I step into my newly assigned room, with a bed set in place, a desk and drawers with ample space. I’ve just flown into AUH, and arrived on campus on Nirvana's shuttle bus. It is 5 a.m. — the time I always make it back to campus after flying the EY 871 that NYU Abu Dhabi has booked for me over my four years here. I open the blinds, feeling the warm, melting sunrise on my skin. I wait until 7:30 a.m. to have my first meal in Abu Dhabi. 7:30 — that is when D2 will open, with its options of waffles, mixed omelets and various pastries.

This is the norm. Every semester, we fly in and have a room waiting for us. We have our cards swiped and food is placed in our hands. Within the confines of this campus, many of us rarely have to worry about the rising cost of food, housing costs or other living expenses — at least, not nearly to the same extent as in the real world. Many privileges have become a norm for us.

Most NYUAD students have easier access to services and basic necessities than U.S. college students would ever have. In order to create a more equitable environment we have access to a range of necessities on campus, including sanitary products, food, water, coffee and electronic appliances.

In the real world, there is no promise of being able to afford such basic necessities. There is no one making sure you are able to take a PCR test on time, nor is there free transportation to nearby hospitals or internships in the city. There is no way you can book a hotel or flight without having to touch your wallet. In the real world, the norm is that you have to work to afford the basic necessities, not just the luxuries.

In fact, the majority of university students elsewhere could not imagine a life without worrying about daily expenses, along with the cost of education itself. Individual college students pay an average of 11,140 USD for room and board at a four-year public university, and an average of 2,800 USD on transportation during their time in school.

This is not to say that NYUAD students do not have their own stressors about personal finance. There are several students that come from low-income communities, and thus struggle financially. Students with partial instead of full-aid are also increasing by the year. In the U.S. context, it may have cost less for some students to attend colleges in-state. However, for the majority of our community, the amount of money that students have to worry about may be significantly higher in the U.S. than at NYUAD.

A similar argument can be made regarding accessibility during study aways. Students are guaranteed one study away, and it is possible for them to study abroad a maximum of two semesters. They have the luxury of choosing from 14 global sites, along with the option to study away at various partner universities like Waseda University and Yonsei University in Tokyo and Seoul respectively. In order to maximize students’ experiences, the university provides significant study away financial support and guaranteed housing when studying at a global or affiliated site.

During the pandemic, it became uncertain whether students would get even one semester abroad. The discontent towards the university breaching its “promise” was recognizable. How could they take away one of the reasons that made many choose to study at NYUAD in the first place? Global education is indeed a crucial part of the whole four-year experience. But it is not just about studying away — it is also about the daily interactions we have with peers from around the world, and learning about the world in a holistic manner. As the Office of Global Education defines it, a global education is not the product of a single experience abroad, but is cultivated through well-guided, iterative interactions with otherness. It is the four-year experience as a whole, and is not dependent on the one semester that students may study away. Hence, not studying away does not completely diminish NYUAD’s commitment to global education, as some may argue. All of this is to say that studying abroad, although a crucial part of global education, is a privilege in itself.

Additionally, the model of study away itself provides an example of how unprepared students are for the real world. Students have the opportunity to live in dormitories in prime locations, and have daily expenses paid for. Arguably, the only skill that students gain through study away is budgeting day-to-day expenses. In the real world, numerous obstacles would have to be overcome to merely live in such locations. Room and board alone at NYU New York costs over 5000 USD per semester, an amount that very few at NYUAD can afford. Not having to worry about that gives NYUAD students an opportunity like no other in the real world, let alone in any U.S. college.

The privileges given to us are seemingly well-recognized. We acknowledge these privileges, yet we often forget to check in with them. Privileges are granted, they are not unconditional. They can be taken away, and when that happens, it is understandable that we contest that decision. But in the real world, there is no back-and-forth with these decisions. Privileges are taken away, or not given at all. In the real world, we would be more grateful for what is given to us. In the real world, students would suffer from shock — utterly and painfully. NYUAD students can do a better job acknowledging the comparative privileges they have, and confronting what life looks like without these privileges.