Voices Newspaper Altinkum Didim Turkey - "Whose holding their hands?"

THIS is the continuing story of Emily whose temporary infatuation led to an enduring connection with Turkey - from her Minnesota roots to Fevzı Paşa, near Akbük. For more of her writings go to http://ohhhsweetturkey.blogspot.com/

“Hold my hand, look both ways (several frantic times) one, two, three, run!” This is how my friend Len and I would cross the street everyday on our way to university classes, actually the whole time we were in Turkey, but especially becoming acclimated to our student exchange life in Eskişehir. My mother’s advice echoed in my head from when I was a little girl, “hold hands and look both ways before you cross the street!” We would joke that Turks were 50 points and yobancilar, more rare, so we were 100 points in the fictional game of “Hit and Run” while driving the car.

This is one of the many contradictions we first found in the culture’s - how could everyone be so kind, and almost overwhelmingly thoughtful then it seemed when Turks got in their cars the considerate, hospitable nature we were constantly experiencing got smothered by the ‘need for speed’.

Pedestrians do not have the right of way as they do in our country. Do not think people will slow down for you as you leisurely cross the street. Keep your wits about you and run! We honestly felt as if people sped up instead of slowed down when they saw us and were warned by a Turkish woman to open our third, even fourth eyes!

Once we safely crossed the street we would show our ID cards at the gate of our host university, Anadolu Universitesi, give a little smile and simply say ‘Erasmus’ which was known by all as the European student exchange program (although as Americans our exchange was technically different but this was easy). We would walk up the hill of the tree lined campus to find our counselors, classes or a cup of tea with a friend or stranger.

People were always as curious about us as we were about them. We would often have people following us, practicing their English behind us but too shy to speak directly to us but hoping to stay close enough to hear us speaking our native English. English is part of the college curriculum but the emphasis seems to be on grammar rather than practice.

We soon found out that to be a university student in Turkey is a very privileged life that takes a lot of hard work before you are even accepted to the university. Not just anyone can decide they want to go. High school students study for months if not years because ONE test, ONE entrance exam given ONE time a year for all National universities decides their future.

If you are sick the day of the exam you have to wait one whole year to take it again. What if you are a poor test taker? The students study and become extremely anxious over this ONE test because in Turkey, where jobs are scarce as is, if you don’t have a university degree your chances of a good job decreases greatly. It is a very elite status, university graduate.

This test also places students. They plan their futures at the young age of 16 or 17 and take the preparatory classes. Then the yearly exam determines their points and the points conclude which Universities they are eligible to attend and what department they may enter.

It is very difficult to change your department once you have begun. This is again if you even make it past the entrance exam. Recently private universities have been introduced that exclude the results of the tests but you need big money!

You can pay approximately 15,000 TL (every school is different of course) which is very difficult when most parents make around 1500 TL average per month. This yearly exam is for National Universities which are highly subsidized where students with high test points pay only around 300 TL per semester for day classes and 700 TL for night classes with lower test points. Most students do not work while going to University.

This is very different than my educational path. I was trying to imagine if I had to choose my path at 16 where my life would have led me?

In USA there are many options for University ranging from Ivy League expensive schools to less expensive State, community and technical colleges so anyone can get to university with some creativity, determination and funding.

Students in America rely on parents funding (some may be lucky enough to have a ‘college fund’ - years of saving from parents), scholarships and grants (free money) or loans (have to pay it back plus a little interest) to afford school.

Many students come out of school with training and degrees as well as student loan debt. Credit is an accepted way of life though in USA, good or bad as it may be there are options. The hope is that your college degree will put you ahead in the job hunt and you will be able to pay those loans back quickly. A majority of students work while attending classes.

Many students found it surprising that I worked nights throughout my university career and that my friend and I were older students of 27 and 28 having taken alternative paths to university.
The university life is inexpensive in Turkey but there don’t seem to be alternative paths for those left behind from the ONE test.