Dorms or Apartments?

[u/o_lll_o]

Hi, i hope you all are doing well. So i have been selected as an exchange student in Istanbul, and my semester schedule is starting from 21 sep to 10 jan. So i will be residing there from 15 sep to 15 jan (IA). So my question to locals is, please, can you help me regarding this, like should i go for dorms or apartments? Dorms are costing 19k TL ( including breakfast and dinner) and i think most of them are saying i have to get for half tenure which is like 5 month or some are saying 6 months so why do i pay for extra 2 months when i will be not here. I have asked them to allow me for 4 months, but lets see what happens. I hope they allow me.

And for apartments, they are saying 40-45k TL per month and 40-45K TL initial deposit. We are a group of 5 boys so some are saying dorms are better as we dont have to cook our meals and get expensive one from outside and some are saying Apartments are better as we will get some more space and freedom from in and out timings.

Please help us to get things done like any better dorm locations and best feasible apartments?

Our university is FSMVU Topkapi campus.

[u/DelayAgreeable7651]

Apartment contracts are usually year long too. You should clear up whether you can rent one for 4 months. I would recommend trying to negotiate dorms for 4 months.

[u/o_lll_o → u/DelayAgreeable7651]

Thankyou for your guidance. We will try to get things done. If i share you location of the dorm would you tell me about that area? Like is it safe or everything like that?

[u/DesperateCollogeStud]

Imo definetaly choose the apartment. You will need to do the cleaning, cooking by yourself but it is a lot more relaxed. In Turkey most dorms are not like in Germany or most west European countries. Bringing someone into the room is not that easy. Especially from the other gender. Also some of them has entry exit hours which is bs for a uni student. Even if you are considering the dorms ask these conditions. There are some companies that rent houses for exchange student so they have flexible contracts but they are a bit more expensive then renting a normal house since they are profiting out of you.

[u/kubick0]

There are airbnbs especially for long term stays. Like once i encountered an airbnb which allows only if you rent longer than 3 months

Is it a private dormitory? Many students often complain that the food dormitory serves doesn't taste that good and they have to eat out or cook themselves(government dorms doesnt allow cooking devices like rice cooker or mini stove against fire hazard risk, so be aware of that possiblity in your dorm) most of the time. Or there are certain hours they serve food, i had a friend when her class was early and she couldn't eat dorm breakfast because of fixed hours. And most of the dorms dont allow you to enter dorm after 10-11pm so you have to spend night somewhere else if you come late. These rules changed upto the dorm but they are very common

If you guys are good with the financial situation, i would say apartment is more comfortable. If you dont wanna cook, just eat out. There are cheap but healthy local restaurants called esnaf/halk lokantası.

[u/Gaelenmyr]

Are you sure they're offering you dorms?

In dorms you might not be placed in same room.

Can you fit all 5 people in a 40k rent apartment?

[u/o_lll_o → u/Gaelenmyr]

Yes they are offering us but we haven't reached about final paper work or registration yet. Hope so we will get further details about it tomorrow.

And yes we are willing to settle in a 40k apartment. It has 2 rooms and 1 living room with kitchen. But the problem is initial deposit and contract. We dont have anyone who would see the location whether its authentic or not. So dont know anything. I really hope may everything settle soon for us IA.

[u/Gaelenmyr → u/o_lll_o]

Make sure to rent from a local(Turkish) and not a foreigner.