Studying Abroad from the Perspectives of Turkish Graduate Students in the USA

International Journal of Psychology and Educational Studies, cilt.7, sa.4, ss.213-223, 2020 (Hakemli Dergi)

Studying abroad is a unique experience including social and cultural practices and affects students’

education, life styles, habits and identities. For a better insight about this unique experience, the

experiences of students studying abroad need to be analyzed deeply. In this context, this study aims

to understand the experiences of eight Turkish graduate students studying in the U.S. The study was

designed as a qualitative study and phenomenology was used as a research method. The data of the

study was obtained through semi-structured interviews conducted face-to-face by the researcher. All

participants finished their undergraduate education in Turkey, and pursue their education in the

U.S. with different scholarship and funds. The interviews were recorded with participant consent

and the data was analyzed with content analysis technique. The findings reveal educational, social

and cultural dimensions of studying abroad experience.