FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Which country should I go to for language education abroad?

America:
We can call the flights between America and Turkey as long-haul. For this reason, we do not recommend a short trip to America for students. Of course, we understand those who want to go and see Disneyland, Universal Studios or Las Vegas in their dreams, but in general, for students who think about language education and how to improve their English the fastest, America gives more effective results for trips of 3 months or more. You will have enough time to visit many places in America and increase your English level.

England:
All registrations up to 11 months in England, which was shown as the most preferred country in every age group in 2018, will be beneficial for you. With the short-term student visa, which is easier and less challenging in terms of visa type, you can study the language you want for 11 months and enjoy the unique historical texture of England as well as being a student. In the UK, which has a world-renowned reputation for its summer schools, weekly all-inclusive programs can be a great language adventure, especially for young students.

Australia:
It is shown as the most suitable country especially for students who are considering working while studying language. It is the most suitable option for students who are looking to earn an income or who do not want to be financially challenged, as they have a legal work permit and have the opportunity to work as soon as they set foot in the country. We never recommend language training in Australia for less than 3 months, given the distance.

Canada:
There is a great demand for Canada, which has become the favorite of students especially in university, graduate or college education in recent years. The reason for this is the very high quality universities and the work permit obtained while studying at the university. However, it will be a great choice for students with long-term plans to have a work permit of 1-3 years based on the period you have studied and to have a path to citizenship. As a result, it is one of the few countries that we will undoubtedly recommend to all students with long-term plans.

Ireland:
Due to the work permit granted to all registrations of 25 weeks or more and the new favorite city of Europe, Dublin is slowly turning into a student city, it is at the top of the list of preferences. Ireland is at the top of the list of countries we can recommend to all students who want to earn an income and want to study language without making big investments in the long term. The right to work or vacation for 2 months, which Ireland provides as an extra after school, is also a privilege that students should consider when choosing.

Malta:
Malta, which is among the most preferred countries especially among summer schools, is home to many language schools. The language schools here, which are famous for their activities, offer a quality language education especially for students who come for a short time. Considering the ease of visa and distances, Malta is among the countries we recommend the most for trips of 3 months or less.

Do countries abroad have YÖK equivalency?

Recognition
Recognition is a matter of universities. The country you will go abroad, the university, the physical structure of the university, the staff structure, educational practices, etc. criteria are examined and the suitability of the universities; more precisely, it is decided whether the educational institution has a university qualification or not. In order to apply for equivalence for a diploma, first of all, the university from which you received the diploma must be recognized by YÖK. Generally, private universities with a history with public universities are recognized by YÖK.
In order to find out whether the university you will study abroad is recognized by YÖK, you need to submit a petition to YÖK. In the petition, please write your name, surname, telephone, address, the full name of the desired school (Original name, English name, Turkish name), the country where the school is located, the city, the name of the relevant department, the level of education you want to receive (associate, undergraduate, graduate), then send it to YÖK Equivalency Unit by post or courier. The reply will be mailed to the address specified in the petition within 15 days at the latest.
Phone (Equivalence Process and Application Inquiry): 444 8 965 (444 8 YÖK)
Address: Presidency of the Council of Higher Education: 06539
Bilkent / ANKARA
E-mail: [email protected]

Yök Equivalency
Equivalency is a matter related to the content of the education you have received. Basically, it means that the compulsory courses you have taken during your education and their contents are compatible with the compulsory courses, content and intensities of the same department in Turkey. If there is this harmony and conformity, the diploma you receive is given an equivalence. In the absence of this compatibility, you may be asked to take the missing courses at a university in Turkey or take the equivalence exam. If you get 50 points out of 100 in the equivalence exam, your diploma will be awarded.
To give an example, if you study LAW abroad at a University recognized by YÖK, after returning to Turkey after graduation, you must complete your missing courses in order to receive equivalency. For example, the Law you studied in England does not concern Turkey, more precisely, our legislation is separate, theirs is different. After determining the common courses, YÖK asks you to complete the remaining 15-20 courses at a university in Turkey. This will cost you 2-3 years. YÖK directly recognizes the equivalence application of a student studying mechanical engineering at a university recognized by YÖK, after graduation, or may request that he take a placement test at most.
There have been important developments regarding the YÖK equivalency procedures, especially within the scope of the European Union process and the Bologna agreement, and the attitude of YÖK on this issue has led to a very positive progress. In particular, there is no problem in terms of recognition or equivalence in diplomas received in the European Union countries and in the member countries of the union. In countries that are not members of the Union but within the scope of the Bologna agreement (eg Russia, Ukraine), there is no significant obstacle to the recognition and equivalence of diplomas. Students studying abroad no longer face insurmountable barriers to equivalency.
Those who are placed in universities abroad through ÖSYM-YÖK (“Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Macedonia, Moldova” in the universities written in the ÖSYS Higher Education Programs and Quotas Guide) apply with the necessary documents after graduation, and their equivalence is approved.

How can I get a scholarship abroad?

Studying abroad on scholarship is both a prestigious and economical option. As a scholar who had the opportunity to do a master’s degree abroad with the European Union Jean Monnet Scholarship Program, I will try to briefly discuss the scholarship alternatives and the points to be considered in scholarship applications.

There are many aspects of undergraduate, graduate and doctoral education abroad, both general and individual. In addition to general criteria such as the admission requirements of universities, there are also personal issues that play an important role in the university preferences and acceptance of our fellow students, such as their career goals, grade point averages and CVs. Carefully ensuring the balance and harmony between the personal issues in your applications and the general application criteria is one of the factors that will increase your chances of success. For example, while preparing your university and scholarship application file, it is very important that your letter of intent, resume and references are prepared as pieces of a puzzle that complement each other.

It is useful to make a long-term planning, taking into account that you will be in a very tight competition while making your scholarship applications that will contribute to your abroad education goals and this process may proceed independently of your academic education program applications. You can also take steps to increase your chances of winning a scholarship by applying to several alternative scholarship programs. Preparing your file in the best way and presenting the best quality you can do to the scholarship committee will be another factor that increases your chances of success in your applications.

It is another important issue to read the scholarship conditions carefully and to prepare the application file accordingly. For example, the UK Government requires candidates to have a minimum of two years of work experience in order to apply for the Chevening scholarship. Ministry of National Education (MEB) and EU Jean Monnet scholarships may also require the fulfillment of additional requirements such as academic average or interview.
The university you apply to study abroad may also have scholarship options. The UK GREAT Turkey Scholarships, which will be given for the first time this year, is a good example of this scope. Your selection as a university scholarship student is evaluated based on your academic average, resume, and need. If you win a scholarship, you may also have obligations to take part in various activities of the University as a university representative.

Scholarship application is a process that is not easy and requires being in the right place at the right time. Your chance to win a scholarship depends on your efforts, as well as the quality of your competitors and the amount/number of scholarships to be awarded. Even if applying to scholarship programs may seem like a difficult process at first, it will also provide you with important opportunities for your personal development. Being well prepared and taking the written and oral exams of the Jean Monnet scholarship contributed a lot to my personal development, and I can easily say that the successful conclusion of my scholarship application made it easier for me to reach my career goals regarding my PhD abroad.

I advise our fellow students to carefully prepare their scholarship application files, to proceed by consulting scholars with similar experience, and not to neglect to examine alternative opportunities. Because university representatives sometimes say that they receive very few applications to the announced scholarships and that students neglect to apply with the thought that the scholarship will not come to me after all.

1- European Union Jean Monnet Scholarship
It is a scholarship given to public institutions and private sector employees and university students since 1989 in order to increase the number of employees specialized in the EU during Turkey’s full membership process to the European Union. The scholarship, which is given for a maximum 12-month program, is given for postgraduate studies and other academic studies in the topics included in the EU acquis. It is aimed to provide scholarships to 180 students for the 2019-2020 academic year. For detailed information: http://www.jeanmonnet.org.tr/tr/

2- British Council GREAT Higher Education Scholarship Program Turkey
Within the scope of the scholarship program initiated for students who are Turkish citizens with the cooperation of the British Council and nine Universities from the United Kingdom, it is aimed to provide 17 undergraduate and graduate scholarships for the next academic year. Universities participating in the scholarship program include institutions with high academic success such as Warwick, Swansea, Coventry, Bristol and Loughborough. Within the scope of the scholarship program, which is planned to continue next year, students will not be charged a one-year university tuition fee. Scholarship program conditions vary for each University. With the scholarship program, scholarship opportunities are offered in many fields such as law, engineering, business and art. For detailed information:
https://www.britishcouncil.org.tr/study-uk/scholarships-financial-support/great-scholarships-2019

3- Chevening Scholarship Program
The Chevening Scholarship Program is a prestigious scholarship program funded by the UK Government and has been running since 1984 in 147 countries around the world. Scholars are provided with a one-year postgraduate study at Universities in the UK. All basic expenses such as university fees, living expenses and visa fees are covered under the scholarship. For detailed information: http://www.chevening.org/turkey

4- Ministry of National Education YLSY Scholarship
The Ministry of National Education sends many citizens of the Republic of Turkey abroad for graduate and doctoral education every year in order to meet the qualified manpower needed by public institutions. In 2018, 1224 student quotas were opened in this context. Scholarship application conditions consist of criteria such as being born in 1988 and later, having a bachelor’s degree with an average of 2.5/4.00, getting a minimum of 70 points in the ALES exam, and succeeding in the interview exam. Scholars are also obliged to work for a certain period of time in the state institution they choose after completing their education abroad. For detailed information about YLSY: http://yyegm.meb.gov.tr/

5- Turkish Education Foundation (TEV)
TEV has been providing both domestic and international education scholarships since 1969 in order to increase the qualified manpower of our country. TEV has undergraduate, graduate and doctoral scholarship options. Among the postgraduate scholarship application requirements are to be a citizen of the Republic of Turkey, not to be older than 30, and to have a minimum GPA of 3.00/4.00 or 75/100 of the applicant student. The foundation can also provide free English courses to its scholars. For detailed information: http://yurtdisi.tev.org.tr/

Why should I study abroad?
Are you considering studying abroad but worried about whether it is worth your time and money? If you ask anyone who has studied abroad before, they will tell you that it was a life-changing experience and one of the best things he has ever done. However, do we really know why we want to go or study abroad and what opportunities we can have when we study abroad? This being the case, it is not possible for those who do not have any knowledge or plan to study abroad to know what advantages they can have. That’s why we made a list for you.

1- Studying abroad is one of the best ways to learn a foreign language: There are many people around you who speak the language you want to learn in their daily lives. Under these conditions, language learning can develop more easily and quickly. For example, England language schools and Malta language schools offer the opportunity to practice with native English speakers on the street, in addition to providing quality language education.

2- Even though the language school prices in England force the budgets due to the value of the pound exchange rate, it will come back to you as a bright future and life experience. The knowledge you gain abroad will also be useful for you in the future. Your level of knowledge and culture will increase, and you will develop yourself as a well-equipped individual to use it at every stage of your life.

3- When you choose to study abroad, you will have the opportunity to visit the historical and touristic places of that country. Thanks to the activities and excursions organized on weekends and outside of class hours, or in line with your personal curiosity, you can experience many places and activities that you have not had the opportunity to see in your life.
4- Studying abroad gives you the opportunity to get to know another culture first hand. Being in the same environment with students from many different countries like you can open the door to brand new friendships and different perspectives. Getting to know their cultures will be a completely different experience for you.

5- Study abroad experience makes you mature and increases your self-confidence. With new experiences, you will both improve your skills and discover yourself. Living in an entirely new cultural environment and perhaps not being able to speak its language can be frightening at first, but it is also exciting. As the days go by, you will see that you mature and you feel more self-confident as you see what you can do.

6- Studying abroad is an excellent way to break your life routine. It allows you to get rid of pessimistic thoughts about your future, while at the same time, it gives you the opportunity to capture the vision that most people do not have.
7- Studying abroad allows you to make friends from many different countries of the world. In your country, you can make friends not only with locals but also with other international students. In addition, these new friends can connect you in many countries and have friends that will come in handy later in your career.

8- Studying abroad improves your perspective. Encountering other cultures allows you to look at your own culture with a new eye, learn about other people’s ideas about your culture, and you can return home with new ideas and perspectives.

9- Studying abroad allows you to gain more in-depth knowledge and experience about other countries. By breaking your prejudices; offers you the chance to personally experience what you have heard so far.

10- You can do your undergraduate degree in Turkey, your master’s degree in England, and your doctorate in America, and contribute to your personal development; You can also experience a leap in your career.

11- Graduating from a quality university abroad will provide you with job opportunities in every country you go to. Many of us have encountered the fact that people who have completed their education abroad are more preferred in the private sector. In our globalizing world, the fact that students have completed their education abroad also increases employment opportunities. While companies in various countries of the world continue to invest in international markets, people with overseas experience are among the priority preferences of employers.

Is there an age limit for studying abroad?
There is no age limit. Because there are programs suitable for all ages. As LEO Abroad Education, we recommend schools that will suit the age groups of our students. E.g; While we offer active summer school programs to a 14-year-old youth, we offer a 40-year-old businessman adult schools where he/she can study with their age group.

Homestay or dormitory accommodation?

There is always a question mark about what type of accommodation to buy while studying abroad. Homestay, dormitory accommodation, staying in a hotel or staying in a hostel etc. are the first alternatives that come to mind. When it comes to homestay, we think of hosting foreign students free of charge on April 23, so you can also consider staying with a homestay abroad in the same way. The only difference is that they earn money for this job and they do not host every student in the best way we host foreign students (with exceptions), which is due to cultural difference.

Generally, Turkish students have a tendency to stay in a single room with a homestay and a desire to be 2 minutes away from school, but this is not always an easy request. If you want to stay in a single room, especially in May, when the registration is close, you will have a little difficulty because students from many parts of the world have probably registered early and reserved their places in these rooms. If you want to stay in a single room, you must register at the beginning of the year. When you go to a foreign country, you will be alone in the first days, so staying in the same room with another student like you and going to school with him in the first days is a bit good. So my personal recommendation would always be to stay in a double room unless there is a special reason. In this way, you will not only pay less money, but you will have a new friend with whom you will speak a foreign language every minute and learn a lot about his country. There are not many houses within 5 minutes of the school because the places where the schools are located are the city centers and most of the families living in that neighborhood do not do this job.

When registering, students sometimes receive requests about the nationality of the family. No company can write such a thing about the family where the student will stay while sending students to the relevant school. If they do, it will be perceived as racist and not tolerated. To give an example from England, London is a cosmopolitan place and there are people who have immigrated here from every country. Whether they are Indian or Pakistani, nobody regards them as foreigners since they settled here 30-40 years ago and are British citizens. If you want to reduce the possibility of staying in such a family environment, you will either stay in a dormitory in big centers or go to smaller cities (eg Cambridge, Oxford etc.) where there are not many immigrants.
The concept of family is a little different, as the woman living alone is also perceived as a family. It is necessary not to expect the comfort of your own home, but to think of it as a reliable accommodation where you can come and sleep from evening to night. Especially if you are going in the summer months, I recommend that you do not get hung up on small details, considering that you will spend more time outside. Just as your own house has rules, the family you will stay with may have some rules. They will tell you this on the first day you come, but if you want to continue this stay with mutual love and respect, you should take care not to use the phone without the owner of the house, not to mess with your personal belongings without permission. Every family has a laundry day, and it’s pointed out to you. Most of the families do not get paid for this, even if they want something, this will be a very small number, or it may be just the detergent they will use. There are usually families that have cats or dogs, if you are allergic to cats, you must indicate this when registering, so they can place you with a non-cat family.
One of the things that is always feared is the culture of eating and drinking at home. The education to be taken abroad is not only to learn that language or to do a master’s in a subject, but also to learn the culture of that country. Therefore, during your stay at the homestay, you will learn about the eating and drinking habits of the relevant country. Of course, there will be various dishes that will not suit your taste, but over time you will get used to it. According to the intimacy established with the family, sometimes families are willing to cook the dishes you want, and sometimes even you can prepare a traditional Turkish meal, introducing Turkish cuisine and having the chance to eat the dishes you miss. If you have a problem with eating pork, you can easily tell the family about it from the first day, and they will be attentive to you in this regard. I would like to state that you will eat foods such as cornflakes, omelette and fruit for breakfast, not olives, cheese, bread. Homestay accommodation is usually half board, with breakfast and dinner. Since you will be at school at noon, you can eat whatever you want from the canteen here. If you are going to go home late in the evening or you will not go at all, you must inform in advance, otherwise the family may panic and report first to the school’s emergency officer and then to the police. You are free to enter and leave at any time, as every student over the age of 16 will be given a key to the house. Sometimes parents want parents to control their children, but abroad there is a prevailing opinion that everyone over the age of 16 is mature and aware of everything they do. This is why most homestays are not responsible for the control of the child unless it is something very big. If you have a problem with your roommate or landlord, you should definitely talk to him first, but if you can’t find a solution, you should talk to the accommodation manager who is in every school and solves such problems. Accommodation manager intervenes in troubled situations, be it home or dormitory, and offers solutions.

Having a small child in the family is always an advantage because they are talkative for their age and make a good practice tool for you. If you damage the room you are staying in and you do not pay it, the information will definitely go to the company you registered with in Turkey and from there to your family, so check first if there is any defect or damage in the room so that you do not have any problems later. Don’t be surprised if you see family members sitting at home with fleece or sweaters that don’t burn much in winter because the heater is expensive, be prepared for this. There cannot be two Turks in the same room, but if the family has rented 2 or 3 rooms of the house, a Turk can come out of one of the other rooms. Especially in England, the different water systems of the sinks may be difficult at first, but you will get used to it over time. I recommend that you take your hygiene materials and towel when you go, otherwise you will make unnecessary expenses there. Buying a symbolic gift for the family you are staying with will make them happy and help you establish a good relationship from the very first minute. Since family members are also working people, they may be tired in the evenings, so I recommend you not to have delusions such as “Why don’t they chat a lot, don’t they love me?” If family members receive positive electricity from you, they invite you to their weekend activities. I know so many Turkish students who establish good relations with their families abroad and go to the same family the next year, regardless of the course, or host them in Turkey, so you should know that these relations are reciprocal.

I wanted to share with you the first information that came to my mind about accommodation in a homestay. Before concluding, I would like to point out that homestay accommodation is the most preferred accommodation type as it is cheaper than dormitory accommodation, ideal and more reliable for getting to know foreign culture.

Can I extend my study program after I go abroad?

If our students studying abroad have visa extension eligibility in the countries they go to, they can extend their current education program and switch to a different program.

What should I consider when choosing a language school?

When choosing a language school abroad, our students should choose the country and city, taking into account the period they want to study. Our students should also consider their visa procedures and financial situation while deciding which language school they will attend abroad. We recommend that students seek support from an expert education consultant when choosing a language school abroad.

Is there a program where I can work and study abroad at the same time?

By choosing work and study programs, our students receive language education abroad and also have a legal work permit. The Work and Study program is available in Ireland, Malta, Dubai, Australia and New Zealand. Our students, who receive a minimum of 25 weeks of language education in Ireland, can get a legal work permit where they can work 20 hours a week, as well as have the opportunity to stay in the country for an extra two months and work full-time at the end of their education. Our students, who study language for more than 90 days in Malta, have the right to obtain a legal work permit for 20 hours a week. Our students, who study a language for more than 90 days in Australia and New Zealand, are entitled to a legal work permit for 20 hours a week. You can get free support from Endless Abroad overseas education consultancy service to choose the most suitable country for you.