ALI EMRE BILGIC 

When people talk about migration, the conversation often revolves around numbers: how many people move, where they come from, and how they affect the economy. Reading Sam Selvon's The Lonely Londoners reminded me that migration is also deeply personal. Behind every statistic is someone trying to build a new life while holding on to pieces of an old one. Published in 1956, the novel follows Caribbean immigrants who arrive in London during what later became known as the Windrus

People often focus on big achievements. A championship trophy, a strong exam score, a completed research project, or a major milestone can easily attract attention. What usually stays invisible, however, is everything that happens before those moments. Most meaningful progress is not built through one extraordinary day. It grows through small actions repeated consistently over time. Basketball has taught me this lesson clearly. Improvement rarely arrives suddenly. Better shoo

Personal growth, for me, has not been a single turning point but a gradual shift in perspective—moving from understanding systems to feeling responsible for how they affect others. My interest in economics initially began in an academic context. I was drawn to how systems function, how decisions are made, and how outcomes can be predicted. But over time, I started to notice a gap between theory and reality—particularly when it came to financial literacy. What is often discuss

Research is often perceived as something reserved for university students or academics. In reality, high school students are in a uniquely strong position to conduct meaningful, original work—if they approach the process with structure and intent. At its core, research begins with curiosity. The most compelling projects do not start with a topic chosen for prestige, but with a question that feels genuinely worth answering. This could emerge from an academic interest, a real-w

Over the past year, I have realized something important: access to information is no longer the main challenge. The real challenge is using that information wisely. As I prepare for the SAT, many of my friends ask me whether I am taking private tutoring or enrolling in expensive prep programs. The truth is, I believe free and accessible tools can be incredibly powerful if used strategically. Recently, I started using Gemini while studying. Instead of asking it for direct answ

Today I want to talk about something that isn’t on our weekly school timetable but probably has the biggest impact on our future: Self-directed learning.Over the past year, while diving into HarvardX courses or researching behavioral economics, I realized something important. The hardest part isn’t the complexity of the subject itself. The real challenge is figuring out how to manage your own brain when there’s no teacher standing over your shoulder telling you what to do or

What Basketball Taught Me About "Grit" (And Why It Matters for Us) I recently came across a concept that changed the way I look at my training on the court and my studies at school. It’s called "Grit." Coined by psychologist Angela Duckworth, Grit is defined as passion and perseverance for long-term goals. Basically, it means that talent is great, but it’s not the whole story. What actually leads to success is how long you can stay committed to a goal, especially when things

This year I completed the 12–week YetGen Gençler Program, which I joined after passing a two–stage selection process. It was a great opportunity because the program is free and brings together students from many different schools. Throughout the course, I learned skills that I believe every high school student should develop, such as critical thinking, problem solving, digital literacy and teamwork. One of the most important lessons for me was understanding how to take respon

Many students in Türkiye want to join academic competitions but do not know where to start, so I wanted to share what I have learned about applying to TÜBİTAK high school research projects. The process is actually simpler than it looks. First, students choose a research topic in fields such as engineering, social sciences, physics, biology or computer science. After that, they either work with a school advisor or find a mentor teacher who can guide them during the project. Ap

ALL OF OUR BEHAVIOURS CHANGE OUR BRAIN, EVEN WHEN WE ARE ADULTS. THIS IS NEUROPLASTICITY. Inspired by Laura Boyd's Ted Talk in Vancouver. She's a Professor from the University of British Columbia and I think this video would be very useful to believe in the power of our brain and our learning capacity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNHBMFCzznE In summary: Brain actually signals with neurons (chemical signalling) and let us learn within a short term memory and motor skills.

When I first started exploring U.S. universities, I realized how confusing the process can be. There are hundreds of schools, all with different acceptance rates, SAT expectations, and student experiences. Over time, I found some great free websites that make it easier to compare them and understand what each one offers. One of the most popular tools is Niche. It’s designed mainly for American students, so some information might not fully reflect the experience of internation

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/elastic.asp Determinants - What Makes Demand More or Less Elastic? Availability of substitutes (more substitutes → more elastic) Proportion of income spent on the good Time: short-run vs long-run elasticity Necessity vs luxury Habit, brand loyalty Examples Gasoline is relatively inelastic in the short run — people still need to drive. Investopedia Luxury goods or non-essentials tend to be more elastic. If price of coffee rises a bit and

For a long time, I believed that identifying problems was enough. Whether in school projects, on the basketball court, or in my passion for economics research, I was often the one who noticed what wasn’t working. But over time, I realized that spotting challenges without acting on them didn’t make me effective—it only made me observant.This awareness pushed me to shift my mindset: from being problem-focused to becoming solution-oriented. On the basketball team, instead of poi

If you're reading this, you're probably a high school student trying to figure out how to tackle AP Macroeconomics and Microeconomics on your own—or maybe just looking to get ahead. I found some awesome resources online that help me totally get these subjects and I want to share them with you. Here’s what's working for me and most of my friends who scored 5 out o5, and how you can use these same tools. Step 1: Understanding What You’re Getting IntoAP Econ might sound like it

Time management strategies are like training drills in basketball: everyone has a favorite, but not every drill works for every player. Among study strategies, the Pomodoro Technique is probably the most famous. It’s simple—set a timer for 25 minutes, focus on a task, then take a 5-minute break. After four “Pomodoros,” you rest for a longer stretch. I’ve tried it, and I understand why so many students swear by it. But like basketball drills, whether it works depends on your s

Hey everyone! If you’re thinking about learning to code and taking the AP Computer Science A exam, you can use lots of free resources online to learn Java, solve problems, and get confident with code. Here are my favourites: Step 1: What is AP Computer Science A?AP CSA is about thinking like a computer scientist. You’ll learn Java (a real-world programming language), how to solve problems, and how to break code into small logical parts. It covers: Variables & conditionals Loo

When people talk about success in school or life, they often mention intelligence or talent. But psychologists like Carol Dweck have shown us that what matters even more is whether you have a growth mindset or a fixed mindset. If you have a fixed mindset, you believe that abilities like intelligence or discipline are already set in you, so you either have them or you don’t. With a growth mindset, you believe those abilities can be developed through effort, strategies, and le