Turkey is the place of your dreams and pleasant surprises! Past Review

By (Western Washington University) - abroad from 01/23/2013 to 06/03/2013 with

Koc University: Istanbul - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned how to empathize and place myself in different shoes of a different culture. I also learned more about the international community and made numerous friends from different countries around the world. If there's one thing that I took away, it would be international awareness/acceptence. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Kathryn and Koray were AMAZING! They're very accommadting and will help you with anything!

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

The on-campus food was pretty good, but it's mostly Turkish food. There is very little variety aside from that. However, if you take a 15 minute dolmus ride, you'll wander into Sariyer, which has better quality Turkish food and some more variety of it.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* 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)

It depends on what kind of dining/touristy things you want to do. On-campus, the food is pretty cheap, and it isn't so bad in the city. Drinks are a little pricey, but not that much more expensive than in the US.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Oh, I'd say maybe $100, and that's with 1 night out into town to get something different to eat.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Try to limit your nights out to just the weekends. It's really tempting to go out on thursdays, but if you don't, you'll end up saving a lot of money. Also, if you're into clubbing, drink prices there are ridiculously expensive, but a lot of clubs also try to charge you for frivolous things (30tl, or $12 for a coat-check? No way), so just be cautious. Also, learn how to haggle if you want to buy gifts for your friends in the bazaars, because if you don't haggle, you WILL pay 50%-100% more on cheap tourist items.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

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? I didn't have a prior language course
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? If you go off campus, you'll have a better chance to practice your Turkish, but if you stay on-campus, you'll soon realize that you'll stick to English, since most of the students speak it fairly well.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • The people (program hosts and locals)
  • The amazing sites
  • The food (I had no idea that Turkish cuisine was amazing!)
* What could be improved?
  • Pre-departure orientation
  • Learning Turkish
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish that I had more time to see and do all the things in Turkey

Reasons For Studying Abroad

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The Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.