Spring Break
A Summer Journey Abroad
Reflections on The Washington College of Law's Summer Programs - Turkey
Issue date: 9/20/05 Section: Viewpoints & Perspectives
This was the first time that the Washington College of Law had a summer abroad program in Turkey, yet it felt like it had been doing it for years. The classes were informative and thought-provoking, the excursions were organized, and the people from the school that hosted us, Yeditepe University, were very helpful and friendly.
Many say that students learn more by touring the country and talking to its people than by attending classes in study abroad programs. Turkey was the perfect mixture: we learned from both. Every class we had a different teacher depending on who the experts in the field for the day's subject were. They not only taught the subject matter but also provided us with real life examples they encountered during their professions.
Friday night was the orientation dinner. After giving his welcome speech, the Dean said, "I have a couple of additional announcements that I was recently informed of. Guys cannot enter the girls' rooms; there is no drinking on campus; and there is a curfew: you have to be in by midnight, or else the gates do not open until 6am." All of this caught us with surprise. "Well," said a student, "whenever we go out, we will come back at 6 then." And we did. That weekend we were introduced to Istanbul's night life.
Our weekends were always busy. After the first week of classes, we went to Ephesus, a city from the Roman times. The ruins we toured were impressive. It was incredible that such an old city was organized so neatly with its amphitheatre, library, and even with its gym and bathrooms. We spent the night in Kusadasi, a famous holiday resort place on the Agean. The second weekend we went to Turkey's capital, Ankara. The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations and the Mausoleum of Ataturk was our first stop. After that we were guests at a think-tank, where we had the chance to hear more about Turkey's current issues from experts in the field. The last stop was the Turkish Parliament. We had a meeting with a member of the opposition party. Throughout the day, we heard many different opinions on a variety of issues concerning Turkey's current ruling party, its journey towards the European Union, and its relations with its neighbors.
After spending two weekends outside of Istanbul, everyone wondered whether there was enough time to explore Istanbul. I do not think there is ever enough time for that, but the students in the program did their best. The Ayasofia, Topkapi Palace, and the Grand Bazaar were among the sites we visited.
Pemra Hazbay
Class of 2007
Many say that students learn more by touring the country and talking to its people than by attending classes in study abroad programs. Turkey was the perfect mixture: we learned from both. Every class we had a different teacher depending on who the experts in the field for the day's subject were. They not only taught the subject matter but also provided us with real life examples they encountered during their professions.
Friday night was the orientation dinner. After giving his welcome speech, the Dean said, "I have a couple of additional announcements that I was recently informed of. Guys cannot enter the girls' rooms; there is no drinking on campus; and there is a curfew: you have to be in by midnight, or else the gates do not open until 6am." All of this caught us with surprise. "Well," said a student, "whenever we go out, we will come back at 6 then." And we did. That weekend we were introduced to Istanbul's night life.
Our weekends were always busy. After the first week of classes, we went to Ephesus, a city from the Roman times. The ruins we toured were impressive. It was incredible that such an old city was organized so neatly with its amphitheatre, library, and even with its gym and bathrooms. We spent the night in Kusadasi, a famous holiday resort place on the Agean. The second weekend we went to Turkey's capital, Ankara. The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations and the Mausoleum of Ataturk was our first stop. After that we were guests at a think-tank, where we had the chance to hear more about Turkey's current issues from experts in the field. The last stop was the Turkish Parliament. We had a meeting with a member of the opposition party. Throughout the day, we heard many different opinions on a variety of issues concerning Turkey's current ruling party, its journey towards the European Union, and its relations with its neighbors.
After spending two weekends outside of Istanbul, everyone wondered whether there was enough time to explore Istanbul. I do not think there is ever enough time for that, but the students in the program did their best. The Ayasofia, Topkapi Palace, and the Grand Bazaar were among the sites we visited.
Pemra Hazbay
Class of 2007