Type of housing: My own house

Arranged by: Independently - My choice

If returning, I would choose: Again at home

Why? It's home! :)

Personal comments:
I got a chance to look a some dorms where my friends lived. It's not the best housing possible, you can get better appartments in the city (for a higher price probably) but it's very convenient to live on campus. And the rooms I saw were not that bad. Usually a suite of 4-5 singles. Super Dorm was pretty good in terms on central location and new furniture, rooms...etc. Everything looked very new and clean. But you can probably get better housing at a higher cost elsewhere in the city.

Describe host city: Students equally interact with the local and student community

Activities: Takes place mostly within the university/student environment

Nightlife, Travel: Takes place mostly outside the university/student environment

Personal comments:
Obviously Taksim is the starting place from where you can visit the 'best touristic' spots. However, everywhere around Bogazici there are cafe's and restaurants. I believe this is the case everywhere in Istanbul. In September 2005 it was chosen to be the most vivid city of Europe/the world by Newsweek.

Course recommendations:
Talk to as many students as possible about the Professors. Tell them what you want and expect from a good class, don't just ask for "good" and "bad" classes. During the first two weeks, attend as many clases from dusk till dawn to personally evaluate the stuff. As anywhere, the teachers' performance varies greatly.

Personal comments:
Teaching takes mostly the form of front-style lecturing. Participation of the students in the undergrade-part is not as high as at my home university. But as always, it student class participation greatly depended on the lecturer.

Language of instruction: English

Main source of funding:
Government assistance

Other sources of funding:
Family
Personal savings
An ERASMUS grant

Work opportunities:
I didn't explore any work options

Personal spending habits:
At home University/housing/food is included in a fee that my parents pay. So the food is cheaper in Turkey but I had to pay it from my own money. Furthermore I spended more money on random things, more than I would do in Holland.

Travel, Nightlife, Overall: was more expensive than at home.

Food, Housing: was the same price as at home.

Telephone: was less expensive than at home.

I wish I had known...
Red-tape at foreign universities can be frustrating so be prepared to deal with some issues beyond your control. Plan everything on time and never miss a deadline. The school's international students office is pretty good at helping you out, but only if you seek it yourself and remain persistent. Turks are very helpful and friendly :)

In my opinion:
I loved it but I'm not sure everybody would.