On May 27, 2020, NYU Abu Dhabi will celebrate its seventh graduating class since its opening in 2010. Having spent nearly four years on the Saadiyat Campus, it is safe to assume that this year’s seniors can serve as authorities on matters such as residential life and off-campus excursions. Members of the Class of 2020 told The Gazelle about their best off-campus adventures, city trips and the importance of solitary reflection.

When asked about her favorite aspect of living on campus, Simran Motiani, Class of 2020, describes the process of decorating her dorm. “I feel like it's such a good bonding experience but also calming for me and just going to IKEA or wherever in the city... and picking what you want and putting it all up.” She added that casual events such as movie nights in her room add to her sense of home on campus.

“The first thing that comes to mind is definitely being able to attend Arts Center events and it being in such close proximity to where we live,” said Bernice Delos Reyes, Class of 2020. She added that the advantage of campus-held events is that students get an opportunity to have “very close access to these artists”.

Oftentimes, not much is needed to temporarily break away from academic stress or pressing deadlines. Engineering major Muhammad Rafay Ashfaq, Class of 2020, discloses that one of his favorite ways to “break the monotony of campus life” is to invite close friends for tea. “I just love the process of making tea for my friends and having a good conversation over it,” he explained, proving that there can be beauty and great value in the simplicity of small moments.

Sometimes, the only way to truly unwind is an excursion. We asked our seniors for their favorite places to visit on Saadiyat Island, in the city and beyond.

Delos Reyes referred to Abu Dhabi’s food scene as “the crowning glory of Abu Dhabi Downtown.” If you are tired of frequented “mainstream” eateries, our seniors recommend seeking out small, novel restaurants in the city and potentially discovering new favorites.

“Even though Abu Dhabi isn't the greenest city, it does have a lot of like green areas you can go to,” Motiani recognizes, recommending the newly opened Mangrove Walk on Al Jubail Island. Hunter Peterson, Class of 2020, shares “the biggest thing is taking advantage of this topography if you aren't from this sort of place,” referring to a desert trip. “Some of the most magical moments that I had (...) was with two friends (...), we just drove out into the desert, as far as we could (...) go and saw those beautiful sand dunes,” he reminisced.

The seniors showed a great interest in traveling within the UAE. “One of my goals, when I was a freshman was to go to all seven Emirates,” explained Alexis Mountcastle, Class of 2020. Travel within the UAE has now become more convenient with a newly launched bus service running between Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah, every Thursday to Saturday. With tickets priced between 35AED and 45AED (depending on the time of departure), the trip is friendly to a student budget.

With snowfall being extremely rare in the UAE, Madhav Juneja, Class of 2020, can consider himself very lucky to have experienced it during his time at NYUAD. “There's this one moment when I did like one of the best solo trips I've done in the UAE and it actually snowed in Ras al Khaimah on the top of Jebel Jais,” he shared. Due to a lack of driver’s license at the time, his process of arriving on-site included several buses and hitchhiking. He recalls that there has not been a better “moment of self-reflection” during his time at university.

If your ideas of fun revolve far more around the “I” than the “we”, fret not — the seniors also have recommendations for solo activities. Some unique moments can arise from being by oneself for a while.

When asked what she does for solitary self care, Delos Reyes stated that her favorite activity was going to Saadiyat beach and spending the day reading. She added, “there are a lot of cool cafés in like hotels like Park Hyatt where you can, you know, just order tea and be by yourself and nobody really bothers you.” Reading “for fun” is often a dying art amongst university students, but its value in relaxing or distracting from everyday woes should not be underestimated.

Motiani mentioned that she derives pleasure from going to the breakwater by the Marina Mall and merely engaging with her environment. “I just really enjoy being there because there are a lot of families (...) but a lot of students don't necessarily go there,” she explained. The breakwater combines the beating heart of the city center with the serenity of the sea, which Motiani expressed - “you can just sit and watch whatever is happening and it gives you (...) this time to be alone and still feel like you are in the city, in Abu Dhabi”.

Being away from home can be challenging, even for seniors, and embracing one’s roots can be a helpful mechanism.

Delos Reyes fondly recalls Asia-Pacific night, an annual event hosted on campus. “It was really nice to see the camaraderie of the general Asian community on campus and see everyone celebrating each other's cultures,” she states, emphasizing the importance and organic interactions of the variety of nationalities across the student body. Another such event seems to be the Pakistani mock wedding, which usually happens in April. Juneja being from India reflects on the personal importance of this event to him by saying, “I'm a Desi myself, but like it's an evening I look forward to, I freak out at the food, the dances — I feel closer to home”.

Senior year brings with it great anticipation of life post-graduation and it is not difficult to live a very goal oriented existence. The countdown to May, the impatiently placed Xs on the merciless calendar. Perhaps that is precisely the reason to slow down, take a look around, and enforce that although not for much longer, the Saadiyat Campus is still home.