I’m in my third year at Bilkent and looking back, it’s been quite the ride.

Early Education and A-Level Decisions

I spent the first 15 years of my life in Lahore, studying at Beaconhouse Garden Town. Up till my O-Levels, that place was my whole academic world. When it came time for A-Levels, my family and I considered a bunch of different schools — Saadik Public School, LGS JT, ISL, and even Aitchison. These were some of the best and most popular colleges for my A levels. I got accepted into all of them. But ultimately, I chose Aitchison College.

The decision came after a heart-to-heart with my dad. He said something that stuck with me: “Education is an investment — it always pays back.” He encouraged me to go for the most transformative experience, not just the most affordable or familiar one. And Aitchison, for all its prestige, was certainly that.

Those two years at Aitchison were eye-opening. I met people from all walks of life, and it made me think differently about the world — and my future. I knew I didn’t want to stay in Pakistan for university. LUMS didn’t feel like the right fit, and honestly, it was expensive fir what it offers. So I started looking abroad: the US, the UK, Germany… and Turkey.

Why I Chose Bilkent

I applied to the top three universities in Turkey: Koç, Sabancı, and Bilkent. Koç asked for a massive 2,000-word personal essay. After spending months writing US college essays, I was burnt out. Plus, we didn’t have ChatGPT back then to help lighten the load, so I didn’t complete that application. For Sabancı, something went wrong with the application process, and I never followed through. Bilkent, on the other hand, felt… smooth. Natural.

When I received my acceptance from Bilkent, I started digging deeper. The university's campus was massive. The global ranking was good enough. They had top-notch sports facilities, and I saw that they welcomed international students from 118 countries. And on top of that, I had this weird but deep desire to learn a new language. Studying in the UK or the US wouldn’t have given me that chance. But in Turkey, learning Turkish would be necessary — and I loved the idea of building a new version of myself in a new language.

The Application Process

Now, about the application. Compared to the US process, Bilkent’s was refreshingly simple. I had to submit a short personal essay (about 400–600 words), my O-Level and A-Level transcripts, expected A-Level grades, and my SAT scores. I also included details of my extracurriculars — which were a big part of my school life. At Beaconhouse, I was part of the football and basketball teams, the MUN society, and eventually became the Head Boy. At Aitchison, I continued on that path: school prefect, house captain, general secretary of the Law Society, and even part of the polo and riding teams.

For the SAT, I scored a 1290 — 700 in Math and 590 in English. Decent enough for what I needed. I also remember Bilkent asking for about $25 as an application fee — which, funnily enough, was the only application I paid for. For all of the others, I got waivers. I got into Adelphi, DePaul, and the University of South Florida in the US. Even with scholarships of $35,000–$40,000 per year, the remaining costs were still too high, especially when compared to Bilkent.

So the choice was clear.

Academic Background and Grades

I had already gotten my acceptance and scholarship by the time I sat my A2s, and Bilkent only required that I avoid any grades below a C to keep my scholarship. I ended up with an A in Accounting, a B in Economics, and Cs in Law and Maths.

I owe a lot to my school counselor. She helped guide me through the whole process, set up meetings, reminded me of deadlines — she really kept me on track.

Scholarship and Financial Aid

One of the biggest reasons I could afford to study at Bilkent was the scholarship I received. The full tuition fee is about $17,000 per year, but with the scholarship, I pay just around $6,000 — that’s almost a 60% reduction. It's a tuition-only scholarship, so my parents cover the rest of the tuition and living expenses.

I did receive financial aid offers from US universities like DePaul — around $35,000 to $40,000 per year — but even after that, the remaining amount was still unaffordable. That’s why Bilkent stood out as the most feasible and high-value option.

Life and Studies at Bilkent

Now I’m at Bilkent, majoring in Economics. The program is pretty research-heavy — more than I expected. I came in thinking I’d dive into finance, maybe investment banking. But even though the research side was a bit of a surprise, it’s growing on me. It forces you to think critically, dig deep, and build a strong foundation.

Adjusting to Life in Turkey

The first few weeks were a whirlwind. The biggest cultural shock? The food — way too bland for my Lahori taste buds at first. And I was surprised by how few people spoke English, even in a university setting. But the people were incredibly kind and welcoming, which helped me adapt fast. And yes, I did eventually learn Turkish — part out of passion, part out of necessity!

Learning a new language really does change you. It’s not just about new words; it’s about seeing the world through a different lens. I feel like I’ve developed a whole new personality in Turkish — one that’s more open, maybe even a bit more confident.

Can International Students Work in Turkey?

That’s one of the tricky parts. In Turkey, students aren’t allowed to work fulltime unless they have a work permit — and you can’t apply for one while studying. At least, that was the case for me. You need to know the language first anyway, and the work permit is something that comes only after graduation. So,for the six months I was just enjoying. But then I made an online store and started selling playstation plus online all across the world. This kept on going for a semester or so until and unless I fumbled and failed in mathematics . This story is very interesting too. I was working on selling the playstation plus a day before my exam. Till midnight I was on calls and my exam was at 9 am. When me and my partner were closing off the day we realised we had made a lot of money. More money than we could imagine. So I decided to give myself a good night's sleep instead of studying mathematics. A few weeks later we had to close that online store because of the increase in the PSN Turkey prices. Now I work with Ankara foreigners as their Event Manager, I work as a “Emlakci” or a property dealer for international students and a sales agent for health insurance.

Looking Ahead

What comes next? Honestly, I’m still figuring that out. I’ve got a year and a half left, and I’m weighing my options: should I stay in Turkey? Go back to Pakistan? Apply for a master’s in Europe or the US? It’s all up in the air, but I’ve learned to be okay with that.

What I do know is this: choosing Bilkent was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Not because it was perfect — no university is — but because it gave me the chance to grow in ways I never could’ve predicted.

And for anyone back home thinking about studying abroad, don’t be afraid to look outside the usual UK/US route. Sometimes, the unexpected path leads to the most incredible places.