Being an international student anywhere other than your country is so difficult. What seemed as one of the worst nightmares was to travel half way across the world to a land where you didnt even know the language. Turkish.
Sabanci University is a world university where classes are held in English Language yet the truth is without knowing turkish you simply can not survive. You live in Turkey now. You need to learn Turkish and there is no way around it. The way I have come to understand Turkey is that it is one of the most welcoming countries in the world. The people are so hospitable and kind. Everywhere you go on streets you will meet random strangers who will always offer to help you if you show that you do not speak Turkish. They will understand you because of their kinds hearts and open minds and help you. That is one of the biggest reasons why I felt so comfortable here. People back home will not understand this unless they come here and experience this for themselves. People are accustomed to going to places like USA, Canada and Australia to study and studying in a country like Turkey seems so far fetched. The expressions I sometimes get from people are that of utter shock as if I was completly mad to pick a country where I do not know the language or education system. Sabanci University has a dream of becoming a World University.
A dream which is most faithful to. The dean Nihat Berker has established this university on the same structure as MIT. The education and grading system is that of a regular US university and it has one of the most comprehensive teaching systems. Apart from all our courses being in English there are basic courses such as TUR 101 offered for all of us. I took the TUR 101 course last semester and Turkish is fairly an easy language to learn. Therefore a great deal of worry is eliminated right there. The simple truth about university or anything in life is that you will never get it absolutely perfect. There is no perfect university out there and anywhere you go you will have to adopt to the way the structure is there. Keeping that in mind, learning a new culture and language was a part of the process of learning how to settle down in this alien environment. I took it as a challenge and worked to learn a new language and culture. And when I look back now. All I see is growth as a person.
