Türkiye seviyourum Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The classes were for the most part, on par with my classes back in America in terms of format and professors' expectations. Grades tended to be more based on two or three big tests rather than papers. Also, many Koc students didn't take their classes seriously at all, which could be very frustrating, though it also made the exchange students look all the better in the professors' eyes.

On-site administration of your program

I am so grateful I did my exchange through CIEE rather than direct exchange, because the people in the international exchange office are absolutely incompetent. CIEE was a great resource for us, the director and the others who work in the office are very knowledgeable about Istanbul and Turkey and can answer many of your questions about almost anything. They also arrange two trips through Turkey each semester as well as a few trips and lectures in Istanbul. At times I had problems with their style, however, rarely the substance.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

You can get a blanket and pillow from housing, but I'd suggest you bring your own, especially a second blanket. My dorm always had wireless, but some of them didn't. The actual dorms and campus are very modern and nice. However, be warned: THEY DON'T PROVIDE TOILET PAPER IN THE DORMS! Just steal some from the academic buildings.

There's no meal plan on campus, so you need to pay for all your food out of pocket every time you buy something. The cafeteria isn't that bad, and pretty cheap, there are a couple other better, but more expensive options on campus, as well as one 24 hour eating station. There's a grocery store on campus and I'd highly recommend you buy from there and make your own meals, it's a lot cheaper. Also, group dinners in the dorms are a great bonding activity.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Travel throughout Turkey. My biggest regret is that I didn't see as much of Turkey as I would have liked to, and I still went to Trabzon/Black Sea Region, Cappadocia, Eskisehir, and Ankara. CIEE arranged the trips to Trabzon and Eskisehir so everything was arranged for us. Cappadocia was amazing. Don't go to Ankara on your own, it's really boring. I also traveled to Italy, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Jordan, and Lebanon. But Istanbul is a huge city with amazing history and culture which will take weeks if not months to see even a fair amount. Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Sulemaniye Mosque, Chora Monastery, Theodosian Walls, Galata Tower are just a few of the incredible sites you must see.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I only had to visit the health center once, the nurses and doctors knew a fair amount of English and we were able to communicate and get me the medication I needed. Istanbul, for a city its size, is an extremely safe city. Never once did I feel in danger or unwelcome. Most of the "dangerous" parts of the city are far removed from anywhere you are likely to go. The Tarlabasi neighborhood next to Taksim should be avoided at night as much as possible. Be careful what clubs or bars you go to, always make sure you ask about prices before you buy anything, especially alcohol.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

The Turkish professor was a really wonderful person, she teaches differently from most foreign language teachers that I've had in the past, but I came to like it. You will only learn the basic present tense in the class, at best, it will serve as a catalyst into more advanced Turkish. How much Turkish you learn is entirely dependent on how long you are in Turkey and how much effort you put into it. Most of the year-long exchange students lived wit host families and could speak pretty good Turkish. However long you are in Turkey, however, you will have to learn some Turkish because Turks tend to have very limited English.

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• Local Students