Turkey will provide you with an unforgettable experience Past Review
By Alex B (Business Administration, Fordham University) - abroad from 09/10/2013 to 01/15/2014 with
Koc University: Istanbul - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
Overall it was an unforgettable experience and one that I would repeat in a heartbeat. The friends I made and the memories I created will stick with me forever. The Turks say that you can take someone out of Turkey, but you can't take Turkey out of them. I would recommend this program to anyone that wants an atypical study abroad experience in one of the world's most fascinating cities.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
It really depends on the classes that you take. Koc offers classes in almost all disciplines and all levels of academic difficulty. Personally I found the majority of my classes much easier than the ones at my home university but I know many other who took upper division science classes who were certainly worked. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The International Office staff genuinely try to make the process as smooth as possible, but when it comes down to it, it's Turkey so that's nearly impossible. The simple truth is that there are too many international students (over 350) and an office staff of around 6 people. However, the student mentors were incredibly friendly and the vast majority of them genuinely want to get to know foreign students. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The housing situation was very nice. I was in a double room with my own bathroom. A cleaning service comes once a week to clean the room. However, several of my friends were in quads and triples and were sometimes frustrated with the lack of living space. All in all the housing situation is much better than my home university. Also, if possible I would recommend that students try to live off campus somewhere in Istanbul. Many students do this because Koc is so far away from the city center (almost 1.5 hours by public transport). Many of my friends found apartments and roommates through Facebook and were very happy with their decision. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It's what you make of it. Many of my friends became very close with the turkish students, but many others only hung around with other international students. Your experience is what you make of it. That being said, the international office does a good job of sponsoring parties and other social events in various places around Istanbul. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I know that some people had issues communicating with the turkish nurses at the health center. Personally, if you require any prescription medications I would recommend speaking with your insurance company before you leave and bring a 4-5 month supply with you. |
| * Safety: |
I never felt unsafe walking around the city. Although that being said, it's a large city and there are many dangerous places although chances are you won't be visiting any of them. Taksim square can sometimes be dangerous at night if you are drinking but it's mainly petty theft. I don't know anyone that ran into any difficulties during their time there. Also, any protests are generally contained to specific areas of the city and the student body (especially those living on campus) are extremely unlikely to be affected. |
| 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) |
Istanbul is relatively cheap. While living and eating on campus I never spent more than $12 per day on food. Groceries are also relatively cheap as is dining out. A typical meal at a sit down restaurant will cost somewhere around $10. The most expensive thing would be liquor because of the high alcohol taxes. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If possible try to open an account with a bank that doesn't have ATM transaction fees. I probably spent around $200 in fees during my time there. Also, make sure that you have a credit card with a chip in it because traditional American "swipe" cards are generally not accepted. |
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? | Actually attend the Turkish language classes. I stopped going midway through the semester and subsequently had a slightly more difficult time. However, it is possible to get by without speaking much more than basic turkish. |
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? | That Istanbul is relatively safe. That it would take forever to get my residence permit. |
