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Hello all, Does anybody have any info. about the Tuzla neighborhood? My specific question is about the average rent in that area? I have been told that many people specially the married ones rent a house in viaport. Also, the orhanli was suggested. Let me tell the details. I will be studying in Sabanci and my wife in Ozyegin! Is anybody familiar with that area? Where should I rent a house? You know, it is important for me and my wife to have a convenient access to our universities. Furthermore, are there any hostels in that area that we could stay until renting a house? Anybody has any idea? Also, where is the GOC dairesi? Thaaaaanks

Hi, Does anybody have any information about this university? My friend wants to study master of architecture in Turkey. She does not know which university is better for her. She is looking for a university with complete English language in Istanbul. Unfortunately, I cannot find any useful information in Mimar Sinan website. It seems that it does not take international students! How about ITU? Please help guys thanks

It seems that plagiarism is more common in theses submitted in Turkish universities than is normal. I wonder what will actually be done about awards already awarded.The 'turnitin' software is readily available and is used by all good IB schools and many others. http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/plagiarism-scandal-hits-turkish-academia-.aspx?PageID=238&NID=101141&NewsCatID=341 Link changed.

My name is Louisa, I'm 21 from England and will be moving to Istanbul this September for a year abroad studying at Bogazici University as part of my degree. I am hugely looking forward to it but have a few questions about housing at the moment. I am familiar with Turkey, I travel there a lot with my boyfriend (who is Turkish) yet we've only ever been to Istanbul a couple of times as tourists. I will be moving with my boyfriend and we will be living together which is helpful as my Turkish is progressing but nowhere near as good enough to negotiate rental contracts at the moment! We've decided we would like a little flat together, studio would be fine, but are confused about where's best. I've had a look online around Bogazici area but finding it is quite expensive. Are we foolish for looking to find somewhere along the 1500-2000tl mark relatively close to the uni? I've heard that a popular student place is Rumeli Hisarustu? Any ideas of prices or a site I can look for student housing? Does anyone know of any other places that might be good to look at. Or if public transport is good enough to live a bit further away. We're planning on having a trip to Istanbul around April time to have a good look around but I'd like to get a few ideas in my head. My boyfriend is looking to move in around summer time to find a job and get settled ready for my arrival. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Hello, I am thinking about moving to turkey but I am not able to find governmental universities in social sciences bachelor programs in English, and i did find private universities but those are so expensive, i was wondering if anyone has any tips for me on how to get into universities. I would also like some opinion about the work circumstances in turkey, i speak four languages ( Farsi, Dutch, English, Turkish), I do speak Turkish on a B2/C1 scale although I am not a Turk. another thing that I was wondering is the beginner salaries and work circumstances, as if I move I have to provide for myself and live independently. is it difficult to live on your own in turkey as a 20 year old girl ( in big cities, like Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Antalya) ? I am aware of the culture and most of the traditions but in real life it is different, is the society used to young girls living on their own or do people look at it in a different way? hope to be able to get some help from you guys Thank you

Hi Guys I was born in Izmir but have lived in Australia since I was 18 months old. My family and I are planning to move to Turkey for a couple of years (or longer) and I am exploring employment opportunities. My partner (not of Turkish heritage) is a psychologist and also has teaching qualifications. She is most interested in working as a school counsellor as we have 3 teenage daughters and have been told you get discounts for your children if you are staff member at a private school. Either as a teacher, school counsellor or psychologist she seems to have many options. I on the other hand work in the area of equity and diversity/ social inclusion with particular experience in disability, sexual and gender diversity and cultural diversity. I also do training in mental health first aid. I have previous experience of teaching at TAFE (technical and vocational tertiary education provider, here in Australia). I currently work in a University. Sorry about the long detailed post but i am really unsure of where to go next. I have contacted several employment consultants, recruitment firms and responded to advertisements on employment sites (kariyer.net) and have literally had not response whatsoever. I do not know if i am a particularly unattractive candidate or am doing something wrong. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance Arif

HelloI need some help to apply for turkish univeristyI'm seeking for univeristy taught Dentistry or medicine in Englishplease who can help me to find univeristy in this time which avaliable to apply itbecause i see , there are no any univeristy allow to apply in this time , only in 5-6-7 monthsbut i ask here , maybe someone know if there are any univeristy allow to apply in this timePrivate or Public university NOT PROBLEMRegards

Hi there. About to start a job at a university in Ankara. The institution is working out my work permit/visa, but my wife will be travelling with me as well. Does she enter Turkey under an e-visa? Is she included as a dependent under my visa? How would this work. I know that the university will take care of our residence permits, but no clue how we should enter. Want to make sure that the move goes smoothly. Thanks!

Hi guys! Long time no post, huh? I'm back though, I think at least. Uh, mostly because I have a huge existential crisis and I need advice. I'm still studying Turkish at my school, but my primary major is Computer Science to supplement the language study so that I will have a good chance of getting a job when I graduate. Problem is, I want to study abroad in Turkey but can't find a school with a good CS program really. Since I imagine there are schools that people talk about more than others I was hoping someone could give me the insider advice on school rankings in Turkey, for things like Computer Science but also translation perhaps. Or just general school rankings, that would help a lot! I also really want to do an internship abroad, but I don't know how that would be possible in another country. If someone has an idea there, that'd be splendid! I hope you're all doing great! I will be around trying to catch up!

Hi there! My name is Simge and I'm half Greek -half Turkish. I live in Rhodes,Greece but since I got accepted in YAşar university with a scholarship I am moving to Izmir pretty soon. -I should be there by the 10th of September - My aunt lives in izmir and we also own a house of our own there so we visit a lot, but truth is I dont know much about this city. I've hardly been outside balçova therefore I don't know where people my Age hang out ( I'm 18) , where to go , which places are considered "nice" and safe - except for alsançak maybe- and stuff like that. I'm looking for a studio apartment to rent in bornova but we haven't found anything so fAr. Where else could I look for a house? I don't mind if its far from yasar as long as its near the metro line and the neighborhood is considered safe. Also, what do you think about yaşar? Is it a good university ? Any information you can provide me would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

The Teaching English forum of Turkey Central has a lot of very good information in it about teaching in Turkey from current and former teachers. Please make sure you browse and search it first for the answers to your questions. If you still cannot find what you are looking for, or need additional information then post your specific questions on the forum. The English Language Office of the United States Embassy has a variety of resources for TEFL/TESL/TESOL teachers and those who wish to be. Resources include the following: [*]The English Language Specialist Program which recruits U.S. academics in the fields of Teaching English...for short-term assignments to Turkey. [*]The English Language Fellow Program brings U.S. educators...to Turkey on ten-month fellowships. [*]The E-Teacher Scholarship Program offers online, graduate level classes to English teaching professionals in Turkey through the University of Oregon. Their Other Exchange Programs include: [*]The Fulbright ETA Program places recent college graduates and young professionals as English teaching assistants in Turkish universities - improving Turkish students’ English language abilities and knowledge of the United States while increasing the U.S. student's own language skills and knowledge of the host country. If you are seeking a teaching position at a high school, this list of High schools in Istanbul may help get you started, many of them also have elementary schools. Almost all of them have web sites which list the legal requirements and limitations for teaching in Turkey as well as open positions. For those who are thinking about university teaching positions, this List of Universities in Turkey will get you started. Please Note: pay and benefits of the non-private (state) schools will almost always be much less than the private universities even though the prestige and quality of some state schools is higher. Most of the private universities are quite young in comparison to their state counterparts so their quality is sometimes uneven. That being said, several private universities have risen to the challenge and may be equal or higher in quality in certain departments. Besides contacting schools directly you can also seek out secondary web sites such as Dave's ESL Cafe. TEFL.com seems to be another excellent resource with a lot of information for seeking teachers. Jobs in Turkey is mainly for those seeking to work in Turkey as their next destination. It offers a lot of advice on how to go about finding a job and what to look for in a school. Please Note: Jobs in Turkey is quite dated and although the general information is good some of it may no longer be relevant. You must be very, very careful about the positions being offered and try to make sure you will not be used, abused and taken advantage of job-wise. Work and residence permits should be a joint effort by the school and the applicant with the school taking the bulk of the responsibility. Sometimes housing is provided, more often it is not, ask! What are the benefits offered such as salary, lunch tickets, transport to and from school and others? Is the salary offered a net amount or gross (before taxes)? Net is best, the school pays your taxes and you pocket your income. Do not try to work illegally, there are many people who do and the authorities are trying to stop this practice. Turkish universities are somewhat easier to get hired into than elementary or high schools. Those universities which have an English Language Program (ELP) usually have a prepatory (prep) year for students with low or no English skills. The ELP is where most new teachers of English will start. The qualifications deemed highest for prep teachers are usually: (1) native speakers, (2) TEFL/TESL/TESOL (other), (3) university diploma (this is often the deal breaker). Write every school you have an interest in and be persistent. If you do not hear from them right away try them all again in a few months, keep trying until someone "nibbles" or tells you to stop. You might get a job right away or it could take you a year or more... Elementary and secondary school teachers from a foreign country who want to teach in Turkey are required by Milli Eğitim (the National Education governing board) to have elementary and/or secondary teaching certificates from a university, in addition to a university diploma, from their country of origin. Take a look a this Robert College page for prospective teachers which has a lot of very specific information for high school teachers and the qualifications necessary. In addition, most of the good Turkish schools look for actual classroom experience. Because almost all of these positions are with private schools, the pay and benefits are usually quite good and the positions are competitive. Many headmasters from Turkish private schools go to international recruiting fairs in the US and the UK to seek qualfiied and experienced teachers. This usually happens in the very early spring or late winter. Most of them reach their quotas and return with contracts in hand. Please Note: All social studies/history courses are taught ONLY in Turkish by Turkish nationals--following the regulations of the Turkish Ministry of Education. A person without a university diploma MAY be hired to work as a teaching assistant at a university. Any reputable university will, of course, attempt to find the most qualified and experienced teachers and many who come to Turkey have Master's degrees with experience and TEFL/TESL/TESOL and other language teaching certificates. If a university ELP does not have sufficient staff, they SOMETIMES may hire native speakers who do not have a degree. Applying in the fall is too late for most places as they usually have filled their quota for teachers. (Try anyway, be persistent) There is sometimes staff turnover in January and then the departments start looking again in March-April for the coming school year which starts in September. If a school does not have their quota by late July or early August they start to get "desperate" and a university may have a way to legally hire any native speaker who comes through the door. An elementary or high school by law cannot do that. If you move to Turkey without a job, visit all the schools you have an interest in personally with CV and credentials in hand. Make sure you bring your ORIGINAL diplomas/certificates, etc and not copies. Keep trying, (did I mention to be persistent?) Be sure to drink tea with anyone in any office who offers it to you no matter their professional position. That "clerk" or "secretary" with whom you speak may have influence beyond their station (then again, they may not.) In all cases, be cordial, sociable, polite, and ask questions about the person you are meeting with and their families without getting too personal and tell them how glad you are to be living in Turkey. Personal relationships mean a great deal in Turkey. Brits and Americans tend to want to get "down to business"; do not make that mistake! Whomever you are speaking with, if they are Turkish, or a long-time foreign resident of Turkey, they will eventually get around to "business" when it suits them. I brought my transcripts from the university when I first arrived, the university would not even look at them, they wanted to see my framed diplomas! My transcripts came in handy only when I took a position with the computer science department. I had grad level tech courses listed and the department head needed to show them to the Rector to get me transferred into his department. Otherwise, I never needed them. That being said, bring your transcripts, a course catalog with descriptions of the courses you took, and if necessary you can have them translated and notarized, which can be expensive. Good luck in your search.

Hi, I want to sue "Yükseköğretim Kurulu Başkanlığı" institution/who ever made decision in that institution regarding my papers. I finished university in my country (part time student) and submitted my diploma for "Denklik" (Diploma Equivalency) but they refused it because I was not full time student. Same they did to my wife. I mean it is complete non sense, since we not only had exactly the same classes but actually took all our exams together with full time students. To make things worse I was best student in generation including full time and part time students. Their diploma "experts" (or should I say bunch of backward monkeys), simply said we do not accept those part time, internet, etc. diplomas. I mean they just dismiss my life in 3 minutes without consideration and due to their absolute ignorance. This country is so primitive regarding education I think they need 700 years more to reach acceptable level. They make complications regarding diploma equivalency as if their education is serious. I talked with few guys who finished here same university as mine, guys do not have a clue about anything, and when I saw what they do on actual university it is really laughable. We did same stuff in primary school, and I am talking seriously. But they still are eager to reject our diplomas although anyone who finished secondary school anywhere else can be university professor here . Anyway I want to sue them so I wanted to ask for advice whats is the best way, and do I have any chances? Thanks in advance

Hi there!Are there any members on this site studying at Hacettepe University in Ankara? If so, may I ask you a few questions about your experience studying there?Thanks!

Just wondering if anyone can tell me what the University in Ankara is like. Are there good facilities? Are there any sports facilities? How about accommodation? Is it easy to find in Ankara?

Good day to you all, Please I need these advice and please be very frank. I heard about some dangerous new that Istanbul is full of crime. I am planning to start my PhD on scholarship in ITU by September 2010. Please I need some candid advice. I am married with our daughter. I used to work for a USAID Projects (and some project with WHO/UN as Per time worker) as IT Advisor/Consultant in Nigeria any hope of some private work or on some per hours basis work. What are the best cheap housing around ITU (Istanbul Technical University) for us. My Turkish level is 60%. Anyone that knows the ITU system of education well for some tips. I was told they will allow my program to be fully in English but some other people said it may not be so. Really need an apartment very soon is 300TL per month (the amount my present scholarship could afford) fine and where. My wife is a trained teacher in Nigeria and with a good command of English (any prospect of getting job). The states have already processed our papers, we are in Izmir already now where I am having preliminary courses in Turkish. Thanks. You can also email abejohno at gmail dot com