Istanbul Technical University, commonly known as ITU or Teknik Üniversite, is one of the best universities in Turkey, always ranking among the top three. One of the oldest technical universities in the world, it prides itself for the vast number of engineer and scientist alumni, among them being: Turkey’s former presidents Süleyman Demirel, Turgut Özal, former prime minister Necmettin Erbakan, current prime minister Binali Yıldırım, and many more. It is considered to be the dream university for engineers and is considerably well-known for the architecture department. Lately it has opened its doors for economics students as well.
Accommodation
The university is spread over five campuses and the main one is the Maslak Campus. A considerable amount of students live inside the campus and prefer it to other options. There is actually a long waiting list to get accepted in dorms, so if you are considering dorms as a living option then you have to make sure to apply early.
Students that study at the Faculty of Architecture (Taşkışla), Faculty of Management (Nişantaşı) and Faculty of Engineering (Gümüşsuyu) can also apply to live in Gümüşsuyu dorms. The dorms vary from gender-separated to mixed options. There are also other criterias to consider such as the number of roommates, common or private bathrooms as well as other details that are unique to each dorm, so be sure to check the specifics beforehand.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the dorms’ rules are usually very strict; the general ones being no alcohol is allowed and a curfew is imposed around midnight. If you don’t think you can abide by these rules, than it is better to look for rental / shared apartments. You can mostly find them at an affordable cost in 4. Levent, Levent, Şişli or Osmanbey.
Campus
As mentioned above, the university has five campuses, four of which are urban campuses located in prestigious neighborhoods of Istanbul. For instance, the Management Campus is in Maçka, close to Nişantaşı one of the most stylish and luxurious quarters of Istanbul. The Architecture (Taşkışla) and Mechanical Engineering departments are based around the renown Taksim area.
The main campus, Ayazağa, is located in Sarıyer, known as a relaxing area due to its proximity to the sea side and greenery. It encompasses a large area as it is home to 13 faculties, 21 dorms, institutes, a central library, cafes, banks, shops, gym, canteen, pool. It includes the largest in-campus stadium in Istanbul as well as offering various tennis, volleyball and basketball courts. It is often populated by a large amount of students who usually hang out in MED (the faculty for pool courses) or other cafes/restaurants like Simmit and Selfish.
Neighborhoods
In the past few years, there has been a burst of technological advancement around this neighborhood and now you can find major companies and banks having their main headquarters here, such as Windowist, ZiraatBank,Garanti Bankası etc. The campus is also close to Istinye Park, one of the biggest shopping centers in Istanbul. Unfortunately, the area outside campus is not quite student-friendly with restaurants relatively expensive and only a few cafes and bars, so students usually prefer hanging in the campus. The most well known student-friendly place in the neighborhood is Starbucks across the campus.
Campus Culture
It is usually very lively and populated by students, especially during exams period as expected. Students love to hang out with each other after classes or study together in the campus. Library is the perfect place for those who want to study with no distractions in a quiet place. For group studies, there are common study halls in each faculty, as well as cafes to study altogether.
Food
In the campus, there are several student-friendly options for dining. The cafeteria only serves lunch and dinner from Monday to Friday. There is a vegetarian option solely during lunch. The price is very cheap and it reflects the quality of food. However, Selfiş (the restaurant across the library) is famous for its tasty dishes and relatively affordable prices. Each faculty has its own canteen where you can grab a sandwich and other snacks in between classes.
Transportation
The campus is easily accessible. There is a metro stop (ITU-Ayazağa) on the M2 line. Also there are lots of buses and dolmuş that run between Beşiktaş and Sarıyer. The dolmuş fare starts from 2.25 TL and adds up depending on the destination you want to reach.
If you are looking for a more comfortable ride, then there are a lot of taxi drivers just outside the campus gates that are more than happy to take you to your destination. It would be useful, though, to know some basic Turkish words and expressions when taking a taxi, because they tend to swindle and overcharge you for the trip. That is why many students nowadays prefer Uber or Karem as an alternative way to taxi. But if you are up for the challenge, don’t forget to check out our Survival Taxi Turkish guide before hopping in one.
In-Campus Facilities
There are various facilities in campus. First and foremost, the Mustafa İnan Library is a great research center having access to online database and international libraries while also being a convenient place to study for those who prefer a quiet atmosphere to get productive. It is also a great source for finding university books, magazines, or artistic literature. During the school year, the library is open 24/7.
There is also a gym and a pool for students for an affordable price. There are three tennis courts and three other courts used for basketball and volleyball. The campus also prides itself in its stadium, where concerts and sports’ club activities are usually held.
Student Clubs / Extracurricular Activities
Perhaps due to the fact that there are over 20,000 young people studying in this university, there are student clubs for each department and also for each personal interest ranging from popular interests such as movies, photography, dance, various sports (including Quidditch!) and to lesser known ones like astrology club, dreamers club and many more designed to satisfy any personal exploration journey.
Common necessities
On campus you can find two of the most popular supermarket brands of Turkey, Şok and Migros where you can do your grocery shopping. Even though the vegetables and fruits aren’t going to be as fresh as in your local market, these supermarkets offer a quick fix to your grocery list. Since the campus covers a total area of 2.64 m2, walking on foot from some place to another, can often be tiring. For this reason, ITU offers two different shuttle services: one for students and one for employees. If you have your own car, then you have to pay a parking ticket before entering. Besides, you can also rent bicycles inside campus.
When it comes to health, the campus has Mediko, a health care center you can visit for all health-related situation that you might have including regular check-ups. For students of the campus, consultation is free of charge.
Language
Even though many faculties offer 100% English or 30% English majors, in class instructors mostly speak Turkish or at least mix Turkish and English. Unfortunately, a substantial amount of students do not have a good grip of the English language and this can be considered a drawback in trying to form new friendships or getting into student clubs as a foreigner. Your life can be a lot easier if you at least try to learn the basic / conversational Turkish.
Application Procedure
The university accepts international students but they are often in disadvantage compared to Turkish students because of higher tuition fees. In order to be considered eligible to apply ITU, you have to provide a sufficient test score of an official English proficiency exam such as TOEFL or IELTS, otherwise you have to take an English language exam provided by the university. For more information on how to apply, you can visit this site.
All images courtsey of Mareva Zenelaj.
