Coming to university for the first time is an exciting, challenging and scary experience. But luckily, at NYU Abu Dhabi, Marhaba helps first year students acquaint themselves with university life while also giving them the opportunity to build relationships with their peers before the academic year starts.

With the ongoing threat of Covid-19 and delayed entry permits to the UAE, Marhaba took place online for the second time in NYUAD history. Much like last year, students of the Class of 2025 participated in Marhaba while stuck at home. A number of the sessions recorded in order to make the program more accommodating.

“Because my travel was delayed because of entry permit issues, I was glad to hear the mandatory Zoom sessions are being recorded and I can watch them without staying up all night to be on Gulf Standard Time,” explained Mariella Rubenson, Class of 2025.

Despite the hurdles in the student onboarding process, many students were able to join the vast array of activities the Marhaba Committee had planned, which included Marhaba Majilis, Scavenger Hunt, NYUAD Trivia, Costume Party, Talent Show, Family Feud and the traditional Rooftop Rhythms.

Emma Miklášova, Class of 2025, loved participating in the virtual Rooftop Rhythms during Marhaba because it gave her the opportunity to express herself and step out of her comfort zone. She noted that although she was anxious before her performance, the audience created a supportive environment which encouraged her to share more of her writing in the future.

An immense amount of effort went in to organizing Marhaba: “Behind all the fun events and exciting workshops happening in Marhaba there is a big team of students and staff members that have been working hard to plan everything for months,” explained Ana Maria Radu, Class of 2023 and Marhaba Committee Member.

Throughout the difficult work of organizing Marhaba, Radu emphasized the importance of building friendships, as getting to know the Marhaba Committee members on a personal level helped the team get more things done and improve the overall experience. She hoped that through the planned activities students would also meet peers who would help them develop a sense of belonging as the year went on.

The virtual nature of the events didn’t stop them from having a great impact on students’ experience.

“I really enjoyed the Adulting 101 session. The upperclassmen gave us valuable pieces of advice that will help me financially, socially and academically,” said Layan Alkasaji, Class of 2025. The session pointed her in the right direction and eased her anxiety transitioning to campus.

Priyanka Balamurali, Class of 2025, found the session hosted by REACH, a student run mental health support group, meaningful in building interclass relationships at university: “[It] offered a space for us to answer deep questions that went far beyond the ‘where are you from' that I was constantly asked.”

Another hallmark programming during Marhaba is First Year Dialogue — a program facilitated by an upperclassman that lays the groundwork for creating a space for first year students to explore ideas and concerns with their transition to undergraduate life, such as making friendships, balancing course work and navigating culture shocks. The programme aims to encourage students to be bold, take the first step and face situations on the learning edge.

“I feel FYD is the best thing from Marhaba. It's a place where people can actually put their feelings into words without any discomfort, or fear of being judged,” stated Abdur Rahman, Class of 2025. He felt that FYD sessions help introverted people speak out and let go of their insecurities.

For Pawlowska, FYD is a safe space to engage with the NYUAD community:“[FYD] teaches us how to be a global citizen outside of a university setting.”

Organizing FYD sessions in a virtual environment has the added challenge of exploring different perspectives on dialogue, sharing personal stories and helping people open up solely through Zoom. To overcome this, FYD facilitators were able to use tools such as non-verbal and verbal cues, affirmations and short follow-up questions to cultivate a safe space with a virtual format where everyone can comfortably share their opinions.

Despite the many positive experiences of Marhaba and FYD, there are areas where improvements are needed. Alkasaji thinks that converting some sessions from webinars to regular meetings would help address students’ concerns better, while Balamurali feels that there were too many sessions in a day. Rubenson suggested making the sessions more interactive might be the key.

And, not to the fault of the Marhaba or FYD leaders, but the inability of many students to be on campus sometimes dampened the mood. Miklášova shared that “the online Scavenger Hunt was also cool, but there were a lot of tasks that could only be done on campus, which made me a bit sad that I couldn't be there.”

After working for two years on Marhaba in a virtual setting, Radu concluded that one lesson she has learned is the importance of building team spirit and a healthy working culture especially in a virtual setting.

For me, as a FYD facilitator, working with the Office of First Year Experience and first year students has been nothing short of rewarding. If NYUAD has taught me anything, it is to constantly take advantage of opportunities and step beyond my comfort zone. After participating in last year's FYD, which was both enlightening and powerful, I wanted to create a similar experience for members of the Class of 2025. With time, I have not only created friendships, but also improved certain soft skills that will help me in my academic career and personal life.

Constantly being surrounded by people who have diverse backgrounds, ideas and opinions presents learning opportunities for me, as well as chances for personal growth.

There’s one thing that connects us all — the strength of our mutual sense of togetherness no matter where we are, as was showcased during Marhaba 2021. I am in awe of members of the Marhaba Committee and fellow FYD Facilitators and am grateful for their commitment. They have been a constant inspiration and a force to be reckoned with. And, to the Class of 2025: stay curious and enthusiastic, you’ll have a blast at NYUAD!