Felt like a new home Past Review
By A student (Political Science And International Studies, Trinity University) - abroad from 01/23/2012 to 06/04/2012 with
Koc University: Istanbul - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
Learned the language, traveled around the country, made some amazing friends, got to know the city
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Had to live on campus, and campus was pretty far out. Had to be sure to maintain motivation to leave campus and get out into the actual city. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Had good resources for making connections with Turkish students at the University which helped with integration. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Clinic on campus was a pretty good way to practice your turkish/mime skills. Though one girl broke her arm, and the program was pretty good in making sure she got proper medical attention. |
| * Safety: |
Program directors were really good at making sure we knew where there would be bad protests in the city and checking in to make sure everyone was safe if there were any disturbances in the city. Crime is actually relatively low 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 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
Food is so cheap in Turkey. Really everything was cheap, except alcohol. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 80$ for food, public transit, going out |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Eat street food and go to 'cafeteria style' restaurants, get food at the market and cook. You can live on basically nothing if you get your food that way. Don't take up smoking. |
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 |
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| 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 |
| 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? | Try to talk to anyone and everyone - when you're ordering food don't rely on Turkish friends or people with better language skills. Go out in the city by yourself and take care of yourself for days. Make friends with the people at your favorite places to eat. |
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 far Koç is from everything ever. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
