all the time.
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. |
The rigor/intensity of courses was not on par with Trinity's standards, but the subject material (specifically on Turkish-specific courses) made the classes fun and challenging. I was never short on resources that aided my studies. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration was not always available and were hard to communicate with when they were out of the office. The planned really nice activities and lectures for us. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Good living arrangements, though they were far from campus and I felt as though we disturbed our neighbors in the department easily as a whole. |
| * Food: |
I have never had eggplant that tasted so good. The food was amazing. It was sometimes difficult for my vegetarian friends to eat, but not impossible and only at certain places. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I found it easy to meet locals, and the language courses I took were very helpful in integrating both in language and culture. It was wonderful. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Health issues were addressed immediately by the administration, and medicine was readily available if we needed it. |
| * Safety: |
I felt safer walking around alone in Istanbul than I do walking in most U.S. cities. IES was very good at communicating any immediate danger, so I always felt safe. Common sense was the most useful tool - some men don't like to take no for an answer, especially in Istanbul. |
| 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) |
I could live off of $50 a week if I really wanted to. I had $100 a week, and all my costs were covered, including going out, public transportation, cabs, food, etc. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 50-100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you travel around countries, use budget airlines. That really helped. |
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 |
Using the language was both helpful and often necessary. |
| 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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | None |
| 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? | Make local friends, talk to the local people in food markets, stores, etc. Join a club or group on campus that is made up of primarily locals. Live with a host family. Practice the language in your free time. |
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? | I wish I had travelled more in Turkey and spent more time in Istanbul instead of going to other countries. It was such a big city, that even if I spent every day there I couldn't have seen it all. It's worth every second. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Turkish 101 |
| Course Department: | Turkish Language |
| Instructor: | Serkan Uygun |
| Instruction Language: | Turkish |
| Comments: | This course was offered through IES (not at specific university). It was a great course for learning Turkish. The professor was very fun and helpful. We learned both about the language and the culture, and even got to take field trips around to good local places. Very good course. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No problem transferring. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
HIST-222 Classical Ottoman History |
| Course Department: | History |
| Instructor: | Derin Terzioğlu |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This course was offered at Boğaziçi University. The professor was very knowledgeable and passionate about her subject. She was available and helpful outside of class. This course was difficult to take as a foreigner, because I was missing prior knowledge of basic Ottoman terms and history. This professor had a grading style that made it impossible to get an A, however. This was the most difficult course I took. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No difficulty transferring credits. |
