Katharina Schöttle

My decision to go to Kadir Has University was not difficult. I liked Turkey as a destination for my semester abroad because it is right in the middle between Europe and the Middle East and connects the two regions culturally. I applied one year prior at the end of February and received my acceptance letter about two or three weeks later. For the application process, I needed to hand in my transcript of records, one recommendation letter by a University Professor and a motivation letter.

Course Selection:

For my course selection there was an online catalogue I could easily choose from. But when I arrived at Kadir Has and our proper course selection took place I learned that many courses that I had in mind were not offered. So, there was the need to choose some new courses instead of the ones that were agreed on in the learning agreement. For all questions I always could reach out to the ERASMUS office and my ESN- Buddy as well as our international office staff at ZU. The ESN organized many events and trips which were all very fun and affordable. I would recommend joining the trip to Cappadocia. For the course selection I can recommend choosing courses from the core program at Kadir Has. Although, I heard the University wants to restructure the core program but for right now the courses were diverse and creative. The courses I chose out of the program were very educational about the history of Turkey and many professors were passionate about their topics. As the core program courses only contain 5 credits, I could recognize them as one in-depth seminar at ZU.

Living:

I recommend not to live near university but in areas as Beyoglu, Besiktas or even Kadikoy, despite the longer way to uni. Personally, I rented an Airbnb in Beyoglu which was a flat that is recommended to every ERASMUS Student from ZU. This was the perfect location for staying in Istanbul because it was a very popular neighborhood. Also, there was a great bus connection to university which took about 15 minutes.

Preparations:

There is no Visa to apply for before coming to Turkey for German citizens but after arrival it is necessary to apply for a residence permit for students. This was a long process because the migration ministry asks for many documents. If students are staying in a flat, they must provide a rental contract which should be notarized. Many landlords help with that, but students must keep in mind that this could bring additional costs of about 20 €. There is an agreement that Turkey recognizes German health insurance, so it is not necessary to take out Turkish insurance. The home insurance company will provide the T11 document on request, which should be taken to the Social Security Office in Istanbul, where Germans can obtain a national insurance number. The residence permit process takes very long, and it can happen that the ID card will arrive in the last month of a semester. Students can apply for ERASMUS funding for the semester abroad. Prices in Istanbul are not as cheap as it used to be, but they are still affordable. Public transport is very affordable especially for students who have the Istanbul Kart.

Apart from all hard facts about this destination, Istanbul is a very beautiful city with very rich history. Many young people live there, and they have a very open attitude. Also, nightlife is very cool in Istanbul and young people can feel safe being out at night. There are neighborhoods with nice galleries, vintage stores, cafés and restaurants and areas where it is very touristy and historical. But usually, students are not often where it is crowded because the parts of the city are touristy. For museums, it is recommend buying the Müzekart for cheaper entry. Istanbul has so many interesting and unique sights and is so huge, that even at the end of a semester there are still things to see.

My highlights from my ERASMUS semester were visiting historical and contemporary sights, having trips to the Princes Islands, to Cappadocia and to Fethiye, learning about Turkish culture and history, meeting amazing local and international people, going to bars and nightclubs, seeing the sunset at Moda, going to jam sessions and living in an amazing flat in Cihangir.

For people considering doing their ERASMUS in Istanbul I just can say: Go for it! Turkey is becoming increasingly prominent as a destination and is an amazing country to explore. Istanbul is a very popular city for young people and has a cool scene of very diverse people. It is not possible to meet boring personalities in Istanbul.

Text and Picture: Katharina Schöttle