Life in Istanbul for students: advantages and costs
In our article, we discuss the topic of life in Istanbul for students, the advantages that make students prefer studying in Istanbul universities over studying in the rest of the Turkish states, and other details you will find through the Aldirasa Platform.
Why do students prefer Istanbul?
Foreign students prefer to study in Istanbul universities over other states, thanks to the many options they place in front of students, in terms of a large number of university majors, the abundance of university housing, and the multiplicity of social and service facilities at the service of students.
Students in Istanbul can benefit from the activities, festivals, and exhibitions that are organized annually by certain parties in Istanbul. The time we are writing this article coincides with the establishment of the largest Arab cultural event, the Arab Book Fair, which is one of the largest cultural fairs, and our leading study platform participates in it. In providing services to international students in Istanbul, with more than 250 publishing houses representing 29 countries around the world, in addition to the participation of many educational and cultural institutions and civil society organizations, university students can visit this exhibition, and purchase various books in various disciplines.
Among the cultural activities and festivals organized in Istanbul, which provide the desired benefits to students in the disciplines of aviation engineering, mechanics, and artificial intelligence, is the "Technovist" festival for aviation and space technology, which is an important way in Turkiye to discover the talents of young participants to display their technological innovations, such as missiles, robots, drones, and green technology, And at the same time, it is full of technology and aviation sciences and charged with feelings of competition, excitement, friendship, and brotherhood among the participants.
Universities in Istanbul have a very strong infrastructure, providing students with all the ingredients that guarantee success in educational attainment, as there are many educational laboratories, research centers, and huge libraries, which contain thousands of paper and electronic books, and this is a motive for international students to prefer Istanbul universities over other universities in other Turkish states.
The multiplicity of rapid means of transportation in Istanbul from the metro and Metrobus lines, which is one of the main arteries in the subject of transportation, ensures quick transfers in various areas of Istanbul for students, in addition to a large number of public transport buses and Dolmuş, one of the most important factors that encourage students to study in Istanbul.
The distinguished geographical locations of Istanbul universities, and their ease of access from everywhere around the city, are added to the advantages that push international students to choose the city of the two continents for their educational attainment.
The advanced classification of universities in Istanbul, the reliance on the English language in many university disciplines, the spacious working life available, and the many job opportunities available after graduation, are among the things that drive students to prefer Istanbul universities to study there.
One of the important aspects that make students prefer studying in Istanbul universities is the large number of sports facilities, the large spread of stadiums of all kinds, and the multiplicity of recreational facilities available in the infrastructure of universities, here we refer to Turkiye’s athletic development in recent years, and many Turkish youths have won gold medals during the honorable Turkish participation in the Winter Olympics held in China earlier this year.
Students studying at Istanbul universities can take advantage of the electronic applications organized by the municipal administration in various regions in Istanbul, and see through them all the activities, festivals, and cultural performances organized by the municipality for students, for example, you can download the Basaksehirli application, which includes everything that matters to the student from libraries and festivals offers and more.
Advantages of life in Istanbul for students
Turkish universities generally allow the student to use the student card for transportation at discounted prices within the limits of the state in which the student resides. One of the advantages of residing in Istanbul for students is the possibility to benefit scientifically from libraries, research centers, and advanced scientific laboratories in their tools and supplies.
International students can live in a sprawling, tourist-class city, enjoy a weekend visit to nature and archaeological sites, and learn about historical monuments by visiting museums, art, and history galleries.
During their study life, students obtain a residence ticket from the Immigration Department for foreigners, which qualifies the student to reside legally in the state in which he studies, and the possibility of benefiting from medical services, health insurance, and treatment in hospitals.
A student in Istanbul can find many options for university housing and rental houses near universities in different regions of the state.
Disadvantages of living in Istanbul for students
The cost of living in Istanbul for students is relatively high compared to the rest of the other states in Turkiye, one of the most prominent disadvantages of living in Istanbul, but these high costs when compared with European countries are very cheap for international students.
The huge population density in Istanbul, and the heavy traffic congestion in the transportation links, are one of the disadvantages that students can face in life in Istanbul.
The rise in rent prices when wanting to rent student apartments, and the increase in inflation rates that negatively affect university fees, are among the most important points that should be mentioned among the disadvantages of living in Istanbul for international students.
The best residential areas in Istanbul for students
Students wishing to study at Istanbul universities can register in the university housing provided by various public and private Turkish universities, as this allows housing in an area close to the college, and shortens a lot of time and effort for students.
But if it is not possible to get a room in the university dormitories provided by the universities, students should look for suitable apartments for them in points close to the universities.
In this context, it is possible to communicate with the education advisors in the Aldirasa Platform, to help ensure obtaining a room in the university dormitories, which provide students with all the necessary needs, and around which social facilities abound.
The best universities in Istanbul for international students
The great historical value, archaeological heritage, tourism components, and the many advantages that characterize the city of Istanbul are positively reflected in the universities in Istanbul and the study in this state, as this state has a historical and cultural heritage that the student finds a clear impact on university education and academic achievement.
As we mentioned, the advanced ranking of universities in Istanbul encourages international students to obtain a university degree from one of these universities, and among the best universities in Istanbul:
- Istanbul University
- Marmara University
- Istanbul Technical University
- Medipool Private University
- Istanbul Bilgi University
- Altınbaş University
- Aydın University
- Koç University
- Yeditepe University
- Üskğdar University
- Kültür University Istanbul
- Bahçeşehir University
Living costs in Istanbul for a student
The cost of living in Istanbul for students may be high compared to other states in Turkiye, as fluctuations in the exchange rate of the Turkish lira against the dollar, and an increase in inflation rates, result in a significant increase in the value of rents for students apartments, a rise in the prices of tuition fees for university majors, and an increase in prices food, school supplies, and other matters related to living and education in Istanbul.
Places of entertainment and social activities for students in Istanbul
The many museums spread in different places in Istanbul are among the best cultural activities that students can do, and benefit from them academically in university life.
There are many places of entertainment and social activities that Istanbul universities provide to students, where various types of sports can be practiced in the playgrounds within the social facilities of the universities.
You can benefit from the various recreational opportunities organized by student bodies from time to time within the social activities in various Istanbul universities, such as attending seminars, conferences, and lectures, watching various films in cinemas and going on trips to many natural and historical places within Istanbul.
Government support for students in Istanbul
The Turkish government pays great attention to university students and provides them with all the ingredients that guarantee their success in school life. The most prominent types of government support for students in general in Istanbul are:
- The possibility of obtaining university housing with cheap fees and including meals.
- Discounts on transportation card prices and some entertainment places, where students can ride all means of transportation through the reduced transportation card, and enter most tourist places at cheap prices.
- Scientific support is provided through the large public libraries designated for the universities, where it is possible to benefit from the books, articles, and scientific research available in these libraries.
- The possibility of obtaining student residence permits, allows them to receive free treatment in government hospitals.
- Benefit from the scholarships offered annually by public and private entities, and allow students to study for free in Turkish universities.
Edited by Aldirasa Platform©