We heard of DECO from students of the University of Zagreb, who competed there before. It sounded interesting, so we decided to take part. While being in Istanbul, these thought turned out to be accurate. We had super much fun with socializing with the competing students and the organizers. Not only the tournament was interesting, it was also held at the gorgeous Boğaziçi University campus over the Bosphorus and we also got to know Istanbul very well. The organizers definitely made a great job and our team can only suggest other students to take part in this competition, because it is a first-class way to connect work with fun.

DE&CO was a great experience for us as young engineers. It was the first project in which something we designed in our minds became reality. Designing and building the bridge was an invaluable experience that will serve as a good foundation for future challenges in our careers. We also met colleagues from other countries that broaden our horizons in the field of structural and construction engineering. Sightseeing beautiful Istanbul was a nice complement to the competition. And lastly we formed friendships that we still remember with fondness.

DECO is the worst thing in the world, that is, if you are the kind of student that hates meeting new people, sightseeing cool cities, learning useful skills and generally having a great time while still learning about bridge engineering. Since the start, it was a rough road, but at the end it was all worth it when we arrived at the Istanbul. Members of BUYAP treated us pretty much like our families. They fed us, woke us up too early, and took care of all our problems (and we are not just saying that because they promised us free kebabs when we come next year). They took us on sightseeing tours, boat tours, Turkish bath and the Izmit Bay construction site, among other stuff. We had a chance to listen to some of the best bridge engineers on the world during the Bridge Summit, and also to the future best engineers during the team presentation day. On the other hand, we learned a thing or two about cultures of other teams’ countries and also made a few friends along the way. DECO is so much more than just a bridge competition, it’s an adventure and a great experience, and we are very grateful to the BUYAP for having us there. And for conclusion we just have to say, DECO and the team of best engineers in the world-TEAM GRF will definetely meet again next year.

Firstly as a candidate of a civil engineer, I am really glad to join such a pleasant organization before graduating from university. I decided to seize the opportunity and join this competition because I always want to learn tangible things of engineering in university besides passing the courses. Several teams of our university competed in previous years of De&Co ,we are inspired from them because they always speak in praise of competition. They always say “You should definitely join!” to us. However, I understand that the things I heard about competition before being a part of it is not enough. From the moment of application, an excellent communication has started between us. During a week, a perfect crew welcome us with open arms and they do everything with us. Moreover I can easily say that we were embarrassed towards their hospitality. I hope, we come across time after time. Furthermore, I am glad to meet the other collegian participants. This was a great experience for our lives in every aspect, thank BÜYAP family for this beautiful organization.