{"id":9263,"date":"2025-10-06T09:36:28","date_gmt":"2025-10-06T06:36:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/?p=9263"},"modified":"2025-10-07T11:34:58","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T08:34:58","slug":"the-international-chronicles-68","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/?p=9263","title":{"rendered":"The International Chronicles"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Name:<\/strong> \u0130brahim Akram<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Department:<\/strong> PHYS\/I<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Country of Origin:<\/strong> Pakistan<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What were your first impressions about T\u00fcrkiye?<\/strong>
T\u00fcrkiye is insanely beautiful! When I first arrived, I went straight to \u0130stanbul. I was completely overwhelmed by how much history is packed into every corner. It felt like home, like I was back in Lahore. The food, the history, the culture\u2014they’re all very different from Pakistan, but somehow they gave off this similar, warm vibe that made me feel instantly comfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you like best about Bilkent and T\u00fcrkiye?<\/strong>
The campus is absolutely gorgeous. I walk from East Campus to Main Campus almost every day, and that walk never gets old. What I love most is how friendly and helpful everyone is here. Bilkent can never truly replace my home, but it genuinely feels like one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are there any similarities between T\u00fcrkiye and your home country?<\/strong>
As I mentioned, \u0130stanbul especially\u2014but T\u00fcrkiye in general\u2014gives off a similar feeling to Pakistan. Both countries have deeply rooted cultures that have built up over centuries. Even though I\u2019m in a completely new country that can never replace home, there’s this incredible hospitality in the air that makes me feel genuinely comfortable. What\u2019s funny is that many of the sweets here remind me of Pakistani desserts. The flavors and textures are surprisingly similar, which always brings a smile to my face when I\u2019m feeling a bit homesick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What will you miss most about Bilkent\/T\u00fcrkiye?<\/strong>
Without a doubt, it\u2019ll be the friendships and connections I\u2019ve made here. Bilkent is demanding and doesn\u2019t leave time for socializing, but the people here are genuinely kind and friendly, so making friends has never been a problem. I can honestly say I\u2019ve made some really good ones that I\u2019ll treasure forever. I’ll also miss the sense of security here. The campus is a smoke-free, safe bubble where you can go out at any time\u2014day or night\u2014without worrying about your safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s your favorite place on campus, and why?<\/strong>
This might sound weird, but it\u2019s the area with the solar panels on the way from East to Main Campus. Early in the morning, I get to watch the sunrise there, and the whole city spreads out before you like it\u2019s welcoming you to a new day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s your favorite Turkish food and why?<\/strong>
Ac\u0131l\u0131 lahmacun, hands down! It\u2019s spicy and tangy and has this incredible freshness to it that hits all the right notes. Among all the Turkish foods I\u2019ve tried, this one wins by a long shot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where do you expect to see yourself 10 years from now?<\/strong>
While you might think that, as a physics major, I would have big ambitions, I truly just enjoy studying the universe. In ten years, I hope to see myself studying the universe, exploring its mysteries and fulfilling my curiosity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s one thing you learned from Turkish culture?<\/strong>
I\u2019ve learned a completely different level of honesty here. Back home in Pakistan, we have this saying: \u201cIf you can cheat, cheat.\u201d Here in T\u00fcrkiye, I\u2019ve met people who actually hate the idea of cheating on their homework! Their integrity has genuinely inspired me to be more honest in everything I do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What places have you visited in T\u00fcrkiye, and which one is your favorite?<\/strong>
Right now, my favorite spot is Sokollu Mehmet Pasha Mosque in \u0130stanbul, right by the Bosphorus. You can see Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and all the landmarks of \u0130stanbul with the sea stretching out in front of you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s an interesting question or comment you hear frequently at Bilkent\/in T\u00fcrkiye?<\/strong>
\u201cLahore, doesn\u2019t it have a lot of pollution?\u201d While I don\u2019t hate the question, Lahore is just so much bigger than the pollution. It\u2019s a remarkable city, and while the pollution is a problem, it shouldn\u2019t overshadow the beauty of Lahore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Describe yourself in three words.<\/strong>
Curious, resourceful, passionate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How is the studying experience at Bilkent?<\/strong>
It\u2019s extremely stressful\u2014I won\u2019t sugarcoat that. The academic pressure is intense and constant, but you do get opportunities to explore your passion. You interact with professors who truly love their subject and have a passion for teaching. So, I would say Bilkent is stressful, but there are moments that make it all worthwhile.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Name: \u0130brahim Akram Department: PHYS\/I Country of Origin: Pakistan What were your first impressions about T\u00fcrkiye?T\u00fcrkiye is insanely beautiful! When I first arrived, I went straight to \u0130stanbul. I was completely overwhelmed by how much history is packed into every corner. It felt like home, like I was back in[Read More…]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9335,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[197,83,193],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9263"}],"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=9263"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9263\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9264,"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9263\/revisions\/9264"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9335"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9263"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}