Monday, October 31, 2011

clause types

CLAUSES
Adverb Clause
Because of their concern about personal health, Straight Edgers made certain decisions about their lifestyles
Adjective Clause
In the 1990s, a social phenomenon that become called as Straight Edgers arose among high school and college studenta in the USA
Noun Clause
In some cases, the music contained angry lyrics that criticized what straight edgers considered a lack of concern by the surrounding culture
PHRASES
Gerund Phrase
Unlike many of their fellow students, they resisted peer pressure and avoided smoking, drinking alcohol, or using any other drugs.
Noun Phrase
In fact many of them were vegans, that is, they ate no animal products at all.
Infinitive Phrase
They also believed that social well-being required all people to live peacefully.
Participal Phrase
Straight Edgers tended to be heterogeneous, consisting of people from several ethnic backgrounds.
Verb Phrase
Their music was called hard- core music and was not played on mainstream radio channels

Sinem ORUÇ

METUlife

First of all, since this is my second year at METU and I am relatively more accustommed to the university atmosphere, it will be better if I answer the first question according to my first year experiences. When I came to METU for the first time, I realized that it is a competely different world. The campus was so big and I got lost at least four or five times; people seemed so arrogant and I could not make much friends, and there were just too much things that I had to take care of. For the first time in my life, I had to leave my house and do my jobs on my own. After a while, homesickness, bureaucratic procedures to be followed, dormitory life and feeling of loneliness and alienation started to suffocate me; even I hated the school. However, I had to get accustommed to my new life, so I tried to endure. Thankfully, my lessons were not difficult; I was in the preparation school. This left me some room. I met many people from different departments and backgrounds. As I talked to more people, I came to realize that eveybody had problems, missed their family and struggled to get accustommed to their new life. In the high school, all of my friends and other students had approximately the same way of thinking, living and even income level. Here in METU, I started to appreciate differences and gained a flexible point of view. I have learned that there is no exact right or exact wrong. I had many mistakes, but all these have contributed to my psychological, social and academic development. Additionally, I believe that this adaption process stil keeps and will keep going on,, because being a METU student means learning something new every day. In this process my family supports me greatly. Whenever I feel down, they try to console me and give advices and this really works. Also, my high school class was comprised of sixteen students and six of us, including me, came to METU. We try to see each other when we have time, and do our best to help each other. In the university life one can feel very lonely from time to time, so it is really reassuring to know that there are people caring about you. At present, I am trying to get accustomed to the academic understanding of our department as it is really different from that of the preparation school. In addition, as always, I miss my home and family. However, thankfully, my hometown, Kırıkkale, is really very close to Ankara, so I go there whenever I have the chance to. As for my thoughts about METU, I can say that it really meets, even exceeds, my expectations. My high school english teacher is a graduate of METU and she used to talk about it much, and I had visited it before making a choice, so I was well-informed about METU and did not experience much surprise in terms of its high quality academics. What I like most about METU is its free and tolerant environment, and of course its amazing nature. I think being a student of METU means being an open-minded and non-judgemental individual and having lots of big opportunities at our disposal to become a well- developed and productive member of our nation. 

Sunday, October 30, 2011

My Beloved METU

      At the end of a long and tiring period,we deserved to study at METU.When I learnt my degree,I was speechless.METU was my dream and it came true.. :)
      I have been in Ankara since 2008.So I wasn't in difficulty even on ''black monday'' :) Ihad already met some friends before 26th September.We got hung up in METU.Then I met my other friends and I liked all of them.
     Campus life is great in METU.University has 87 clubs which can display social,cultural and sport activities.And here nobody butts in your life.You can feel the freedom.You can feel the difference of METU.It has a resourceful library.Also it provides opportunity to undergo training abroad with IAESTE(international association of exchange of students for technical experience) and AISEC(association internationale des etudiants en sciences economiques et commerciale) I have never seen a living place which gives me opportunities better than METU for personal development and academic career in Turkey.You wont have unemployment problem when you graduate from this university.It is one of the most important thing in education life;because,if you still don't have a job after the university it is meaningless.On top of all this when anybody asks your school,you can proudly say that '' I study at METU''.
     Already now,I dont want to graduate from METU.If only I had a chance to stay in here as student for life..! I want to be part of furniture of this university.I want to make contribution to development of my country by following in ATATURK's tracks.I can effectuate my goal here...
     University fee is 284 tl,accommodation charge is 179 tl,but saying '' I study at METU'' is unprizable ! :):)
     Finally;if you want to be privileged student,you should choose METU.Good is not enough for me !! If you think so METU will satisfy you...


                                                                                                                      Thank you..
                                                                                                             ONUR PEHLİVAN
 

Being a METU student

My dream university METU. I studied so much to come to you. I spent my days and nights to reach you. Now that I am here I can reflect my first impressions on you…
When I first entered the campus I thought that this was a nice place. The campus is covered with trees. Besides the natural beauty METU offers ring busses to the students. Although I don’t like the dogs walking around I like the nature surrounding us. Whenever I am bored I go for a walk.

Before coming to this university I had talked to two people who graduated from my department. They said that they liked the education and the teachers at this university. Now I can say the same things they said. I think the lessons are effective and informative. And I like the listening parts of lessons most.

In addition to good education , there are student clubs which appeal to every interest. We can join this clubs. Thus we can develop our abilities and enjoy ourselves.

As for the adaptation process I can say that I am not having difficult times while getting used to living here. This is because of two reasons. Firstly my family live in Konya and I go there nearly every weekend. If I said I miss them it would be unjust for my friends. Secondly I have an aunt in Ankara and sometimes I go to her home. I am content with my dormitory too. My roommates are fine. We have a kitchen here. I cook everything I want there. We have access to internet. I watch tv serials. It’s fun..

But sometimes I face challenges. As a quality of my personality I can’t socialize very easily. Nowadays it is getting better. I make new friends. Another challenge is that from time to time the lessons are not so interesting and they seem difficult too.

Despite some challenges I think being a METU student has its own credit. We learn many things that are not properly taught by other universities. Teachers are knowledgeable. In the lessons we learn a lot. After the graduation I hope I will be able to speak English fluently, learn a second language properly and go to the different parts of the world. And my biggest dream is to be a good academician. This university is a step for my goals and ambitions. I hope METU will help realize them…

Fatma Şeyma KOÇ

WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD

Firstly, I want to explain that choosing METU wasn’t a easy decision for me.Because,I was thinking that being a translator would be more suitable for me.So, after LYS results, I decided to go to Hacettepe University Department of Translation and Interpreting. But, my family wanted me to go to METU. And I was confused. For giving my last decision, I asked my high school teacher. He said ‘Go to METU and live your life. After that I am here and I think I gave the right decision.

As being a new METU student, it wasn’t very hard me to adapt here. I came METU firstly for registration on 6th September.Unfortunately, without having much information, I left. But then, I came METU for English Proficiency Exam and I stayed for four days in 9.dormitory.In these days I saw that Metu was a small World..Because when I was in pc lab, there was a American on my left side and three Japan on my right side. Where can I see this scene except Metu? These four days came me as four months and when leaving METU, I had enough information about it and these four days helped me adapt to it.

On 19th September, I came back and METU was my home anymore. Fortunately, I had a right to register the best dormitory of METU, Isa Demiray. Before coming METU, thanks to Facebook, I became acquainted with some friends from my department and we chose same floor of the dormitory. Now, they are my neighbors and thanks to them, I could easily adapt METU and dormitory life.

But anyway, I have some problems in METU. For example ‘ring’ buses. Sometimes, they come late and I have to wait in cold. If it is so on autumn, I think, in winter we will freeze while waiting for rings. Except their coming late, one of my problems about rings is working of all of them for personnel between 16.30 and 18.30 in weekdays. What happens if a ring works for students? We are forcing to walk for 15 minutes to our dormitory in breezing cold of Ankara after eating our meals in cafeteria.

Another problem is queues. Whether it is a fate of METU student or not I don’t know, İf you are a METU student, you have to wait in queues everywhere including cafeteria, banks, buses, markets .This makes me angry. I hope, I will get used to this situation soon.

Lastly, being at METU feels like a special person, especially for me who come here from a small city, Safranbolu. Because here, everything is settled up students. I met new people here easily and I have never felt myself alone and every time I found something to do with these new people. So, I haven’t gone my hometown in this one and half hour period despite its being three hours away from Ankara. Being at METU is something everybody should experience. So, when I go to my hometown because of bairam, I will advice prospective university students to choose METU if they can be successful in their YGS and LYS exams.

KENAN ÖZMEN

Llife In Unique Metu

                                                           LİFE İN UNİQUE METU
       Being a Metu student is evaluated from several aspects. Firstly, we have several advantages as Metu students. To begin with, Metu is one of the best universities in the world. So, I think, we have many education opportunities as  metu students.I believe, I can develop myself with the best teachers, campus activities and group workings. Thus, I can prepare myself to future properly. Moreover, I have found chance which I could not find in high school, to be a social person. Thought groups, theatres, concerts and conversations with famous people help us learn new things and we participate in these activities with friends. What is more, we have Devrim Stadium where we meet with our friends and conversate with each other and we can do sport activities like walking. In addıtıon to these services of Metu, health and shopping services are certainly perfect. We can go to there easily when I have a health problem. We have shopping centers to buy both book and our other needs.
       Secondly, we have also difficulties in Metu. To begin with, Metu has an education system which continues tensely. In my opinion, quizes, homeworks, lessons, exams and class activities are very tense. Sometimes I have problems to do these on time. Although these are very useful for us, we get stressed in this condition sometimes. Furthermore, the most important problem is transportation for me. We have transportation problem when we have lessons which finish at 17:30. Specially, this situation affects us in winter negatively.
       Thirdly, Metu has a cosmopolitan environment. This situation provides opportunity to be friend with foreign people. We have friends who have different countries, nations, language and culture. So we can learn about different culture and traditions. Moreover, this situation develops peace, freedom and tolerance. In addition to this condition, we have  many friends from different parts of Turkey. Thus, we can have many different friends. Consequently, Metu presents us a beautiful environment for our communication with people.
        Finally, I am very happy to come to Metu. I believe that I have gained several things since I came to Metu. Metu has provided me many chance to develop myself. Although I primarily had adaptation problem last year, I got accustomed to Metu today. I think that Metu is such a beautiful and wealthy place that it is a city on its own in Ankara and Metu is worth to deal with problems with which we can come accross in Metu, so as to see its beauty.
Ankara is  lovely city. I like it very much. I wanted to study in a university in Ankara, and that university was METU. Before the results of university entrance exam were announced i was very anxious whether i would study in METU or not. The results were announced and finally i was a member of METU family. :) Initially it came me different. I live in a small town. But Ankara is very big and crowded. I had a process to adapt to new friends, new environment, new school. It is getting easier day by day. That my brother and my sister is here is also a very big chance for me. Whenever i need something i can ask for help fromthem. Second advantage is that i stayed in a dormitory when i was in high school years. Thanks to this i can manage my time and cope with the things which i have to do. METU has a great campus. All of faculties are together. It is wonderful to see friends who are in the different deparments. It has lots of oppurtinities such as meals, student groups,sport center. There is a refectory and you can eat there by paying little. In addition to it another places are available. There are many different choices. Student groups are good to spend our spare time. We are free to choose whatever we want. Each fields such as music, sport, education, dancing have a group. We can do sport whenever we want. There is a sport center for this. On the other hand, i have seven lessons and i have to attend each classes. At the beginnig i am afraid of not being able to myself because education language is English but i have been adjusting this situation step by step. I  have a lot of things i have to do for each other. Sometimes they are very boring but there is nothing which can be done. My faculty is far way from my accomadation. It is a big problem especially i have a lesson in late hours. Because rings are not available after five and i have to walk. Besides it,ring drivers are very angry and rings are very crowded. Regardless of all these points education quality of metu is very good and i think this is the most important thing. I am a member of METU. I am very glad that i am here.

                                                                                                                HANDE NUR SÜREN

BEING A METU STUDENT

As everyone knows, it is very difficult to adapt to university life. It has some difficulties besides its easiness. Missing family so much, trying to adapt a new life, living alone and taking all of the responsibilities are negative aspects of university life while there are positive aspects such as facilities of university, making new friendships and campus life. But METU is a privilige for students. Firstly, before i came to METU, i had had some prejudices about it. If i could succeed, adapt, live alone and so on. I thought that exams and lessons would be difficult and i wouldn't be able to cope with them. Because it is different from the college. But I gave up these prejudices a bit. I hope i will lose all of them. Secondly, adjusting Ankara took time for me. Since my hometown's environment and climate are different from it and there isn't sea here, I missed my hometown very much. Being away from family is another disadvantage. I had difficulty in leaving from family and i didn't want to come. I really felt myself homesick and i blamed people around me. But as i met new friends and took lessons i get accustomed. Thirdly, i have some new friends now but it takes time to rely on them and communicate with them. University life also requires living alone and taking responsibilities. Cooking, paying bills, managing time and managing money are obliged factors that we are responsible for. These are hardness of university life. But also there are entertainments that should be lived. METU has an immense campus and offers a lot of activities. There is shopping centre, banks, services and restaurants. When there is nothing to do in dormitory, there are a lot of things in campus. While making new friendships may be disadvantage, it is also advantage for feeling homesick. You can do some activities with your friends and suppress your bad feeling of missing your family. Finally, METU provides its students to attend lots of clubs such as swimming, dance, theatre, folks etc. Also METU concludes an immense library and a range variety of books. METU holds international olympics and several celebrities of world. In conclusion, being a METU student can be difficult sometimes but it has a lot of good aspects. Hopefully, university life will be fine for all of us.

Student at METU

             Of course,When I first came to Ankara, I had difficulties like everybody. Doing laundry,cooking,getting on well with new friends,homesickness,etc. I began to think I would never adapt to this life style even though METU was my dream. As days passed,however,Life became easier for me.
            
           Livin in a dormitory sounded terrible to me because I had never stayed in a dormitory before I came here. I had to learn to live on my own and I scared of this opinion. But, dormiyory life is better and more enjoyable than I thought: You are master of yourself :) I don't have to explain to anyone what I do and that sounds wonderful :)

           Campus life is very nice at METU and has some facilities like gym,tennis courts,restaurants,cafes,groups and so on. You can find everthing you need :) Actually, the campus is nearly as big as my hometown :)

           To talk about lessons, They are,actually,more difficult than I thought. Of course, METU provides us with better and better education than most universities in Turkey do. Most lecturers speak English and sometimes I have some problems with understanding them and especially,expressing myself properly.But I think I will get used to this soon. On the other hand, I have much more spare time than I used to.My schedule is not too busy.I always have time to meet my friends,go to the cinema,etc. In my school years,actually, Idid not have much time to do these.

            I have made nwe friendships at METU and It is the best way to get used to new life because you can do everything you like together.Also,there are a lot of foreigner at METU. You can be friend with them and improve your language skills.

            In addition to these facilities, you can learn several languages at METU.There are a lo of courses and you can attend whichever you want :)

           I have got used to living at METU. But still, I have a problem:Homesickness. I miss my family so much. I have never left from my family befor and It is  a bit difficult to live alone for me,actually. so i am looking foward to holiday :)

To sum up, I am glad to be here. I love my new life,university and new freinds:)

Being a part of amazing metu world

BEİNG A PART OF AMAZİNG METU WORLD=))

Being a student at Metu was not my dream at all. I wanted to come neither to Ankara nor to Metu. I didn’t even think to be at Metu, because I had not liked Ankara anytime during my preparations to university. It was all the time away from my dreams. I wanted to be a student of Boğaziçi University maybe like all students at our department, however when I came to Metu, I understood that it wasn’t such bad or unbearable to live in Ankara or Metu as I thought earlier. Moreover I can even say that it’s enjoyable so much.

Getting adjusted to Metu was so difficult at the beginning for me, because I have begun to live on my own and for the first time I have been so away from my family. The first day when I leaved my family is still in my mind, and now I’m a second year student at Metu. The thing which was difficult for me at the beginning is now so much great and pretty. Metu has made me love it. =) It has many good sides and opportunities for a student who lives there. First of all, transportation is very easy thanks to RİNGS. Even if our department is distant so much, we can reach to there quite easily. Apart from this, we have a bazaar, that is, ÇARŞI where we can shop, we can eat and we can enjoy the life thanks to the game saloons there. We also have a hospital we can go when we need. Meanwhile Metu also offers to its students social health insurance that is a very good advantage for students who don’t have it. This shows that Metu not only gives importance to its students’ education but also their health. Even knowing this is enough to be in love with Metu. Apart from all these, spring fest at Metu is so much funny and enjoyable. You feel freedom there, you feel being a university student, you feel the life!!=D I think all these can show so clearly how life at Metu is or how living at Metu is.

Yes, living at Metu is beautiful, but being educated there is a wonderful thing. With its high quality education, it offers to us the real education. Thanks to its very good academic stuff, we can have very different abilities, talents and skills. And apart from these, we can have very different point of views or aspects about life thanks to different thoughts, cultures or traditions we have faced at Metu. Being at the same place with students who come from very different cultures is a very beautiful opportunity. I think that being English of Metu’s education language is another opportunity for us.

Finally, being a student at Metu and living there has many advantages and it is not so bad as I thought earlier. Moreover, maybe if I were asked whether I want to stay at Metu as an academician or not, I would say ‘of course, yes’. I think Metu has been already an indispensable part of me and I can say very comfortably that I’m happy to be in this amazing Metu world=)


Burcu KARADUMAN

BEING A STUDENT AT METU

        
      Being a Metu student was my goal in high school. Now I’m a METU student and so I’m happy. I’ve started a new life with METU: new city, new friends, new teachers… It is good that METU is a good beginning in many aspects. In this journal I want to write about the effects of  METU on me in psychological, social and academical aspects.
       First of all, I feel great especially psychological aspect. Because I’m at where I want to be. Also, fulfilling their goals is a very satisfying thing for everyone and I fulfilled my goal by coming to METU. This is a nice feeling. In addition to achieve my goal, I’m happy for that I made my family happy. I didn’t let them down. All these are positive effects of being a METU student on me. But unfortunately, there are some negative effects, too. For  instance, none of my close friends from highschool is in METU. I miss them so much and sometimes I feel as if I was alone. Surely, I know this is not directly bound up with METU. But I can’t help thinking of that if Iwas studying in İzmir, I wouldn’t feel so. Because all my close friends are in İzmir.
       When it comes to social life and physical conditions, surely METU has influenced my social life, too. I like meeting new people, making new friendships. Now, I have many new friends and in order to know each other well, we are doing something together. We’re going shopping, walking, hanging around, chatting. For example, in previous day I hang out with my friends and we went to Devrim. One of us played the guitar and we sang songs together. All of us enjoyed so much. In my opinions, like these ways we are getting know more about one another. Moreover; ther are many social clubs in METU. Thanks to these clubs we can not only become socialized but we can also improve ourselves or help people who need to help. However, like every part of the life there are some difficulties in METU, too. For instance, I think transportation is a problem in here. Buses come too late and ring services are also limited. Because METU is very large area, walking from somewhere to another or waiting is really hard especially in cold weather. But when they are compared with advantages, I think these are little problems.
      Lastly, my academical life is another issue which METU has influenced me. I think studying at METU means having many priorities. Because METU is really qualified university in Turkey, even in the world. So, being a METU student and graduating from here will provide some advantages as long as we improve ourselves. We may have some advantages in our job lives, especially in private sectors.
      Briefly, I’m happy for coming to METU. I’m new to METU but I can already advise here to everyone. I think being a student at METU is a great eligibility. I like this campus. So I’m saying that ‘‘Luckily I’m here’’.

                                                                                                                       Zişan KÜL

BEING AT METU

    Being a student at Middle East Technical University means a lot to me.METU  offers us a lot of     facilities.So,when we have graduated from this university we will have many advantages in life.
    First of all,being a METU  student means freedom.As there is no environmental opression around us,we can feel ourselves better and more comfortable.I think this has much importance for young people.This case is valid especially for the ones like me,who are fed up with the advices of people around.
    Secondly,this university enables us to have better education than the students at most of other universities.The better education the better life conditions in future.So studying in a university like METU is crucial for a good life especially in a country like Turkey.
    As a third part,there are many social groups for METU  students to join.These include;sport,idea,dance,music,art etc. groups.They have different kind of activities.Nobody can get difficulty in finding a group to join or activity to do. 
     METU has everything in its campus.It´s like a small city.For example,it has a shopping area but it is too expensive to shop there.Anyway we have a solution for this issue.There are shopping centres nearby.METU also has a huge library.We can find any kind of bookswe want.But as it is so enormous i still have difficúlties in finding books.METU also has its own health centre.We can apply there for every type of health problems.
    When it comes to transportation i can say that its difficult to get used to Rings.Their departure times looked so confusing at first.However, in the course of the time,i learned about them and now there is no problem.
     While having such facilities,how would it be impossible for me to get used to here?Anyway,i  had difficulty at the very beginning.It is just because of my feeling different when being in a new place or meeting new people.When the time passed,when i started to get accustomed to people here the problem disappeared.In my opinion friendship,social activities and the other facilities are important in this case.I don´t think would get used to METU without these.I can say that i found in METU what i expected before.Although having difficulties sometimes it is worth to be a student here.
                                                                                                                                             Ayfer Özsen 

Being a Student of My Dear University :))

   Being a student of a metu can not described. Being a student of a metu is a dream of every young in our country. And it was my dream, too. My dreams come true and i am here, in Middle East Technical University. I studied LYS YGS exam and i passed exam succesfully. My results were good. My point was enough to come my dear university J I made my choice and i came here.

  At the beginnig of my university years, i was very sad because i had left my dearest mother and my family. Sometimes i cried all night and i missed my family and my friend very very much. But later i started to be in love with my school. I started to get more and more friends and to acquinted with  school environment. I found freedom in my school. Students were doing whatever they want. Every opportunity was under their feet.

  And now i am Metu student too. I can use every possiblity. There are groups that can we join very easily. I love there very much. And in our campus everyone says ‘HOCAM’ to each other. This means that everyone can learn something from someone. When i first heard this, i said ‘Come on! I am not Hoca!’. J Everyone laughed at me. It was funny.

  Our University’s atmosphere is also amazing. Everywhere is green in summer and everywhere is yellow in autumn. We can study our lesson on the grass. We can have a picnic on the grass also. In addition to these, we have huge stadium. Its name is ‘DEVRIM’. In summer, there are concerts, activities that everyone can participate in them. If someone wants to walk , he or she can go and walk. And it is nice place to go and meet with my friends. . And we have CARSI. There are markets and shops in it. And there is also game salon. I can go and play billiards.  And there is table football in here. I love it vey much.

  As a result, however i try to describe being a student of my university, it does not work. Because it does not be described but it can be lived J But if i have to brief it in a couple of word, it was worth my all efforts to come here. I like my university very much and i will love it always :P J
                  
                          Mualla ACAR

Saturday, October 29, 2011

BEING A UNIVERSITY STUDENT FOR THE FIRST TIME

                                                    
     Being a university student is a very exciting case, especially at METU. I experienced this situation while entering, walking around, registering and getting out. Apart from that, it is also a hard thing being  a university student because of  being new, not knowing one another and where you go, etc... I feel I am going through an adaptation process since I have just left high school and don't know much thing about university.  Consequently, there are lots of differences between high school and university. For example, some of them, I don't have to attend all classes even if I am present at deparment, but I am responsible for all exams. Teachers mostly don't drop notes and inform us on deadlines, but I need to take notes and remember deadlines. I need to adjust my time on my own, anyone doesn't force me to do something like in high school. Exceptionally, being away from family, lack of concentration and self-confidence may be sometimes problematic for me. however, I have made some friends, and we have been doing some sportive and enjoyable activities together recently. Therefore, in this adaption process, I haven't had nearly no problems to take seriously and it seems to be exciting and enjoyable.
    When it comes to advantages of being a METU student, METU is a great university and has the biggest campus in Turkey.Significantly, it is an excellent vocational training center for students. To illustrate, it takes place in three best universities in Turkey nearly in each branch that is present at METU. Campus life is also exceptional and awesome. Almost everything that I need is present at METU, I don't even need to exit if I don't want. we have a lot of opportunities at METU in many aspects such as training and activities. Student communities, sport halls, çarşı district, tennis courts and so many things that I can't count are reachable at METU. I had lots of expectations from uiversity before attending, and METU seems to fullfill almost all of them. I think being a METU student is a privilege and requires many qualifications. So, I believe I made a good choice by attending METU.

Getting Used To Metu

     Of course in the begining,I knew that I would go through an adaptation process and experience some difficulties.Because I was starting a new life in a different city,in different people and in different atmosphere.Naturally a new life will  bring some difficulties.But I must confess I could not predict that all the these things would be too difficult for me.
    One of the most predictable challenges-probably you can guess it easily-is homesick.In the first days, I missed very much my family,my home and my city.I had never left  from my family  before I came in METU.So  I was not accustomed to live far away from my family.I learnt  first time in METU what living in dormitory mean.Getting used to live in dormitory were the most trouble and the most compulsive thing for me.In the first days,when I woke up in my bed in dormitory,I was asking myself that where was I, what was I doing in here.But person  is getting used everything in the course of time.I also orientated. I had to.
     Another thing forcing me is lessons.Because there are many difference between lessons of high school and university.Especially,first days of university passed with difficulty for me.As we can speak only English in lessons, however ,in high school, we didn't practice adequately speaking of English,therefore I was a little bit forced in lessons.But I am getting into slowly my lessons and teachers.
   Ohh the weather of Ankara.What can I talk about it? It is always cold.In the morning, when I am going to my lessons,weather is cold and so you must wear something like coat.In the noon, weather is suddenly warming up and you have to dress out coat.because really it is hot and, in the night, weather  is getting terrible  cold.In order to adapt these conditions,you must go everywhere with a  suitcase.
     I have always mentioned challenges until now.Well, did I encounter good things?Surely,I encountered a lot of good things.First of all,METU is so different world.Everything is thought for you.There is many facilities for every kind of activity.So it is really privilege to live in METU.
      In here,I  met a lot of new people.I made new friends from different cities of Turkey and also foreign countries.I learnt diverse information from different culteres and still I am learning a new thing everyday.In METU,there are a lot of groups such as orientering,swimming,music,diving etc.By joining these groups, you can do  a great many activities.I am interested in photography so much.So,I took part Amateur Photography Group and still I am going on joining course of Photography.
    In this my formidable process,my family supported  me every time  and so I must thank every one of them.I am happy to live to be student in METU for now and  I hope it is always so.
                  
                                                                                                              Thank you..
                                                                                                       Cem Berkay Okumuş

Being a METU student

I also published mine with link of: http://kurnazahmet.blogspot.com/2011/10/reflection-journal-1-being-metu-student.html and doing the same here as well.

As a first reflection, I want to write about my experiences at METU during the very early days. I'm becoming aware of some different and significant things such as not having to wear uniforms, not standing up when our professors arrive in the classrooms, and having classes without bells, having 6 lessons of absenteeism in most lessons, which all reflect the varieties from high school days.

I myself have been in Ankara, near METU, since the university registration date, 5th September 2011, so I have adapted to the life at METU much more easily than others, meaning that I did not have any problem of finding my way to The Faculty, my dormitory or somewhere else.  

Now that it has been almost 2 months since I came here, I'm feeling as if I have been in this city for decades. At first, I was a bit confused about the way that our "ring" buses works in our campus, yet now I have sorted out how they operate during the day and try to keep up with the times they arrive to the bus stops. That, of course, does not mean that we are problem-free people. The time intervals that ring buses arrive are not that frequent and especially at night we are getting into trouble whether to go to Çarşı places or not because of the half-hour interval ring services. This occasion causes us great uncertainty and instability when we wish to have some foods, wander around the campus, or other stuff. 

Being supported financially by METU is one of the reasons that I have preferred to be here. And also not being very willing to go to such a big metropolitan as Istanbul, I found Ankara to be more suitable for my likes and desires in return. I also have the possibility to be with my friends whom I value very much at times, and study altogether with them whenever needed. I love to be with my friends and keep in touch with them all the time. 

Lastly, I want to underline that I'm quite satisfied with being here, and the life at METU is something that cannot be expressed in words and should be experienced in person. Being a METU student cannot be measured materially and should be felt in heart. Much as I feel that METU cannot be something like that in some condition, but anyone with a low level of information about universities can get the idea that not everyone usual can make it to METU, so I can count my lucky!

How I met METU :)

           First of all, I should say that METU was not my biggest dream. Through last year I dreamt of Bosporus University but, I couldn’t get enough point in my university exam, so I am here but fortunately happy J
           It has been nearly a month since I first came to METU and I have already got used to the atmosphere of the campus. On my first week it was a little hard for me, because that was the first time I lived in a dormitory, but day by day I really liked it and was happy to be there. That was a socially challenging process but I am a cool person, so it was not hard for me at all to adapt myself to the new circumstances. Therefore it will be tough for me to leave it I guess J
           Before coming to METU, I was aware of the opportunities that I would have, because my sister also graduated from METU and she had already informed me about these. So I was hopeful about it and when I came, I saw that I was right to think in that way. METU is great, it is so satisfying and actually it is a great honor to be a METU student. So I am here, where I should beJ
           Being a METU student is great I think because when you say “I study at METU”, people say “wow!” and that makes you feel so proud.JBesides, nearly all people at METU have respect for each other and that is what I want. I mean when people have respect for each other, every problem can be solved easily.
            I also like the educational system in METU. For example, teachers use English while speaking and so do I, as a student. This is really good for us to improve our speaking skills. In fact, that was the biggest problem I faced in high school. I mean it was hard to find a chance to speak with my friends because most of them were not able to do so. But fortunately this is not a problem for me thanks to METU. To me, speaking part of English is the most important and enjoyable one.
           Last but not least, being in METU, being a METU student and living a METU life are very colorful, enjoyable, engrossing and outstanding. So I feel so lucky to be a METU student and I am happy to spend all my time in this heaven-like placeJ

BEING A STUDENT AT METU

Like most of the English Language Teaching Department students,apart from those who wanted to attend the Basic English Department,it´s my first year at METU.To be honest,i never thought i would be a student of any Teaching Department.I had other plans.But things have changed and now i´m here.I´m proud of being a student of such a prestigious university and i have no regrets.Nevertheless my being satisfied with where i am and what i am studying doesn´t nessesarily mean i hadn´t got any troubles at the very beginning.I had to get accustomed to Ankara,as it was a completely new city to me.I also had to get used to METU´s enormous campus.It´s hugeness caused a series of problems by means of access,including the Ring Services.There were such times at the beginning of the term,when we just took the wrong Ring and had to walk two or three times as much as our before-Ring-taking distance :) Or this situation simply ended up in our hiring a taxi :)Of course there are still a lot of places in METU we haven´t been to,but i think this strange adaptation process is almost over now.Good times :)Separation from friends and family is also a big hassle.And especially if this is the first time,i mean if you were never separated from your family in highschool etc., than it has its additional difficulties,too.The best way to deal with this problems is to take yourself time and try to make new friends.Just focus on the future,not the past :)Actually,i was expecting more formalities in terms of education and less warm relationships during the classes.But i was wrong.Both my teachers and my classmates are caring and friendly and this is what i most like about METU.I mean the sincerity.Aside from this,the campus is great.It provides you with a lot of facilities.You can easily have-along with  your homework,lessons and educational success-a considerably good social life,too.A lot of organisations are held and there are a number of clubs which you can join (e.g.badminton etc :) ).You are always free to express yourself and your teachers encourage you to do so.That´s why,although it has some difficulties and i´m going through some problematic times,METU´s pros overweight its cons.I´m glad and proud of being here :)
                                                                                                                                           Özlem Önal

Aysegul's Reflection

          Before i came here,this university was nothing special for me,even if i knew its popularity.Though i have stayed here for a short time understand i could understand that ,METU is a little bit difficult place to live,to study,to adapt.But studying in this university has a lot of good things at the same time.
          The first good thing is being a METU student.It is very cool to say that ” i am studying  there.” This sentence really attracts peole around you. It is the ‘etiquet thing’,i guess.You can get this idea even before you come here.In present and future time,it will be so useful when i look for job or something like that.
          The campus is really fascinating for me.Everything is inside it and you don’t have to go somewhere else for basic needs.Since my dormitory is near “çarşı”,i take advantage of the functions well.Even in a few minutes,i can go and eat and do what i want.
          METU people,i mean the students,are very kind;that is what i like most here.I also like the free youth here.They are in their business and do not judge each other.
          My dorm-mates are cute and outgoing people.I did not find it difficult to socialize with them.Their being older than me is an advantage,since they are helpful and open my questions.
          But,of course,not everythig is good here.My lessons are early in the morning,i find it hard to get up at 7.While i am going to faculy,everybody is sleepig in the room.So it is a disturbing situation.
          It would be easy to go,if the faculty was near.But we are like crawling in ring services every morning.The drivers are always angry and shouting at somebody.The rings are already crowded,when we get on,so we can not have a seat almost everytime.
          The weather issue is another problem for all of us.The dry cold in mornings,the dry hot in the noons.For me,it is hard to get used to,because my hometown is humid even in winters.But here,you can not wear the dresses in the noontime what you wear in the morning.
          Like everybody,i miss my family,my close friends,the home atmosphere so much.This is the first time i have been away from home so i am affected psychologically mostly.
          When it comes to the lessons,they are not enjoyable like the high school lessons.You have to attend regularly.But it is not enough to attend,you must participate the class discussions and show your speaking ability.Since i was not used to speak so fluently,i found it hard to explain my answers correctly in the first lessons.
          When all these negative and positive things come to my mind,i want to say that being here is so good.I feel grown up and free.But i am looking forward to the bairam,i wish the religious holiday could be longer.
                                                                                                            thanks for reading.
                                                                                                       AYSEGUL KOC
I am going through an adaptation process from being a high school student to a university student. Because i am living a different region , different climate and different environment.There is a lot of people who i do not know.Every thing is different from i'm used to.At high school i had many friends also one of them is from my primary school.We could talk about our primary school memories Now she is not with me.But at METU i have three friends from the same high school.Because of being so i think i'm lucky.Apart from them i don't know anybody well and i don't have many friends.But i believe i will have gradually.At high school there was a lot of people that i know and talk with.that was made me feel as if i'm safe.But at all events i'm happy to be the student of METU.I think i can deal with these difficulties and adapt as quickly as possible.

At the begining i couldn't explain myself easily in lessons because i had to speak English and i'm not used to it.Iwas afraid of making any mistake.So i stayed silent in lessons.Now i'm getting used to do it and trying explain myself in english as much as possible.Another problem is related to our lesson hours.Our lessons start at earlier hours and finish at late hours.We have to wake up early and go home late.There are free times between our two lessons.This times some days too long and boring for me.

As i said i'm happy to be a member of METU family.At METU there are many things that i like.Firstly it has a very large and functional library.I can find there whatever i want.I can use computers with the aim of search.Also at METU there are many social activities and bodies such as tennis , footbal, playing musical instruments and so on.You can join whichever you want.You can also join student exchange programs like Erasmus and study abroad. If you want you can study an additional subject at METU.

Being a METU student means to me a bright future.At METU not only when are you student but also after graduated you have many opportunities.I will try to take advantages of METU as much as possible.

Reflection Journal 1: Being a METU student

     It was a little bit confusing for me to be here at first but I had always wanted to be a METU student so adaptation was not a hard process for me.
     Fortunately, I had met with some friends when I first came here (6th September 2011) so I was not worry about new friends. I had never been away from my home and family before I came here, yet it was not difficult for me to get accustomed to staying in dormitory. 
     In METU, there are many clubs and communities that we can join. For our personal development, it is very important to have such opportunities. There are sport facilities, too. You can do any sport that you can imagine. Besides, education system of METU is among the bests. Being a METU student is a privilege in all aspects.
     Still, I have some minor difficulties. For instance, we speak in English in lessons and I find it difficult because I have not done this before. But I think I will get used to it. Another problem is ring sevices. Before our lesson finish, they stop working so we have to walk to dormitory even in cold weathers. The weather is another problem for me. I came from Izmir so ,for me, the weather changed extremely. There is no humidity, no sweat, no warmth, but too much cold and snow. I think it will be difficult for me to adjust the weather. In terms of lesson, I have some problems with English Literature. It was really difficult for me trying to understand Turkish poems but now we are dealing with English Literature moreover we are doing this in old English! 
     But I am here despite all these difficulties and I must count myself lucky because of that. Here ,in the best university of Turkey, everything will be very good for me ,I believe that..
CLAUSES

*ADVERB CLAUSE

=He was late because he missed the bus.

*ADJECTİVE CLAUSE

=The woman whom i met yesterday is doctor.

*NOUN CLAUSE

=What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.



PHRASES

*GERUND PHRASE

=Wild food adventures require getting your hair cut to a short ,safe lenght.

*İNFİNİTİVE PHRASE

=She hopes to win the approval of her mother by switching her major from fine arts to pre-med.

*PREPOSİTİONAL PHRASE

=He is stiff from yesterdays long football practice.




VERBS BOTH TRANSİTİVE AND İNTRANSİTİVE

*BREAK
=There is no point in buying him expensive toys, he will only break them.(T)

=I think the engine of the car is broken.(I)

*DECAY
=Eating a lot of sweet decayed her teeth.(T)

=Educational standarts have decayed.(I)

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Video Reflection 1

Dear FLE 133 members,
For this video reflection assignment,you need to watch the study experiences of 3 foreign students in the USA. You need to do the following:
1.What did the students think of the benefits of studying in the USA?
2. Why did they decide to go to the US for education?
2. What are the differences do these students observe between their own countries and the USA in their education life and in daily life? What are the issues they like and dislike about the education system in their own country and in the US?
3. What did they think of the financial side of being a student in the US?
4. What kinds of difficulties did they experience in the US?
5.Have they experienced any culture shock? If so, what was a culture shock for them?
What about you? Have you ever thought of going to the US for education? Why? Please comment on your views of the possible benefits, possible challenges/difficulties of being a student in the US? Do you think that you will have similar experiences if you go to the US for education? In what ways?
The link to the video is as follows:
http://youtu.be/B8TrDd12qPs
(True life I am an international student)

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Reflection Journal 1: Being a METU student

Dear FLE 133 members,
For this reflection, you need to write about the following topic:
Do you feel you are going through an adaptation process from being a high school student to a universiy student at METU? If so, in what ways (e.g., psychologically, socially and academically, etc.)? Do you have any support mechanisms in this process? What kinds of challenges are you having at present? In what ways are satisfied with being a student at METU? To what extent do you think METU seems to have fulfilled your expectations? What does being a student at METU mean to you?

The font you need to use is Times New Roman (12puntos)
The word limit is between 400-500.