AIFS Semester or Academic Year Abroad in Istanbul

Turkey is an incredibly unique country and Istanbul is an amazing city. Istanbul is jam packed with history and culture and being immersed in it really enhances your experience. Bogazici is a great school with a beautiful campus and great professors. Learning about a subject from a different point of view is one of the most valuable experiences you can have. The professors are very friendly and you can talk to them anytime. All 3 campuses are easy to get to either by walking or by shuttle. But be careful, the buildings on the maps are abbreviated in their Turkish name! Food on and around campus is exceptional. Become a part of Exchange Student Network at Bogazici to meet Turkish and international students alike. Housing in the new dorm was nice but had some structural issues. Superdorm is nice but a little outdated. Entertainment surrounds you on and off campus, the Film department has a small theatre on campus that screens films every night from Amityville Horror movies to Marie Antoinette. Etiler and Bebek are just short walks and the rest of the city is accessible by bus,tram, subway, or ferry. You don't want to just stay in Istanbul though, go visit the rest of this incredibly beautiful, historic, and humble country!

First of all, studying abroad in Istanbul is such a unique experience. If I didn't go on this program I don't think I ever would have had the opportunity to travel and live in Turkey for a summer. I would suggest this program to someone who is really looking for a one of a kind experience. Istanbul is such a breathtakingly beautiful city and the views from the Bogazici campus are unreal. I had the best experience and so much of it has to do with AIFS. AIFS made sure that we were taken care of and they made us all feel so welcome and like we had a home away from home. The program was great, and they made it really hard for you to get homesick. AIFS in Istanbul is the best experience that I've ever had. Like every study abroad opportunity, there will be a ton of difficulties, but that's all a part of the experience--cherish every moment!

My trip to Istanbul, and the classes I took at Bogazici University, were absolutely the best thing I could have used my summer vacation for. Bogazici is an excellent school with all classes taught in English. The neighborhood the school and dorms are located in is a stunningly gorgeous part of Istanbul, and I never felt unsafe in or around campus. The restaurants around campus are delicious (I especially recommend Mutfak, right off Rumeli Hisar). The classes were academically rigorous, and the faculty was extremely knowledgeable in their fields. The community is extremely welcoming, but locals speak very little English, so a Turkish phrasebook can be helpful. Other things you need to remember to bring are power adapters for the outlets, standard European 2-prong. Overall: Amazing city, wonderful people, and a great school make this a program I would recommend to anyone interested in travelling abroad.