I have often felt that NYU Abu Dhabi’s attendance policies and heavy assignment loads often feel more like a culture of mistrust rather than a structure for learning. This is not a matter of convenience; rather, it concerns our ability to grow in ways that matter beyond the classroom. If courses were restructured with more flexible attendance and a shift toward depth rather than quantity of assignments, the effects would be felt on three levels: professional growth, institutional reputation, and mental health and holistic learning.

Job interviews, conferences, internships, and volunteering rarely fall neatly outside of class hours. For seniors, especially, these opportunities often matter more for our futures than a single discussion post or reading summary. When attendance policies penalize students for pursuing extracurricular career and skill advancement, they create a false choice between academic compliance and career preparation. In reality, these pursuits are extensions of education itself - places where we apply what we have learned, gain confidence, and prepare for adulthood.

When students represent NYUAD at external events, whether that is presenting at a conference, joining industry panels, or getting fellowships, the university gains visibility and prestige. Highlighting these achievements in newsletters is one way to recognize them, but rethinking classroom structures to make participation possible would be even more meaningful. It would align the academic system with the values NYUAD attempts to promote: global engagement, leadership, and impact beyond Saadiyat.

Beyond the professional and reputational benefits, flexibility also improves student well-being. Many of us feel constantly overwhelmed trying to balance dozens of small assignments, weekly summaries, Brightspace prompts, and “gotcha” tasks that check if we have read 80 pages twice a week per class. This does not necessarily translate into deeper learning. Instead, it often leads to exhaustion and the use of shortcuts. By focusing on fewer, more substantive assignments, courses would not become easier; they would become richer. Students could engage more meaningfully, reflect critically, and also have the breathing room to explore creative projects, rest, or simply exist as full people beyond the range of A1 to A6.

In my semester at NYU London, I experienced this difference firsthand. With courses structured around a midterm and final, I was not any less academically challenged, but I did have the time to think about my future, engage with extracurriculars, and feel genuinely balanced. That sense of balance did not dilute my education. It enabled me to engage with it better.

NYUAD prides itself on producing graduates who are not only intellectually sharp but also active in shaping the world around them. To achieve that, we need academic structures that recognize learning does not end at the classroom door. Flexible attendance and course design that prioritizes depth over quantity would give students the space to grow professionally, strengthen the university’s reputation, and maintain healthier, more sustainable lives. Let us be creative, let us be bold, let us take risks - let us prioritize a system where being a student is a part of one’s identity, rather than the whole deal.