Work

In the summer of 2026, I had the opportunity to complete an international internship with Parkyeri in Istanbul, Türkiye, through the IAESTE program. As a Computer Engineering student at An-Najah National University in Palestine, this was an opportunity for me to take what I had learned through university courses, personal projects, and previous training and apply it in a real professional environment. During my internship, I worked in software development on technical tasks and projects related to web applications, system development, and AI technologies. Moving from university projects to a professional environment changed the way I looked at software development. It was no longer only about writing code that works, but also about understanding project requirements, working through unfamiliar problems, reviewing and testing what I developed, and turning written requirements into practical solutions. One of the most valuable parts of the experience was learning how to approach things I had never worked with before. There were technologies, requirements, and problems that were new to me, so I had to research, understand them, experiment, and find a way forward independently. It also made me appreciate every small project I had worked on before, every course I had taken, and every hour I had spent learning and solving problems. During the internship, I could see how those small steps had gradually prepared me for a much bigger opportunity.

Experience

My daily life in Istanbul was one of the most enjoyable parts of the whole experience. I stayed in a student dormitory inside Istanbul Technical University (ITU), which gave me the chance to experience university life in a completely different country. The campus was huge and beautiful, and living there added another special part to the experience, giving me a real sense of student life in Istanbul. I was also curious about university life in Türkiye, so in my free time I enjoyed walking around the campus, exploring different faculties and spaces, and simply observing the environment and how student life there was different from what I was used to. Outside of work, there was always something new to experience. Through IAESTE, I met interns and students from different countries, and many of the best memories came from the time we spent together. We explored different parts of Istanbul, joined social activities, went on trips, tried Turkish food, and shared stories about our countries and cultures. We visited places around Istanbul, spent time on both the European and Asian sides of the city, and even took trips outside our usual routine. Trying Turkish food was another part of the experience I really enjoyed. From discovering different dishes and desserts to trying something new during our trips and days out, food became a fun way to experience the culture and share memorable moments together. What I loved most was the balance between professional life and everything happening outside of it. Some days were about work and learning, while others were about exploring a new neighborhood, getting lost and finding our way again, taking ferries across Istanbul, trying local food, meeting new people, or simply sitting together and talking. I also fell in love with the city itself—the Bosphorus, the sea, the mosques, the green spaces, and the different atmosphere of each neighborhood. There always seemed to be something new to discover, and somehow time passed so quickly that even after weeks of exploring, I still felt there was much more left to see. These everyday moments made Istanbul feel less like a city I was visiting and more like a place I was actually living in for a while.

Discover

This experience taught me a lot about myself beyond what I learned professionally. It was my first time traveling outside Palestine, and suddenly I had to adapt to a completely new environment, manage my daily life independently, communicate in a different culture, and balance work with everything else that comes with living abroad. Adapting to a new environment was a learning experience in itself. I learned how to deal with unfamiliar situations and gradually became more comfortable and confident in a place that was completely new to me. I also discovered that I am more independent and adaptable than I thought. I became more comfortable dealing with unfamiliar situations, asking questions, finding solutions on my own, and connecting with people from very different backgrounds. Professionally, the internship changed the way I see my studies as well. I started to understand more clearly how the knowledge, projects, and skills I had been building at university could connect to real work. At the same time, I realized that being a good engineer is not about already knowing everything. A big part of it is knowing how to learn when you face something you have never seen before. Being a Palestinian student in an international environment also made the experience especially meaningful to me. I was proud to represent Palestine and An-Najah National University, and to share parts of my country, university, and background with people from different cultures. I returned to Palestine with more confidence in myself, a clearer idea of what I want to continue developing professionally, and a much stronger desire to look for opportunities beyond what is familiar to me. Before this internship, I used to read stories about students who had opportunities to train abroad and wonder what my own experience would be like if I ever had the same chance. This time, I wasn't reading someone else's story. I was living my own. What started as an internship opportunity from An-Najah to Istanbul became one of the experiences that shaped my university journey, and I returned home with greater ambition for everything that comes next. 🤍