Programme details
| Programme length | Start | End | Price | Age on departure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFS year programme (academic year) | September 2011 | June 2012 | $12,800 |
The Turks say that their country is like a man running west on a train heading east. They are referring to the separation of east and west you’ll experience in this vibrant culture. Its major city of Istanbul straddles two continents with mosques on the European side and western-style suburbs on the Asian side. Turkey has a Western economic system within an Islamic society, there is dynamic industrialisation next door to historic buildings in neighbourhoods dating from Byzantine and Ottoman eras and a landscape ranging from Mediterranean coasts to jagged mountains.
Turks are renowned for their generous hospitality and friendliness to visitors as well as for their wide-ranging cultural interests. There’s also the cuisine, considered one of the finest in the world. There is a saying, “Bring your belly to Turkey – it will thank you.”
Family life
The family is an important institution in Turkish society and is usually close-knit. Especially in rural areas, traditional family values prevail with the father as the leader of the family. Turkish families often include extended family and everyone is loyal to the family unit. Supervising the children and managing the household is generally the responsibility of the wife, while the husband is more occupied with work outside the home. Parental authority is respected and families are generally protective of teenagers, especially girls.
Parents expect to be informed about when their teenagers are going out, where they are going and when they will be returning. Children are expected to share in the housework.
School life
High school students in Turkey specialise in either mathematics and sciences or social studies. You will be placed according to what is available in your community and your academic background. You will take 12 to 15 courses per semester. Most of the subjects are compulsory with a few optional ones. There are 30 to 35 hours of school per week, from Monday to Friday.
School runs from mid-September to mid-June with a two-week holiday from the end of January to early February. Many schools offer extracurricular activities and this is a great way for you to meet people and make friends.
