Now let’s start from a bit further back. Before coming to Kütahya, even before taking the LYS (undergraduate placement exam), I had it in my mind that I would study at a university in Istanbul. As time passed, we took the exam, and then I kept saying Istanbul, but I had only set my sights on the Mathematics Department in Istanbul; however, in my rankings, my first choices were still Computer Engineering. Then the scores were announced, and I started thinking gloomily: if Istanbul came up and I went for Mathematics, that school wouldn’t be finished in 10 years, I’m sure of it, that’s how it is. Because I know myself. But thank God, I got Computer Engineering instead of Mathematics. But in Kütahya. By the way, I put down Kütahya Dumlupınar University Computer Engineering Department just 2 hours before the deadline upon my sister’s insistence. As they say, it’s destiny; that’s how it is, you know. We were meant to come here.

With registration and all, we settled into our house, and then with classes, finishing all midterms this week, I am now flying home. In fact, I am writing this article right now at the Kütahya bus terminal on my laptop, connected to the internet shared from my phone. A beautiful piece of music is playing in my ears. I am in a state where you could say, “Don’t ruin my vibe.” Even though the kid on my left keeps stopping and trying to peek at my laptop… Bro, bring your laptop and open it too, is anyone telling you not to?

Now let’s return to our main topic: studying out of town. In my opinion, studying out of town is a super thing, believe me. If you ask why: it’s because you have to support yourself. Housework, cooking, ironing, washing clothes—you get the opportunity to discover a new city and the mindset of the people living there. University is already a different realm, a different world; in a class of 100 people, the number of Istanbulites can be counted on the fingers of one hand. You make friends from every city, try to understand them, and before you know it, you don’t even realize how time passes. Let me put it this way: school started on September 16th as far as I remember, and as I write this, it’s 25 minutes to November 16th. It has been exactly 2 months almost, but believe me, I didn’t realize how the time passed. Because with friends, school, chores, your own things, etc., you don’t notice how time flies. There is also this situation: I was a guy who spent 12 hours a day in front of a computer, but ever since I came here, even though I am a Computer Engineering student, I can spend at most 12-24 hours a week in front of the computer. In fact, since I arrived, I am now starting my 5th book. (A reading book, by the way.) Think about it: me, someone who could barely finish 1 or 2 books in a year, reading 5 books in 2 months. It is an incredible thing from my perspective. And I started to enjoy reading. I don’t just read for the sake of it anymore. So, there’s that.

Also, you’re free when you stay out of town. That’s a whole different story. There is no one interfering with you. No one asking where you were or what you did. You chat with your friends, and the time slips away. You get to a point where you don’t even feel the need for TV or foreign shows. You become addicted to tea and ayran instead of cola and orange soda. The number of times you eat out increases. You start eating meals mostly consisting of pasta and raw meatballs (çiğ köfte). And most importantly, your relationships with people increase significantly. You switch to a comfort mode in speaking. Not in a disrespectful way, of course. So, I can say this: I was slightly talkative in high school too, but I didn’t have a side that appealed to every crowd. Now, I think I can comfortably communicate with everyone.

Briefly, let me explain it like this: right now, as a university student, just sitting at the bus terminal and gathering my thoughts to write my article in spite of the two girls nagging next to me (even though I’m listening to music with headphones, their voices never stop) is a super freedom and a beautiful thing for me. But of course, I wouldn’t trade being with my family for anything; that’s a separate issue. I am calling out from here: Mom, Dad, sis, I love you, I love you, ich liebe dich, je t’aime, in every way.

Anyway, I don’t know what character limit this article is pushing right now, but I kept it quite long. Stay well! May Allah bless you! By the way, it’s reached 536 words. Bye.