Turkish University Student-Take 1

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It was my first day going to class, although classes donโ€™t officially begin for the rest of the university till next week. Our professor, Dr Baker, wanted us to start school on Monday. We would be split into groups where we would present on what International Professional Behavior entails. Each Texas student would be paired with 5 Turkish students.

 I got put in a group with some really cool cats. Gunayt, Burkay, Erhan, and Digele. We got some chay (tea) and after we put our presentation together they taught me how to play Backgammon; it is a really popular game in Turkey.  It is also a really fun game. During this game I notice a few funny Turkish mannerism such as how to say no- all it takes is a raise of the head and a click of the mouth.

 All the students can understand English since all their classes are taught in it. However, not many of them get much practice and sometimes struggle communicating or understanding the pace at which we talk. There is usually a small amount of fill time during conversations but I believe that after we leave their English speaking skills will be amazing and I will be able to converse in Turkish. 

Eder Medina

Hello, I am Eder Medina. I am a freshmen studying civil engineering at the University of Texas. I am also a project lead for the UT chapter of Engineers for a Sustainable World where I, and a few peers are building a solar powered LED light to replace kerosene lamps in developing nations. I am an incredibly energetic person and even though most of my energy is focused on school work, every now and then when there is time I enjoy working out and listening to all kinds of music. In the future I plan not only being a civil engineer but I will also be the co-owner of a coffee shop with a few other engineering friends-we are calling it โ€œThe Frothy Badger.โ€ Iโ€™ve learned that one cannot be an engineer without drinking coffee. However, while traveling abroad I will focus less on coffee making and more on engineering. This summer I will be studying at the Middle East Technical University, in Ankara Turkey. There, I will learn how to reverse engineer a Concentrated Solar Power System and understand why current CSP systems are currently ineffective. Alongside the engineering course, I will be taking an introductory course on Turkish Language and Culture. Oh and I hear that Turkish coffee is amazing! As a result I know that this will be one of the greatest summers.