Many international students seek to complete their studies in Türkiye, due to its high educational capabilities and quality. On the other hand, we will shed light on the Difficulties of Studying in Türkiye and How to Overcome Them to improve the chances of enrolling in Turkish universities for various specializations and living comfortably.
Studying in Turkey
Türkiye includes about 120 public universities and 80 private universities, all of which are keen to provide the best study programs in various specializations to meet the desires of students, whether they are local or international students. Many universities offer scholarships to students in addition to student exchange programs between the community in Turkey and universities from other countries participating in student exchange agreements.
Türkiye began to pay attention to attracting international students in 2012 by developing specific strategies to attract students wishing to complete their university studies in Turkey at public and private universities.
With the increasing number of international students, the Turkish government was keen to improve the infrastructure to accommodate more students. However, Turkish universities did not establish special departments for international student affairs, which led to the emergence of some negatives that students suffered between 2014 and 2018.
Turkish universities established special departments for acceptance and to register international students to study in Turkey.
Difficulties of studying in Türkiye
Despite the rapid and tangible development in university education in Turkey, it has overcome some of the negatives that foreign students face and hinder their educational process, such as:
Study in Turkish
Although the Turkish language is less widely used internationally than the English language, the majority of Turkish public universities rely on the Turkish language as the first language in teaching their programs.
Therefore, students must be familiar with the Turkish language to join public universities.
Tuition fees
Although Turkish universities are keen to offer moderate tuition fees to students, some departments remain expensive. Studying medicine is the most expensive in private universities, and it increases every year.
Housing
Some students may face some difficulties in choosing appropriate housing during their stay to study in Türkiye, as the housing must be in an area close to the university in which the student is studying.
This is in addition to the significant increase in the value of rents in Türkiye.
Some homeowners refuse to rent housing to international students for fear that they will not receive the agreed-upon rent for students from the Middle East and North Africa region.
Social communication
Turkish people cherish their mother tongue and refuse to speak English, which creates difficulty in dealing with foreign students and the Turkish people, causing poor social communication between them, presenting the matter as a type of marginalization or racism, and the inability to make friends at university.
Homesickness
During your study trip in Türkiye, you may feel a lack of family and a constant longing for your homeland, which may cause you to go through many problems and difficulties.
Multiple environments and cultures
Although some consider multiculturalism an advantage, it may present a difficulty for foreign students while studying in Türkiye. Turkish society is divided into different religious, cultural, and ethnic segments. You will find some cities that welcome foreigners, while other cities and regions do not receive foreign students well.
High cost of living in Türkiye
This is due to the inflation that Türkiye is suffering from, in addition to the decline in the value of the lira, rising energy prices, and increasing rents. This makes it difficult for the student to live comfortably in Türkiye, especially in Istanbul, and the difficulty of studying there.
Lack of knowledge of roads and places in Türkiye
It represents a general problem facing foreign students when moving to live in another country, which requires them more time to get to know the roads and places and live with them.
Difficulty obtaining scholarships
Many international students seek Turkish scholarships, but they face some difficulties regarding the strict requirements of Turkish public universities to obtain the scholarship, which include high academic grades, a maximum age for application, and the inability of all students to obtain full scholarships.
Student visa and residence procedures
Obtaining a study visa and residence permit are crucial steps in studying in Turkey.
The student must apply for admission to a Turkish university and obtain an acceptance letter. Followed by applying for a student visa, submitting the required documents, and providing financial resources.
After arriving in Türkiye, the student applies for a residence permit, submits the required documents, pays the residence fees, and obtains health insurance.
How to overcome the difficulties of studying in Türkiye?
To overcome the challenges that international students may face in completing their studies in Türkiye, consider some recommendations, including the following:
Language learning
Most foreign students are afraid of studying in Turkey because of the need to learn the Turkish language, especially if the university offers an educational program in the Turkish language only, which makes mastering the language a basic necessity for studying in Turkish universities.
Some universities also require foreign students to master the Turkish language during the preparatory year before starting actual studies.
Trying to adapt
Turkish society is a multicultural and multi-identity society, which enables foreign students to obtain things similar to their countries and to easily adapt to the surrounding environment.
It requires showing respect for the Turkish people and appreciation for their customs and traditions, which enables them to receive respect and assistance.
Apply for scholarships
Some private universities may suffer from high tuition fees, especially for some specializations, so students can choose from private universities by the student’s desires and capabilities. They can also enroll in public universities, given that their cost is lower.
In addition, you can apply to the university to obtain scholarships and discounts for outstanding students to encourage students to study in Türkiye.
Stay away from political affairs
Foreign students should focus on their university life, refrain from interfering in the political affairs of the state, and stay away from places that embrace racist ideas
Report Discrimination
You can report to the competent authorities if you are exposed to racial discrimination, and those authorities will take the necessary measures and deal with these cases seriously.
Enhance communication
Communicating openly with different people from different backgrounds and cultures contributes to enhancing mutual understanding and dialogue, thus eliminating feelings of loneliness, lack of adaptation, and difficulty studying.
Beat the crowds
Congestion and movement through major cities in Türkiye is difficult. You can get around this by using public transportation and getting special offers for students.
University housing or housing near the university may be a solution to the problem and reduce the stress associated with crowding, making it easier for you to come to the university at the specified times.
Also read: Advantages and disadvantages of Studying in Turkey
How does StudyFans help you overcome the difficulties of studying in Türkiye?
If you want to study in Türkiye and avoid the difficulties that you may face, all you have to do is use the StudyFans educational platform, which in turn does the following:
Provide all information about the available universities depending on the specialty you wish to study.
Prepare the application file completely and translate the required documents.
Applying for university scholarships.
Receive you at the airport and provide suitable accommodation.
Conclusion
Thus, we have presented the most important Difficulties of studying in Türkiye and how to overcome them to enjoy life in Türkiye, study at university without problems, and work after graduation.
If you wanted to know more or have any questions, we are here to help you and you can always contact us:
Phone: 00905437394024
Or via WhatsApp through this link.
