Turkey: GO and Explore. Past Review
By Katherine R (Latin and English Writing, DePauw University) for
Koc University: Istanbul - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
YES. Study Abroad was completely worthwhile and it gave me so much confidence in myself. I can now navigate the winding streets of Istanbul and traveling by myself taught me that it is okay to be alone and how that being alone can enhance an experience. Not that traveling with others isn't super fun, but when you are alone you learn things about yourself that you had no idea you possessed. You learn what type of person you are and how to get things done by yourself. I am also a lot better at asking for help when I need it and understanding what type of situations that I can ask for help for and when it is appropriate and for that I am so thankful. I gave the experience a 4 instead of a 5 simply because I would not use the same program again. I would go back to Istanbul in a second though. Studying Abroad actually didn't really help with what I thought my future plans were. It made me realize though that plans are good, but they aren't necessary. You don't need to follow a step by step plan say to be lawyer. You can explore and create and if you end up somewhere and doing something it is because that is actually what you want to be doing instead of the path that was chosen for you a long time ago. One thing that I do know is that I will be traveling anywhere and everywhere. I want to see the world now.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Koç University |
| 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. |
This school was definitely easier than my home university that could be due to the fact that I am a native english speaker though and many other people at the university weren't. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program organizers were not very organized. Everything took forever to do and I believe that the University wasn't prepared to host as many students as they accepted for an abroad program. The mentor system could use some serious re-vamping. I would have appreciated the mentors actually teaching us how to get around instead of showing us and then assuming that we would be able to figure it out after one try. I think that the mentor groups could be a great thing to have if they were used correctly. I didn't like how during orientation week we were shuttled around in a huge group. It made me feel like we were on a tour as opposed to getting to know the city that you are living in for the next semester. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The housing was nice and I chose to live in the dorms. The university provided us with blankets and pillows which was great. If I had to choose again though I would either live with a host family or get an apartment on my own. Living on campus limits what you can do during the weekdays when class is over because this university is so far from the city center. I would have also appreciated if dishes had been provided for us instead of having to buy them and then leave them at the university when we left. The shuttle service that the university provided to other parts of the city was nice and much appreciated though. |
| * Food: |
I am a veggie so turkey wasn't the easiest place at first to find traditional turkish veggie food. But when I started to make most of my own meals it was great. The fruits, veggies and bread are all so fresh and wonderful to cook with that it was great. I would highly recommend pide ban, there is one in sariyer (the district of istanbul that the university is near) and trying all the different types of baklava. The turkish people love to feed you and it is their way of showing hospitality, so take whatever you can get and drink cay after meals - its awesome. I really enjoyed all the soups as well and the use of beans in everyday meals. Street food is great too, love the corn and the waffle stands everywhere. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I loved traveling to different parts of Istanbul and Turkey. It is such a diverse and wonderful country. One of the last trips I went on was to Princes' Islands in the Sea of Marmara and I went with some exchange students. We took a ferry there and back and got to do some intense walking and see a church on top of hill. I really liked traveling with other exchange students because they were just as intrigued and interested in seeing things as I was. Not necessarily the big monuments (not that those weren't awesome too) but also seeing the small things. Like on princes' islands, walking up to a tree to see thousands of ribbons tied around it and its branches, as wishes for good luck and a good life. The image of this tree with all its decorations was so natural against the deep blue of the Marmara sea. I preferred to take trips that were not organized by my program because I like traveling either by myself or with a small group. I am not into the large tour group thing. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Istanbul is a big city. In big cities, bad things can happen. Just be smart about who you are with and please get a cell phone and put some other native students numbers in it in case you get in trouble. I didn't have to use the healthcare at all, which I am thankful for. Do not drink the water in istanbul, I tried to live by the rule that if the locals don't do it then you probably shouldn't either. While I was in the city there were some protests and a few small bombings, which was a little shocking to me, but I realized that these types of things can happen in all big cities, not just Istanbul. Just be careful and be smart, look out for yourself and your friends. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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) |
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Language
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | If you want good academics, straight lines and easy situations go somewhere else. Koc University is not a place for the intellectual, it is a place where you can skip class (not everyday obviously) to see and explore the city and it won't put you behind in school. I would highly recommend going to Istanbul it is a wonderful city and you could spend a lifetime there and still not see everything. Every street and every boardwalk along the Strait becomes like a second home and looking out every morning towards the Black Sea and seeing its swells is magical. But I would recommend going to another University in Istanbul. Koc is far away from the city center, at least an hour and half by public transit, which made it difficult to explore on weekdays. Koc also has a weird reputation in the city as being full of rich kids. If you are ready for crowds of fisherman, intense market places and smells that you can only dream of go to Istanbul. I would recommend this city a thousand times over. |
