Istanbul: BEWARE you will lose your heart to this place Past Review
By A student (Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/24/2016 to 06/05/2016 with
Koc University: Istanbul - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I learned how to travel by myself and communicate efficiently beyond language barriers.
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. |
My classes at Koc weren't extremely challenging and the resources are Koc are not that english friendly, although it is a english medium university as in all courses are taught in english. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Koray, Kathryn and Pinar were amazing and I think make the program so great. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The dorms were way better than many american dorms that I have lived in. |
| * Food: |
There are many options for food on campus. Over 20 options. There is a market on campus called Migros where everything you need to cook is also available. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt integrated in the Istanbul community as a whole more so than the Koc student community. I think it was because we came in the spring semester but it was very hard for most of us (CIEE) students to have Turkish friends from Koc. Most students speak Turkish in social scenes so without knowing Turkish it is extremely hard to make friends and integrate into campus culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Koc University is guarded and about an hour and a half away from central Istanbul. So it is extremely safe. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I loved everything about studying abroad in Turkey. I had visited before I came and it was so wonderful to live in a region so rich in culture and history. If people don't live here or visit here at one point in their life they are really missing out. |
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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 50 dollars |
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? | With Turkish zero language courses before the program |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
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 most of the social life at Koc would be conducted in Turkish. |
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 NetworkerAn active student leader, it was important for you to network abroad as well. Once overseas, you sought out student clubs, volunteered with local organizations, or attended community events. You encouraged your friends join you, and often considered how you could reflect your international experiences in a resume. |
