Job Discussion Forums

yaramaz · Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 6:09 am Post subject: Ooof ya

I just need some second or third opinions, or maybe a solid boot to the head over my ridiculous indecisiveness...

As you all know, for I have hounded this silly topic ad nauseum, I have been hired at IH Istanbul. This is a good thing, a nice little stepping stone for greater things to come. The drawbacks to IH include fewer holidays (by far), split shifts, no free housing, significantly higher cost of living, longer hours. Also, if I choose Suadiye and take the housing they offer, I will share with 2 people. If I choose Etiler, or if I choose not to share with two others, then I must do a flat hunt in areas that are not exactly known for their affordability. Money will be tight. I will definitely not be able to save over half my salary. Not that I will have the holiday time to spend it on...

The upside to Istanbul is, well, Istanbul. I quite like the place. And the students are reportedly saner. And I'll get more experience teaching adults, which might help me get into the Universities--- that and Bogazici Uni has a MA program I am looking into, so it would help to live near there...which is Etiler... All good.

However, my bloody boss here has thrown a spanner (or was it Spaniard?) in the works today by saying the school foundation really wants me to stay so they are offering me all sorts of perks- pay rise, free solo flat, flight home in summer, etc. And, really, I like my department, I like the school, I even really like a lot of my students (esp. hazirlik). We seem to have more holidays than work days, all paid. And damn it, Kayseri is gorgeous these days- sun shining, birds singing, roses blooming, blah blah blah. I'm barely working, too, because a lot of my students are off on 'medical leave' to study for their exams... My boyfriend is here and things are going really well with him (though he is expecting to be transferred to Istanbul, near Etiler, in January-- more complications). I'm actually pretty happy right now, compared to my depths of sheer misery back in Winter.

The downside to Kayseri is the serious lack of kindred spirits outside the school walls. It's a really dull, claustrophobic city, few cafes, no bars, no English books, no real beauty. Lots of staring headscarves. Too much kebab. Winters are cold, dark, dismal.

Can someone please flip a coin for me? My head is seriously aching from this.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

From what I have heard of Caesarea Anatoliensis or Kayseri, I would say that istanbul would be better - even with all thse problems. And you can do that MA at Bogazici where the fees are affordable !

Otterman Ollie

Yaramaz , What are you playing at you know that place is played out for you ,you can only go so far and then its time to move on ,get real lass,this is no time to be sentimental or nostalgic .
Quit now while you are ahead ,true you may not save as much as you have done in the past but is living here all about acquiring wealth ?
Your old boss does not want to let you go coz face it there are not enough of us to go round especially in that neck of the woods there you are famous if you like ,certainly a celebrity ,in any other big city you will be one of many and therefore almost invisable ,if thats what you want more than the other stuff you talk about than go otherwise stay . Simple really what rules you head or heart ?

yaramaz · Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 10:10 am Post subject:

Scot47, what you say is exactly what my gut feeling keeps shouting at me... In spite of the financial and professional perks of this place, Kayseri really does mess with my head. Mentally, I do feel like I am wasting my time in an artless, provincial backwater, fixated on money, orthodox views on family, and mosques. It has nothing to do with who I am or what I want out of life. It is unfortunate that I found the best work environment of my career (so far) here. Blah.

Re: Bogazici MAs... Can anyone tell me what LES, GMAT, and GRE exams are? I am not familiar with them- perhaps they are American? The school requires your scores for them to enter the program.

yaramaz · Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 10:15 am Post subject:

O, and Ollie, you are mostly accurate in your assessment, except you forgot to factor in that I do have friends here that I am reluctant to give up so quickly. It's never a cut and dry situation, and that's why its making me crazy. Both choices are imperfect, but for very different reasons.

Albulbul · Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Posts: 364

They are exams for non-native speakers of English who wish to pursue graduate studies at an American or American-style university. This is rather like TOEFL for non-native speakers going to a US university.

You may be exempt (?) if you are a native speaker. Best to check. My hunch is that the university will ant you as a student so you may be able to negotiate. Why not ask them. If you hav eto do the GMAT you can probaly do it in Istanbul.

Try a web search under GMAT.

lucy k · Joined: 06 May 2003 Posts: 82 Location: istanbul, turkey

The GRE is not for non-native speakers. It's for anyone who wants to go to graduate school (in the States, anyway). It has a math, verbal, and logic section. It's taken on the computer at various locations and times. Does Bogazici require it?

Yaramaz, as for moving to Istanbul, I think you should. You mentioned that you are feeling better in Kayseri now that winter is over, but don't forget, winter will come again!!!

By the way, I heard that IH is opening a new branch in Bakirkoy.

Good luck, I know it's a tough choice!

yaramaz · Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 12:35 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the info about the exams. Am actually a bit nervous now because I honestly havent done any math courses since, well, grade 11. Never my forte. Lucy K, did you do this exam when you did your masters? Does it matter if your maths skills are not up to calculus/trig standards but your verbal and logic skills are pretty spiffy?

Am seriously leaning towards Istanbul right now (literally and figuratively... I am listing to the north west Very Happy

). Poverty and chaos be damned, I miss the sea! I miss pubs! Cafes! People who read books!

vre · Joined: 17 Mar 2004 Posts: 371

Yaramaz, go for Istanbul. You will be much happier and yes, much poorer. But you will be in such a cosmopolitan-ish place and will feel like you went back to 2004. You will be closer to cheap flights home, which will seem like a stone's throw away. I have made a decision to leave and told them at my place but I'm now frightened to death because I haven't got anything lined up yet, but I know I have done the right thing!

GRE - yes you must do it if you wanna do an MA here. It's about $150 and it's not easy. Get a study book, they are easy to find. (well, maybe not in Kayseri!)

khmerhit · Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 2:24 pm Post subject:

yaramaz described her town in Turkey

yaramaz · Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 2:38 pm Post subject:

God gawd, kmerhit! I left the soulful, calm rainforests of the eclectic, open-minded west coast (sarcastic over-exuberance to be noted by readers) to come spend two years in the Tranna of Anatolia?!?

Double ooof ya.

So, pray tell, what would Istanbul be? I can't help but think Ankara is Edmonton...

khmerhit · Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 2:59 pm Post subject:

Istanbul? Well, I've never been there, but I suspect I would like it. Sounds like a real city. Maybe resembles Montreal, with some culture! Crying or Very sad

I dunno, but I know this much. A city must have a river running through it to be worthy of the name.

I hope you come to a decision that makeds you happy!

Drop me a line when you get to to TO!

kh

lucy k · Joined: 06 May 2003 Posts: 82 Location: istanbul, turkey

About the GRE... I did take it before I did my MA at Georgia State University. Each university and department has their own requirements regarding the GRE. My department wasn't too concerned about the score, taking the exam was basically just a formality imposed by the university. You'll have to check for Bogazici's requirements. I also had not taken a math course in a long time and was scared! My verbal and logic scores were fine, but math wasn't so stellar. But I don't think it's hurt my teaching abilities Wink

You can get plenty of study guides and practice tests for it as well.

FGT · Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Posts: 762 Location: Turkey

You have my sympathies, Yaramaz, in what is clearly a very difficult decision.
1) Exams - try to convince Bogazici that whatever your qualifications are, they are equivalent to GRE, GMAT etc. Get testimonials, certificates, references etc from your high school, university etc. You MAY be able to swing it, because, as someone else pointed out, they will probably want you on their course.
2) Leaving Kayseri (If....) - providing you leave on good terms, and I believe you can (regardless of what Ollie says, I think they appreciate you for who you are, not as A.N.Other teacher) then you could always return, another year older, wiser and more committed to Kayseri.
Alternatively, Istanbul and the MA will always be there. Maybe you need another year to think about it, it doesn't have to be now or never.
3) Options - could you sell it to the school in Kayseri that you are actually taking a year's sabbatical in order to do the MA and then come back more/better qualified and even more deserving of a HUGE salary and all the perks? If, in the meantime, you decide that Istanbul (or somewhere else) is where you want to be; another year down the road you'll find it easier to say 'goodbye'.
4) The voice of experience - you don't regret trying something new, even if it doesn't work out; you only regret missed opportunities - you always wonder about what might have been.
5) Summary - try not to make a decision that can only lead in one direction, leave other (future) options open, and then.....jump! One way or the other!
6) Personal - I think you are leaning towards Istanbul (which, however you look at it) isn't a BAD decision. I'm only sorry you're not coming to Izmir! GOOD LUCK!!!!

Bogazicibaby · Joined: 22 May 2003 Posts: 68 Location: Istanbul

Hi Yarmaz,

I wouldn't (or should I be writting one shouldn't Laughing

) worry too much about the GRE, which is called the Graduate Entrance Exam. As Lucy said it isn't too bad. I took it for my Masters program at Kansas State University- but it wasn't required for the program that I ended up taking. The math tends to be basic- a bit of geometry and algebra. Each program has different requirements for each part of the exam in the U.S. Math scores are not required to be as high in non-science programs.

I'm surprised that you mention the GMAT because this is generally a requirement for business school. I think it stands for Graduate Material? or Management? Admission Test. Its used to determine how well you would do in a Business Program.

I think the basic idea behind both of these exams is that they provide information about what you have learned in your lifetime. I've read different articles on whether or not the scores are really indicitive of success in graduate programs.

I have no idea what LES stands for. I think that it may be the Turkish version of a GRE. I've heard my colleagues mention it now and then.

It isn't necessary to have a book to study- you can find various free programs on line that help- or if you can't find a book in Kayseri, you can always order one! If you want a book, try one that comes with a CD program. I don't know if you can still get paper exams in Turkey but in the U.S. they are now all computerized.

I think you should give Istanbul a chance. As someone else said, you can always return to Kayseri if you find that is what you decide after having a different experience. No place is perfect. I was in Istanbul for 2 years and loved it, but when I moved southeast I found I also loved it here. I discovered much cleaner air and less traffic problems- but traded for the downside of difficulty in finding English printed material and friends who easily understand my cultural background. I certainly like my university much better!

Good luck!

Maria