We often remark that years seem to fly by. Cognitive science suggests this feeling stems from how the brain encodes memories. When days look alike, the hippocampus compresses them into fewer distinct records, creating the impression that time has sped up\footnote{Avni-Babad, D., & Ritov, I. (2003). Routine and the perception of time. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 132(4), 543–553. https://doi.org/10.1037/0096-3445.132.4.543}. Conversely, a day rich with new experiences leaves more traces in neural storage, stretching our subjective timeline\footnote{Kurby, C.A., & Zacks, J.M. (2008). Segmentation in the perception and memory of events. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 12(2), 72–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2007.11.004}.
Middle East Technical University’s sailing club has long been a hub for students who love the sea. I was lucky to sail with the club when I was a student at METU, spending weekends trimming sails on the Aegean and getting hooked on the rhythm of race starts.
Embarking on a PhD in Florida means waking up to ocean breezes and the low rumble of aircraft testing engines at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Daytona Beach may be famous for NASCAR and spring breakers, but for me it has become a sanctuary of research and late-night coding sessions fueled by café con leche.
Middle East Technical University (METU) is a public research university in Ankara, Turkey, known for its emphasis on engineering, natural sciences, and social sciences [1]. Established in 1956, the university now offers 41 undergraduate programs across five faculties and hosts a large forested campus around Lake Eymir.
