The residential life program at Robert College is designed to provide opportunities to students who live outside Istanbul, for them to develop socially, psychologically and academically in a safe and peaceful way. To this end, we work on building a community which is based on honesty, mutual respect, responsibility, positive interactions and collaboration, where students young men and women are expected to be sensitive to and respect the rights, needs and property of others. During the years that they spend in RC’s residences, students have the chance to develop their sharing, responsibility, problem-solving and conflict resolution skills. They can acquire the skills to be able to make decisions for themselves, and they can learn to distinguish between right and wrong.
Opportunities
Robert College offers its residential students amazing opportunities. Those who take advantage of what the school has to offer, find a deep sense of satisfaction and fullfilment. They live on a peaceful, lush campus, with nature on their doorstep, yet still in the middle of the bustling city of Istanbul, with all that that offers. Not having the daily journey to and from school in Istanbul’s notorious traffic means that students gain extra time to be spent on co-curricular activities, playing sports with friends, studying collaboratively in the library with other residential students, or chatting in English with faculty who also live on campus. There are opportunities to make strong friendships with roommates, which can last a lifetime. Learning to be independent, making their own decisions, and learning how to look after themselves, even doing their own washing and ironing, all help prepare students for their life ahead.
To support the students' social and cultural development along with their academics, various activities like trips to exhibitions and theaters are organized on weekends and weekdays. We have a residential life enrichment program for all levels, including such as a weekend program for residential Prep students, to introduce them to the city. The convenient location of the school, between Ulus and Arnavutköy, allows students to access facilities in the neighborhood in their free time.
We expect residential students to take advantage of what is available to them, making sure they achieve balance in their lives, since Balance is one of Robert College’s five Core Values.
Students’ effort is key to success
What is vital is for students to make the conscious effort to adjust to residential life, something which is very different from home life. Students need to develop resilience and problem-solving skills, and learn to persevere. Students who come with little English, for example, need to make deliberate choices about how to improve their English; students who are shy need to make the effort to make new friends, as strong friendships are often the best way for students to adjust to this new life; students who are homesick need to reach out to friends, staff, counselors and teachers and share how they are feeling. Students will be living in a diverse community where differences are embraced and celebrated: being open-minded, respectful and communicative are essential for a successful adjustment to residential life.
All the Support and Security is in Place
There are many support systems available for residential students. Residential staff are trained and very experienced to provide everyday support, whether it be a friendly ear to listen, or to give advice. School counselors are available whenever they are needed, as are the students’ advisers and teachers. Our Health Center is open 24/7, is staffed with a doctor during work hours on weekdays, and paramedics and nurses at all times. Friends are a huge source of support, too. However, what is important is for students to ask for support when it is needed. Most likely everyone who becomes a residential student will experience some difficulty at some time, and there are plenty of people to give support when needed. One of the five Robert College Core Values is Responsibility, and it is the responsibility of residential students to speak up when they need help. Because at Robert College, we help each other.
The residences have 24/7 security. The entrances are equipped with identity card readers. Each residence has a Residential Head, an Assistant Head and residential advisors - four full-time in the boys’ residence and three full-time, one part-time in the girls’ residence - who are mostly former residential RC students who are currently attending university. In addition, the Dean of Student Affairs supervises the residential team. The residential staff on duty can be reached at any hour, seven days a week, when the residences are open. At the campus entrance and exit there are security checks and a camera monitoring system.
The parents of residential students can communicate with the school at any time. Each Friday, parents are sent a bulletin that includes a weekly newsletter, photos and the cafeteria menu. Parents who need information can always contact the residential heads or the Dean of Student Affairs. All students are expected to have an Istanbul guardian, a relative or family friend in the city who can take the student and look after them when staying in the residence would put others at risk, e.g. in the case of an infectious disease. Students can also stay occasionally with their Istanbul guardian at the weekends: another form of support.
Please click here to watch the video prepared by our graduate Arda Efe Köseler RC 19.
Tuna
2022-2023 Academic Year Residential Students by Province
Residences
Hüsnü Özyeğin Girls’ Residence
There are 90 students staying in the Girls’ Residence.
Boys’ Residence
There are 100 students staying in the Boys’ Residence.
