Anxiety Overcome - Syracuse in Istanbul Program Past Review
By A student (Trinity University) - abroad from 01/22/2016 to 06/05/2016 with
Bahcesehir University (BAU): Istanbul - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I have social anxiety, so studying abroad forced me out of my comfort zone every day which i think is good experience for the real world.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Bahcesehir is not the same caliber as Trinity, but the classes I chose helped challenge me academically. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The faculty and staff that were with us were very accommodating and welcoming. Any question you had would be answered almost immediately. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Very small quarters and you had to live in a dorm which limited options greatly. |
| * Food: |
Food in Istanbul is very affordable and very delicious. But in the program you have to eat out for almost every meal because cooking does not make logistical sense. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It is difficult to be part of the culture without speaking the language, but most Turkish people that I met were very kind and helped you feel at home. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Healthcare is very affordable and with all the health insurances you get everything is covered. When we needed help in the middle of the night, our program directors would help us figure out the best route to getting the proper treatment when we didn't speak the language. |
| * Safety: |
Istanbul at this period of time was a little rocky, but when emergencies arose, the program and my home institution dealt with it. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Overall, the program was great. The city itself is truly remarkable. The only problem was the students I was with didn't gel with each other, but if I could repeat the experience I definitely would. |
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) |
Everything in istanbul is very affordable. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | ~45 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Make sure you budget and have a plan. Some people in my program ran out of money a couple weeks before. Just make sure to check in with yourself every once in awhile. |
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 |
I took the class, but it was not required. It made it a lot easier to communicate. |
| 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? | N/A |
| 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? | Sometimes the languages are harder to practice outside of the country, so it's best to wait to really study it once you're there. With Turkish for example, it was easiest to learn by speaking to others because it's so different from any other language. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | 0 |
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? | I wish I had known just how big Istanbul was. It is very difficult to understand just how big it is until you're there. |
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.' |
