In June 2020, I graduated from Sabanci University with a Computer Science degree. I had the happiness of completing this valuable chapter of my life. A week after my graduation, I took my first steps into my profession. When I look back, I see the importance of every decision I made, the significance of every effort I put and the influence of every relationship I built. I decided to write down some key points about my journey.

1. Communication & Relationships
I have always enjoyed interacting with people who are knowledgeable in interesting areas. I learned a lot from them, and I owe many important experiences to people I got to know. I have always asked the questions that I was interested in and I have never encountered anyone who ignored me when I asked. And when people ask me, I try to be as responsive to pay that debt of gratitude back. Whether I’m the one asking the questions or answering, I have so much fun during this idea exchange. After having some conversations, I ended up being a mentor for some people. Some people ended up being my mentors and some people ended up being my friends. Luckily, I’m surrounded by many exciting people who I built genuine relationships with. Having a wide network is one of the greatest wealth that can be acquired.

2. Major & Aim
Selecting the right major is one of the most important factors to have a successful career. This is one of the most personal decisions that one can make, and there are no right or wrong answers. People tend to look for motivation outside. I believe that having a dream about the career is a great motivator and people should select their major accordingly. My dreams about my career always made me focused all the time. As I realized the impact of technology in our lives, I wanted to build something great for other people. I want to execute and scale interesting ideas instantly through building software. That’s the reason why I was always eager to create opportunities to learn more.

3. Relaxing & Studying
The time you spend outside of class affects your in-class performance a lot. For myself, I discovered that the time I spend socially increases my productivity. Some people relax by playing games, some dance, and some clean-up the house… It is important to find events that comfort you most. Also, try to find the most productive system to maximize your in-class performance. I went to almost every class. I was not the guy who studied every day or every week, but I studied extensively every 2-3 weeks for every each of my classes. Also, I usually left the creative parts of my work to the last day of the deadline. I do the same still. Somehow, I manage my time perfectly and focus intensely on deadline days. It should have something to do with adrenaline. (PS. I did not miss any deadlines.)

4. GPA
I graduated with 3.51/4.00, which was good enough for me. Having a good GPA should not be the aim but a result. I think studying for a high GPA is boring and misses the fun of learning. I tried to understand everything that was explained in the class, the more I made this effort, the higher my scores were. On the other hand, many interesting programs have GPA thresholds as application criteria. If it is below the indicated threshold, many interesting opportunities fly away even before filling the application form…

5. Work
I worked in every each of my holidays. In this way, I was able to improve myself in different areas, met with many people, and got to know myself better. Working in different environments broadened my vision and made me look from a different viewpoint every time. Now, I realize that my previous experiences help me to see events from different perspectives. One more thing, it is never too early! I got my first job at Delivery Hero (Yemeksepeti) as a business development intern even before I started college. During my time, I interacted with the customers, delivered a presentation to my team, and became a part of the workflow. I learned a lot there and I believe I was quite useful for the company. Also, working in an online food delivery platform ignited my passion for gastronomy and made me super curious about online delivery systems.

6. Post-graduation
The first steps taken after graduation is an extension of the university life. This is something that one should always keep somewhere in mind. Good news: there is no need to plan anything firmly from day one. If the decision is not obvious, the most important thing to do is keeping options open. One decision would lead to one another and eventually post-graduation path will appear by itself. Better to think ahead but not rush.

7. Fun, Hobbies & Travel
Life is much broader than just work. I find it more obvious after graduation. If you have hobbies, you can do something other than going out and having a drink with a friend. There is nothing wrong with having a drink with friends, but more can be done. Playing saxophone, sailing, and discovering my passion for gastronomy were some of the things that I have started. Now I see that having hobbies made my life much more colourful. Also, travel abroad if there is a chance. Try to discover new cultures and have interesting experiences.

I also keep reminding this to myself still:

• No matter how busy you are do not forget having fun throughout your journey. :)