JOURNEY TO A BACHELOR’S DEGREE

3½ years later Cum Laude (first class honors), Erasmus+ alumni, 25 countries travelled, 2 internships, 2x Worlds Debating Championships DCA, and so many dreams fulfilled....

After my exchange program in the US, I knew that I wanted more for myself. It was as if I had become the embodiment of Oliver Twist, never satisfied with having experienced education abroad just once. I wanted more and more I strived for. When I finished WASSCE as the best graduating student, I knew there was hope for me to travel outside to study. Before even writing the WASSCE, I had registered with Zawadi (I have written more about this organization in my Neden Türkiye episodes) to start applying abroad for university. I also applied to the University of Ghana (UG), just in case you know. I mean we all hope for good things but why put all your eggs in one basket? In fact, why have one basket? Are you buying what I’m selling? I obviously got into UG and started a degree program in Sociology, Information Studies, and Public Administration. While attending UG, I used that time to visit the Zawadi office to work on my applications to universities abroad. For the full experience and the application process, click here.

Picture of my first day of school

To not keep you waiting longer, I won the Turkish government scholarship and was placed in Marmara University in Istanbul to study Journalism. So, I moved to Istanbul in 2021 to pursue my undergraduate degree. I still remember my first day in class. It felt like déjà vu to when I was on exchange except this experience in happening in a 4th language, I spent a year studying online. See, the thing about COVID is it disrupted so many things, but we humans tried to persevere and that we did through making most of our lives digital I had spent my second year in UG simultaneously studying Turkish online and if I’m any indication of what the outcome of learning language online is, I will not recommend it. Regardless, there I am feeling like a fish out of water but that’s not all now, as a fish I have to speak dog language too. See the ridiculousness? It was no wonder that my first semester result was officially the worst semester I’ve ever had in any educational experience I’ve ever had. Yho! It was the pits. Of course, I made some wonderful friends like Ulaş and Beytur and they have greatly contributed to my sanity and academic success, but my first semester saw me ending that academic journey with a 2.7 GPA out of 4.0. That was the first time I actually felt what it meant to fail. I of course cried, wished it was different but interestingly did not wish I wasn’t in Istanbul studying. I just wanted an opportunity to make it right. To get the right grades like I had always done since kindergarten. For all that is holy’s sakes I was literally the best graduating student in my entire district for my Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), got a perfect 4.0 GPA while in the US, and I was the best graduating student in the WASSCE for my school. University will definitely not be the place where I let my academic excellence fly out the window regardless of the language barrier. This semester taught me a few things.

1. Failure is a necessary part of life. Especially failure in things that you presumed came to you easily or things you used to be successful in. Those types of failures really take you by surprise. They shatter your sense of self, identity, and break down how you see and know yourself. But they also give you a chance to reevaluate your existence, to question why you think the way you do and why you exist the way you exist. This failure gave me a chance to reflect on why I put so much emphasis on my academic achievements to the point where I felt crippled from not getting all As. As the first failure of my adult life, it opened the door to an exceptionally reflective moment in my life.
2. We all need a community. Without Salma (my roommate), my friends from school, and my family I honestly don’t know how I would have survived. I would have, maybe, but what I know for sure is it would not have been as less difficult as their presence made it.
3. Ask for help when you need it. See, growing up in an African home where academic excellence is expected, it can be jarring when you, a once academically excellent student who needed no help, now need help. It can feel like you are not living up to the standard expected of you and that will make you not want to ask for help lest you show that you are incapable of doing it yourself. But honey, the bravest and wisest of us all know when to ask for help when help is needed. Learning to shamelessly ask for help is one of the best skills you will ever give yourself.
4. You will rise from that failure. This one will be self-explanatory later on.

Image of Ulaş and I after school. Yes, I had to force him to take this picture.

After beating myself up after the first semester guess who got all As and Bs only during the second semester? That’s right! It’s your girl! I finished that semester with a 3.55. After making it back successfully as an academic weapon, I spent the rest of the next 6 semesters never getting below 3.2. Why that, you ask? Ei you too like gist! I decided on that considering the language barrier in my lessons. After assessing my learning situation, I honestly told myself holding myself to much higher academic standards would put undue pressure on me and cause me to spiral because of the expectations. It was better to be honest with myself than expect more. That’s another thing about failure, not only should you be willing to accept it, but it should also inform how you navigate your way out of it.

With my grades out of the way, I could concentrate on other things. Like, going on exchange. Before I came to study for my undergraduate degree, I knew I did not want to stay in one country for 4 years. Did I know how I would be travelling? No! but I have a few contingency plans. By a few I mean one; an exchange program. At that point in time, the only way I could see myself traveling to other countries was through academics. I had done it once. I could do it again. Before my first year, I had reached out to other students and started building connections. One of such connections was Sidalamin. Sida is a YTB alum, so he gave me insight into how to navigate life in Türkiye and also connected me to other students, particularly those from Africa. He had also gone on the Erasmus program so he laid out the timeline and how I should go about the process. With his guidance, I put in the effort to follow the announcement page for the Erasmus program at my school. Sidalamin had also introduced me to Mehdi, who was at the time a student at Ibn Haldun university. Mehdi was the president of the debate club and Sidalamin knew I was an avid debater. So, through him I met Mehdi, and he is one of my closest friends till date. I started debating for Ibn Haldun and even attend the 2022 European Universities Debating Championships (EUDC) in Zagreb, Croatia with the team. That was my first chance at traveling outside Türkiye. I did not plan to travel through debate but when the opportunity availed itself, I took it. That’s another thing I learned throughout my undergraduate career, whenever an opportunity presents itself, take it and make the most out of it. After attending EUDC, I also got the opportunity to travel to Madrid, Spain for the World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC) and since then, I have been traveling every year to attend several different tournaments across different continents. Talk about making the most out of an opportunity! You can read about my debate journey here.

Image of Beytur when we went to play pool

During the first semester of my second year, the Erasmus exchange procedure was announced. It involved an English exams and a ranking system to determine those who were placed in schools and would receive a stipend. I wrote the exams and came out as the highest scoring student in my department in the ranking. I selected Mykolos Romerio Universitas in Vilnius, Lithuania as my first choice and got placed there. Right before moving to Lithuania, I had attended the EUDC in Burgas, Bulgaria and I’d also landed my first internship. Come to find out, the internship period coincides with the exact travel time for my Erasmus exchange. Thankfully, I worked that out by doing the internship remotely. Now, if I hadn’t asked, I wouldn’t have been allowed to. Once again, ask for help when you need it.

I went on the Erasmus+ exchange and it was amazing. I had so many great experiences and traveled to other European countries despite the extra cold weather. These days when anyone asks me about my undergraduate degree, I always advise them to go on the Erasmus+ exchange especially if they are an international student studying in Turkish. This is for a couple of reasons.

1. I had a perfect GPA on Erasmus+ exchange. When transferred to my home university, it increased my GPA to around 3.47. This highly increased my chances of getting a first-class honors degree.
2. It is another opportunity to travel to another country, experience a different education system, make new friends, try a new culture, get to know yourself better, and get a chance to get away from the home institution you’ll spend more time in.
3. Get out of your comfort zone. Weytin comfort zone do give you sha?

Ulaş and I after interviewing our faculty's dean (Prof. Mehmet Emin Babacan)

So, I had a wonderful time on exchange and continued traveling all over the world for debate as well. After the exchange, I came back to Marmara University and continued my degree program. I decided I wanted to get better grades and push my GPA to a first class or high honor student stage. I also realized during my 6th semester that since I had taken so many lessons from upper classes, I was on the way to graduating after my 7th semester instead of the full 8 semesters. Why not? I asked myself. During my 6th semester I started my second remote internship. I had started learning coding a couple of months earlier with the help of one of my lecturers and that led me to the internship. And that leads us to today.

Ramdom images of Beytur and Ulaş because I also forced them to be my muses

However, I would do myself great disservice and serve a boatload of ingratitude if I do not mention the one lecturer that has been my backbone throughout my undergraduate program. I first took his class on Introduction to Communication during the first semester of my first year and that was one of the few lessons I actually passed that semester. Regardless, he was very kind and helped especially regarding the language barrier. His family has become my second family and home since then. His wife and kids are absolute joys to be around, and I still visit whenever I get the chance. There are so many people that have contributed to my successful undergraduate journey but without this man and his family, I would have definitely had a much worse time completing this degree. Thank you, Dr. Serkan Bayrakcı. You are an inspiration, and I can only ever wish to be a fraction of the great human that you are. Sibel hanim, merhaba! Thank you as well for welcoming me into your home and giving me the warmth of a mother.

Image of Ass. Prof. Dr. Serkan Bayrakcı and I

Now, to my mom. This woman is an angel, and no one can convince me otherwise. I love you and I am so glad I could make you proud despite the setbacks. You will forever be one of my greatest motivations and thank you for supporting me and all my endeavors despite being thousands of miles away.

I’m done with my degree; you must be wondering what will she do now? You too dey like gist sha! I have plans and those plans also have plans. As I said before, why have one basket? Till next time, remember to take all the chances you are given and much like Oliver Twist, create more chances and ask for more chances. Stay safe!

Picture of my last day of school