BY EZHAN SHAREEF (CTIS\/II) <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Name:<\/strong> Aykhan Hashim-Zada <\/p>\n\n\n\n Department<\/strong>: CTIS\/II <\/p>\n\n\n\n Country of Origin:<\/strong> Azerbaijan <\/p>\n\n\n\n What were your first impressions about T\u00fcrkiye?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n When I first arrived in T\u00fcrkiye on August 30th, I found myself in K\u0131z\u0131lay, and honestly, I had no idea what I was walking into. I was completely unaware that it was National Victory Day, so suddenly I was surrounded by these massive crowds\u2014bigger than anything I’d ever experienced before. It was quite the introduction to T\u00fcrkiye! I also quickly noticed that smoking seemed very common here, and I was surprised by how frequently prices seemed to change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What do you like best about Bilkent and T\u00fcrkiye? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Bilkent has this amazing environment that really reminds me of my family\u2019s summer house back home\u2014there are so many trees and birds everywhere, which creates such a peaceful atmosphere. The education quality is excellent, though I have to admit it\u2019s definitely challenging. One thing I really appreciate is the transportation system between campuses\u2014it’s free and usually comes on time, which makes getting around so much easier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Are there any similarities between T\u00fcrkiye and your home country? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh absolutely! The similarities are remarkable, actually. The food is essentially the same\u2014dishes like mant\u0131 and dolma are staples in both our countries. Our traditions are very similar too, and even our mythological stories have much in common. It\u2019s been really comforting to find these connections, especially during my adjustment period. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What will you miss most about Bilkent\/T\u00fcrkiye? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Definitely the people I\u2019ve connected with here. Sure, I\u2019ll be able to stay in touch through social media, but it won\u2019t be the same as seeing them face-to-face, especially when we all end up scattered across different countries after graduation. The relationships I\u2019ve built here are really special. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s your favorite place on campus, and why? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Without a doubt, it\u2019s Bilkent Lake on the East Campus. I discovered it during my very first week here, and it immediately became my sanctuary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s your favorite Turkish food and why? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I absolutely love dolma with meat because it reminds me so much of home. I\u2019m also really impressed by how well prepared the meat is in Turkish restaurants. These dishes help me feel connected to home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Where do you expect to see yourself 10 years from now? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I have a very specific goal: I want to be working at Lockheed Martin, developing AI-integrated drones. It\u2019s ambitious, but I believe I can achieve it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s one thing you learned from Turkish culture? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The thing that\u2019s impressed me most is how genuinely people want to help others. When I was struggling with my \u0130kamet forms, my friends spent hours helping me through the process. The International Office staff went completely above and beyond to assist with documentation and other challenges I faced as an international student. This spirit of helpfulness is really beautiful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What places have you visited in T\u00fcrkiye, and which one is your favorite? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I’ve spent time in K\u0131z\u0131lay, where I lived for a week when I first arrived. The hotel staff there was incredibly friendly and helpful\u2014they showed us around the city and recommended some beautiful parks nearby. It really set a positive tone for my experience and is my favorite place in T\u00fcrkiye. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s an interesting question or comment you hear frequently at Bilkent\/in T\u00fcrkiye? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, you constantly hear the classic Bilkent phrases\u2014things like \u201cBilkent \u00e7ok zor\u201d (Bilkent is very hard), \u201cBilkent\u2019te hi\u00e7 hayat yok\u201d (There\u2019s no life at Bilkent) or \u201cS\u0131nav k\u00f6t\u00fc ge\u00e7ti\u201d (The exam was a disaster)\u2014especially among us CTIS students. On the other hand, I love how people here always wish you well with phrases like \u201cGe\u00e7mi\u015f olsun\u201d (Get well soon), \u201cAfiyet olsun\u201d (Enjoy your meal) and \u201c\u00c7ok ya\u015fa\u201d (Live long). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Describe yourself in three words. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Charismatic, smart, outgoing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n How is the studying experience at Bilkent?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n My first year was quite complicated because I was still adapting to the educational system\u2014everything felt new and challenging. But this second year started much more smoothly, and I feel really confident that I\u2019m going to accomplish great things. I can see how much I’ve grown academically and personally since I arrived. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" BY EZHAN SHAREEF (CTIS\/II) Name: Aykhan Hashim-Zada Department: CTIS\/II Country of Origin: Azerbaijan What were your first impressions about T\u00fcrkiye? When I first arrived in T\u00fcrkiye on August 30th, I found myself in K\u0131z\u0131lay, and honestly, I had no idea what I was walking into. I was completely unaware that it was National Victory Day, so[Read More…]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9205,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[196,83,193],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9203"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9203"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9203\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9240,"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9203\/revisions\/9240"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9205"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9203"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9203"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9203"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}