It is a well-known reality that our lives as NYU Abu Dhabi students are constantly flooded with events, announcements and a never-ending task list. The same cycle repeats every day: e-mails, events, classwork, meetings, internships, extracurricular activities, etc. It is just the way life is at NYUAD; we are constantly expected to be on the go. Even something as private as our leisure time has been reduced to a tick box on the checklist. We allow this “on-the-go” attitude to trickle into all aspects of our lives, including our personal spaces that are meant to be free of academic propaganda and productivity mantras.

There is one personal space that is under constant attack: the high-line. Every day, as I step into the elevator to go to my dorm, I notice the many posters that surround me. A never-ending list of things to do and events to attend can feel overwhelming. After speaking to peers about this experience, I realized that I was not alone. Two weeks ago, while I was walking on the high-line, I noticed the, “Submit your Housing Application” posters that were put up every ten to fifteen meters. One reminder near the A5 and A6 elevators would have sufficed. In a space that is meant for relaxation, I found this constant reminder to be repetitive and unnecessary.

We already have access to information about events that are happening through the student portal, social media platforms, newsletters and posters across the university. The repetition of work-related information in a space that is dedicated to living and relaxation feels inappropriate.

We need space to breathe. A space that isn’t a constant reminder of our checklist. A space that grounds us and rejuvenates us. Our living space, such as the high-line and residential buildings, should serve those purposes. We need to work harder towards creating a healthier distinction between campus life and living space.

To clarify, there is nothing inherently wrong with academic work and productivity. However, excessive indulgence in goals and performance can create a lack of a healthy work-life balance, which is important for an optimal lifestyle. The consequences of having a constant reminder of our checklist, and an unhealthy distinction between campus life and personal life, are serious and harmful. Author Julie Scelfo, for instance, explores the toxicity in the performance-oriented nature of academia at top institutions. This particular nature of academia causes our self worth to be assessed through external measures of our character: the papers we produce, the projects we create and the way we display ourselves.

Not only does the poster policy carry this performance-oriented mindset into our sacred, personal spaces, but it also inflicts detrimental ways of understanding our value and worth in this community and beyond. What we choose to display in our dormitory elevators makes a difference. It shows us what we value and what we expect. Self-worth should not be measured solely through external measures because our value simply goes beyond work and what we produce.

This campus has this toxic problem for a particular reason. We live, work, eat, study and mingle in the same place. Our classes are on the ground floor, our dorms are on the second floor. As author Karen Rinaldi argues, work is like water. It quickly spreads and flows to fill the spaces in our personal lives. There is nothing concrete that truly separates our personal and academic life here at NYUAD. All aspects of our lives intertwine together in this enveloping 40-acre space.

But there are ways to manage the flow. Perhaps we can start off by being more mindful of what we allow and don't allow to be present in our personal spaces. With the nature of this campus, it becomes all the more necessary to create tangible boundaries for the sake of our well-being and perceptions of self-worth.