BY EHSAN ULLAH SHAREEF (CTIS\/II)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Name: <\/strong>Aneta Bo\u0159utov\u00e1<\/p>\n\n\n\n Department: <\/strong>THM\/II Erasmus+<\/p>\n\n\n\n Country of Origin: <\/strong>Czech Republic<\/p>\n\n\n\n University: <\/strong>Tomas Bata University in Zlin<\/p>\n\n\n\n What were your first impressions about T\u00fcrkiye?<\/strong> What do you like best about Bilkent and T\u00fcrkiye?<\/strong> Are there any similarities between T\u00fcrkiye and your home country?<\/strong> What will you miss most about Bilkent\/T\u00fcrkiye?<\/strong> What\u2019s your favorite place on campus, and why?<\/strong> What’s your favorite Turkish food and why?<\/strong> Where do you expect to see yourself 10 years from now?<\/strong> What’s one thing you learned from Turkish culture?<\/strong> What places have you visited in T\u00fcrkiye, and which one is your favorite?<\/strong> What\u2019s an interesting question or comment you hear frequently at Bilkent\/in T\u00fcrkiye?<\/strong> Describe yourself in three words.<\/strong> How is the studying experience at Bilkent?<\/strong> BY EHSAN ULLAH SHAREEF (CTIS\/II) Name: Aneta Bo\u0159utov\u00e1 Department: THM\/II Erasmus+ Country of Origin: Czech Republic University: Tomas Bata University in Zlin What were your first impressions about T\u00fcrkiye?I landed in T\u00fcrkiye with my roommate on a wild, squiggly night, our suitcases bursting out of the taxi trunk, tied with[Read More…]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9670,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[203,83,193],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9669"}],"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=9669"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9669\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9675,"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9669\/revisions\/9675"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9670"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9669"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9669"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9669"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
I landed in T\u00fcrkiye with my roommate on a wild, squiggly night, our suitcases bursting out of the taxi trunk, tied with a rope like runaway sausages! Nobody spoke English, there was no internet, and I laughed watching our bags almost zoom into the street. By the time we got to Bilkent at 3 a.m., my tired eyes could barely stay open. The next morning, I sat up in bed, pulled my blanket close, and looked out my window at the whole city. That view made me sure I was here for four whole months of marvelous adventure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bilkent\u2019s system is radically different from my university back home. Here, mandatory attendance actually pushes you to show up! There are practical experiences too, which never happens back home, where there\u2019s much more theory. Mid-terms here come in waves\u2026just when you think you\u2019re safe, the second one pops up to give your brain a proper tickle! And T\u00fcrkiye as a country? I love it so much\u2014I came here the first time for a short Erasmus experience in Adana, where my host family stuffed me silly every night until I half expected to wake up as a giant piece of baklava. The people, the culture\u2014I just had to return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This question was like a silly ghost, chasing me\u2014and all my Czech friends\u2014around! We tried and tried but couldn\u2019t find any real similarities. The schools are different\u2026the air smells new\u2026and even the sunsets seem to wear brand\u2011new colors. But then I remembered something very odd and perfect: both Turkish and Czech people call tea \u201c\u00e7ay\u201d\u2014well, in Czech, it\u2019s \u201c\u010daj.\u201d Now, whenever I want to sound clever, I tell my family \u201c\u00e7ay\u201d on WhatsApp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I just know I\u2019ll cry buckets when it\u2019s time to say goodbye! I\u2019ll miss my professors\u2014especially Nefike G. Sorathia, who always made sure we felt comfortable and cared for on campus. I\u2019ll miss friends who became family\u2014living together, swapping life stories, surviving mid-terms and building memories. But most of all, I\u2019ll miss Bilkent itself\u2014a place that made me feel more welcomed than anywhere else and where every single day felt like the start of a brand\u2011new story, waiting to be told forever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My favorite place is the study room in Dorm 77, right by the vending machine\u2014so cozy, and just a quick hop from my room! It\u2019s quiet, like a secret hideout for thinkers. And sometimes my friends and I wander up the hill from our dorm where we meet the \u201c\u00e7at\u0131 cats\u201d who almost believe they rule the world, while we\u2019re enjoying the \u201ctea\u201d that one of us has got to spill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Baklava is at the top of the list\u2014and not just for the taste. It was the first Turkish food I tried during my Erasmus in Adana. Every bite now brings back all those wonderful memories\u2014a taste of genuine warmth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I dream of becoming a nutritionist, living somewhere in Europe, hopefully with a family\u2014maybe two kids. My goal is always to help people and build a career I\u2019m proud of. If I look back and see I\u2019ve made even a small difference, I\u2019ll call that a win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The greetings! In T\u00fcrkiye especially the ladies are big on cheek kisses and friendly hellos\u2014which is totally different from the Czech handshakes or polite nods. It felt unusual at first, but it\u2019s something I really love now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ve wandered from Antalya to \u0130zmir, bounced through Adana, visited An\u0131tkabir and the Ankara Castle and tiptoed through Cappadocia. Out of all those dazzling places, Cappadocia is my absolute favorite\u2014its magical landscape looks like it\u2019s been ripped straight from a dream! I really wish I could have floated in a hot-air balloon. But you know, Adana holds a special place in my heart\u2014for the people and as well as for the food I had there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBilkent is hard.\u201d And after I got through my first tough mid-term, everyone smiled and said, \u201cWelcome to Bilkent!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Social, hardworking, helpful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I really love Bilkent\u2019s system, despite the challenges. The mid-terms and essays were new to me, but I love the private school life. Free sports and even all-paid accommodations. Everybody, from professors to students, goes out of their way to help\u2014sometimes even offering rides across campus! It\u2019s a place where you feel truly welcomed and supported.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"