Coming Process
1 – Can you please introduce yourself briefly?
Basil (France): I’m Basil I came from Paris for 1 year to Istanbul, I’m studying economics.
2 – Tell us why you prefer to attend Erasmus in Turkey?
Basil (France): I wanted to see change of the culture, and I think Turkey is different and Istanbul is a big city.
3 – What about your thoughts before coming to Turkey?
Basil (France): I didn’t want to come with thoughts; but I was already known that the religion, culture, foods will be different. Also, I always heard Turkish people are warm and they are very hospitable.
4 – Did you undergo culture shock in Turkey?
Basil (France): No, not really, because I’m living in an Erasmus student building, so it’s not shocking for me, maybe because of the Covid-19 I couldn’t connect with outside.
5 – How was your first week in Turkey?
Basil (France): It was like a touristic life, and the food was different, and everyone was looking different for me.
Julia (France): I was staying in an Airbnb house in Kadıköy, I met with many Erasmus students.
Education
6 – What do you think about online education at your university?
Basil (France): It sucks! I am not speaking Turkish and everyone speaks in Turkish, it is really hard for me to communicate. Also, I am the only Erasmus student in the class.
7 – How do you find the courses you take during the program?
Basil (France): My university in France is very close to Turkish system, but the economic system is different in Turkey. Thus, it was easy to find courses but it’s not good for me to learn a different system.
Daily Life
8 – Can you communicate effectively with local people? How did you manage to solve the language problem?
Basil (France): In the building I am generally talking in English because it’s difficult to learn Turkish, I know basics but I generally I use translate app because many Turkish people don’t know English.
9 – Can you tell us some cultural and social differences between your hometown and Istanbul?
Lasse (Germany): No “çay” in Germany, I think big social differences like eating food is different in here, when you go to eat you stay so long in Turkey, but when in Germany its just eat and go.
Basil (France): Here people are looking different because of the dresses, Turkish girls are looking very beautiful.
10 – What do you think about the Turkish cuisine?
Mattia (Italy) and Louis (France): A lot of meat, a lot of oil, a lot of spice and you see people a lot of people make food in front of you, it is not common in France and Italy.
Social life in City
11 – What do you think about the social life in Istanbul?
Louis (France): There are many people in the street and they seem more social, and they always drink “çay”. With Covid-19 its really difficult to be social also.
12 – How is the city for sightseeing?
Perrine and Julia (France): Great, beautiful, there are a lot of touristic places. And you don’t need to go museum to see a historical place, you can see them while you were in metro or you were in bus.
13 – How is the night life in Istanbul?
Everyone: We are hanging on pubs and in Covid-19 situation it’s really hard to go somewhere.
14 – Which cities and places have you visited in Turkey so far?
Louis (France): Pamukkale, İzmir
Basil (France): Pamukkale, İzmir, Antalya
Mattia (Italy): Butterfly Walley
Perrine (France): Cappadocia, Bursa
General Questions
15 – What are the things that you like the most in Turkey as an Erasmus student?
Basil (France): Ayran
Perrine (France): Food
Louis (France): You can buy alcohol and cigarettes for 24 hours, and it’s cheap for Erasmus students.
16 – What are the advantages and disadvantages of Istanbul?
Perrine (France): People don’t speak English its really annoying. Advantages are; Turkey is not far away from France, but it is enough far to know another culture and for us Turkey is really cheap.
Mattia (Italy): You can find many international people.
17 – Do you have any recommendation for those who are planning to attend Erasmus in Turkey?
Louis (France): They should definitely come to Turkey.
Perrine (France): They should stay at Best Flat Ever.
Yasin Karaçelebi
StudyIngram Editor
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