Besides worrying about choosing a January Term location or how many meal swipes they will use per day, one thing that creates anxiety in many students at NYU Abu Dhabi is relationships.

Many seek to find their soulmates or casual companionship in college, but these desires are often complicated once they find themselves in a completely new environment with many different responsibilities. First years are particularly affected by this phenomenon; I myself have witnessed students express feelings of loneliness and inadequacy and complain about not finding someone within the first few days of reaching Abu Dhabi. Nonetheless, this is a struggle that upperclass students also have to contend with, despite having been around longer.

But if everyone is in the same boat, why are we all struggling to find a date for next Tuesday at Abd el Wahab? Maybe the problem is difficulty finding opportunities to meet new people. After all, an NYUAD student would have to navigate a university with thousands of people and venture out into the city in order to find someone to date. Could this problem be solved with the internet then?

According to Statista, the most downloaded dating app worldwide is Tinder. But in the UAE, many people report problems while using the app — the most common one being scammers. A quick internet search shows a lot of users saying that most profiles they encounter on Tinder while in the UAE are fake profiles with the intention of catfishing or scamming, making the task of finding success in the app almost unattainable.

Xusanboy Kotibjonov, Class of 2026, recounts his experience with using Tinder in his home country versus using it in the UAE. “When I finally arrived in the UAE… my interest in dating apps in different countries led me to do some research. What I found was very similar to what it was back in Uzbekistan: many scammers, fake accounts and so on,” remarked Kotibjonov. “But what was interesting is that local Emirati people barely use Tinder.”

Crystal Jemy, Class of 2025, spoke about their friends’ experiences with dating apps in the UAE. “My friends who are on dating apps have told me that if you filter in Abu Dhabi you will probably see a lot of NYUAD students,” shared Jemy. “It's still very possible to find a relationship outside. I know plenty of people who have partners that are not students here.”

Assuming that a student wants to find a suitable companion while having limited free time to dedicate to this search, a possible better option would be to use social media such as Instagram or Facebook. On Instagram, one can create a connection organically; you follow someone, strike a conversation and try to create a connection. If things go right, you make plans to meet somewhere — typically D2 or the Marketplace — and if you are feeling a little fancy, Sushi Counter. Another way to find casual companionship is by attending weekend gatherings around campus, or “the jungle” if you watched the RealAD show. These can certainly be entertaining and eye opening, just don’t expect to find your soulmate there.

The point is, this is a pretty organic process. Whether you look for someone on Instagram or a club, the end result is either going to be rejection, a friendship or a long lasting relationship. You will meet a lot of people and have a good time if you don’t obsess over the process. “Something that is important to understand is that the campus is really small, and the people you will see will be the people you will see every day, and if it ends badly, there's not a lot of options to avoid people. It could even just be the library or the dining hall, you would probably still see these people,” said Jemy about dating on campus.

If you are not looking for a commitment, there is an online community, for and by students, where you can shoot your shot in. Try other community-based online forums that allow you to build real and more accessible connections. One dating group run by students describes their objective as “maybe, just maybe, find[ing] the love of your life.” While the group has been stagnant for a while, you can always begin your journey of finding companionship on campus.

Using dating apps is not an easy task, but fortunately you do not necessarily need them. Find time to leave your dorm, venture into the city, strike conversations and meet new people.

While it can feel nerve racking to take the plunge and seek out connections, it is important to remember that at the end of the day, you are doing this for yourself.

“It is important that when you meet someone, they meet the [realest] version of yourself. That doesn't mean oversharing, but just that you are comfortable in your own skin,” remarked Matias Rodrigues, Class of 2025. Furthermore, it is important to get in tune with your intentions for dating.

“[Don’t] stress about this. Obviously everyone wants to feel love, everybody thinks it's a great big thing to be in a relationship, and I agree, being in a relationship is good, but … it shouldn't completely encompass every waking moment” said Jemy. “I feel like being your own person first and figuring out your social and academic life first is way healthier than giving everything into finding that person.”

Dating is your choice and not everyone wants to do it, but remember that college is not only about work. It is also about creating fun memories, and dating people is a great way to create them.