It was a sunny morning in Istanbul, and the first lights of the day were crawling into my dormitory from the crack of my window. The days were getting hotter, and the spring was ready to disrupt my mind from the classes. Without giving in to spring’s mischievous energy, I started getting ready. I had back to back classes that day, and I had Musical Theatre Club Rehearsal in the afternoon. I opened my window to let Şile’s fresh air in. There was no sign of the cow I say good morning to every day, but I heard the sound of her bell ringing from afar. The bees were buzzing. The flowers were dancing. I enjoyed the weak wind briefly, and I was ready for my busy day. It was just a regular morning at Işık University’s Şile Campus.

I graduated from Işık University’s Bachelor of Arts in Management Program back in 2013. It was my home for five years. The reason why I choose this university is that my sister was also there. I didn’t know what was waiting for me or what to expect. Even though Işık Education Group is an old and rooted education provider, their university was relatively new when I started. I didn’t know much about it, but it was a match made in heaven for me. There were students from many different backgrounds. I got to listen to their stories. I met my lifelong best friends, and I witnessed them become the best versions of themselves throughout the years. I discovered what I wanted from life and build a concrete substructure to become a management professional. I got to choose fun electives, learned basic Japanese and coding. I still remember the little card that my advisor had in front of her office that said: “not a morning person,” along with a funny cartoon. I still remember the lyrics of the Turkish Mamma Mia Musical we did. Those were the days, my friend.

Your parents might have already told you that the early 20s are the most important years of your life. Mine said the same thing. I can now understand that this is true – almost ten years later after my graduation- that it was the most important years of my life. I spent these years in a university, and It made me the person I am now today. It provided me not just with education but also many things about life in general. Don’t get me wrong, you never stop learning and growing as a human being. It is in our nature. However, being young, knowing so little about life, not knowing what to expect from it, and the whole process of finding yourself is a lovely journey. And that journey what makes the early 20s so unique. There is no doubt that your university has a significant role in it.

I am glad that I choose Işık University as my second home, and I am proud of where they have arrived since my graduation. For those of you who are going to be coming from outside of Turkey, I am certain that you will feel safe and at home at Işık University.

Good luck to everyone who are applying to universities this year, and hope you will also find your second home just like I did.