Mobility specification

Country:Türkiye

Institution:Bilkent University

City:Ankara

Program:Erasmus+ for study

Activity type:Study

Academic year:2025/2026

MU faculty/department:Faculty of Social Studies / Department of International Relations and European Studies

Study level abroad:Bachelor

🎓Hit the books! How do you rate the university experience?

Can you enroll in a course where you can learn the local language?yes

Does the university offer enough courses in English?they have tons

Are your credits converted?yes

Can you give an example?The vast majority of courses are worth 3 of the university's credits, but they always count as 5 ECTS.

Was there anything in the teaching methods that surprised you?Lectures are twice a week, 2+1 hours. Almost all of them were with compulsory attendance. Every class has at least a midterm and a final exam, and they usually have some quizzes, essays, etc.

Does the university offer international students' programs and activities outside of lectures and seminars to help them integrate more quickly?They put on a very helpful orientation week for us, many of us joined student clubs without any problems, but there were almost no student events, rather we organized them ourselves.

In which areas does the university offer support for students with special needs and strive to be inclusive?Psychological counseling
Barrier-free access to classrooms and dormitories
Other

Special needs - Other:There's a medical center right on campus, which includes access to a psychiatrist.

💸Did you have to rob the bank?

Try to take a guess at what your monthly expenditures were:6000 CZK/month

Did you stay in dorms?yes

What about unexpected expenses? Did anything surprise you?How much I ended up buying (of my own volition) pouches for the campus cats :)

Do you have any tips on how to save money?Go to the dormitories, which are free for Erasmus students. Otherwise, food is relatively cheap/cheaper in Turkey and on campus than in the Czech Republic.

🗺 Learn the ropes in a new city

How well did you manage to communicate in English?neutral

How does public transport work in the city?I've seen better

And what about transport outside the city?mostly fine

Where to find connections? How to buy a ticket?Trains via TCDD, buses via FlixBus or Obilet. Times of university buses are on the website or stops. Metro can be accessed by card. Otherwise, you can pay everywhere by card.

Did you deal with any health issues during your stay?yes

How do you rate the availability of healthcare?perfect

🤠Help create the perfect bucket list

What is a must-see in the city?The castle and the view from it were top. Best place for souvenirs in Ankara.

What are the must-visit trip destinations?ESN club organizes a trip to Cappadocia. Beautiful location, like nothing any of us have ever experienced. Some people went alone, but logistically and price-wise it works out better with ESN.

Share your best experience:The second weekend we went with a big group to the seaside Amasra. There was no swimming, but there were a lot of us, we had a great time, it's beautiful, there's a great hike, and most importantly the locals were very friendly and invited us to their restaurant the next day for breakfast. Great first impression.

💅A nugget of wisdom to make the life easier

Did you need to handle a visa?yes

Where can it be arranged?Not a visa directly, but a residence permit. We did it directly at the unvierzita, where they gave us step by step instructions on how to fill out the application and we didn't even have to go to the city to get fingerprinted, it was arranged on campus.

What is needed?Valid health/travel insurance, they will send you the minimum values before the start; Turkish sim card, we went to buy it with ESN; 4 5x6 photos, they cut them to size in the photo centre; photocopy of passport; cash for the request, they will tell you exactly.

How long does it take approximately?We filled out the application within an hour, then we just waited a few days for confirmation, and then individually weeks for delivery.

How did you get to the place?Plane

Is there anything to watch out for before the trip?Czech data is extremely expensive.

Can you pay by card?everywhere

What not to forget when packing?Notebook and pens, some teachers in other disciplines did not allow laptop/tablet + exams were written in pen. I recommend girls to pack some kind of scarf to enter mosques. Swimsuits even for the fall semester to experience a traditional Turkish bath.

🥳Summary

Whew, what a ride! 😮‍💨 Thanks so much for taking the time to complete our survey and for sharing your unique experience. Just one last thing. 🙏 How would you summarize your trip in one or two sentences?Beautiful nature, amazing people from Turkey and all over the world - a unique chance that I don't regret.