Illustration by Shenuka Corea

A Letter to my Past Self From: Me, today To: Me, six months ago

Alright, you’ve done great. Actually, though, good job. On your way to NYU Abu Dhabi, an amazing university. Going to meet amazing people, learn so much and have great experiences. Now, if you want to give yourself a pat on the back for making it through high school, go ahead.

The thing is, though, life moves fast. Right now you’re probably expecting NYUAD to be a great, peaceful environment. It is, but that’s not the whole story. When I say that life moves fast, you’re probably picturing a Ferrari. But when you get here, it’s probably closer to the speed of light. Yes, you will learn exactly what that is from the Foundations of Science students, who like to call themselves FOSies. Don’t worry.

You’ll try your hardest to be always on top of everything, but it might not work.

Aside from the reasonably large amount of work you’re going to be given, there are friends, relationships, sleep deprivation, trying to fit in, internships, the gym, floor events, First Year Dialogue, homesickness and laundry. Ah, how you’re going to enjoy freshman fall. Going to bed at 4 a.m. on a Tuesday only to wake up at 9 a.m. Rushing to a glorious class at 9:15 a.m., getting to your Student Interest Group meeting during lunch at noon, then try going to a class at 12:45 p.m. on less than six hours of sleep; walking into the dining hall figuring out who to sit with for dinner, followed by another SIG meeting. Finally, you get to your bed; you look at the clock hoping that it’s midnight, only to see it’s 3:00 a.m. Then, just as your head gracefully touches the soft, silky, beautiful blanket, you realize it’s still only Wednesday.

And so, young one, let’s say that you make it through the week; the weekend isn’t as safe as it seems. The dreadful weekend essay, the late nights, the wasted mornings and the unforgettable laundry. The weekend is a beautiful time to try taking a break. If I have one piece of advice, it’s to take the Friday off. Don’t even try to work. Sit out on the Highline, play some music and put on some sunglasses. Have fun.

Ah, my bad, I forgot about Thursday nights. You’ve tried your best to keep it together and it’s finally here: the potentially best night of your life waiting to be experienced. The sane thing to do now would be to sleep, you are tired, but you never stop. Fall semester has 14 weeks and you’re done with two. Please sleep. Nope. That’s not what so-called global leaders do. You stay up, enjoying apparently deep conversations and trying to make friends. You stay up until the sunrise, and then — out of pure exhaustion — you crash.

Alright. Now relax. You might even be reading this letter too quickly.

I don’t want this letter to leave you in despair. It’s just a little glimpse into what NYUAD can be. I had an amazing time and you will too. Really, don’t worry. What’s being said here today isn’t from everyone at NYUAD. Some of us controlled the madness, others didn’t. Some would say it’s fun, others would call it difficult. What I can say, though, is that it was a hell of a ride. I made it. I am sitting here on the Highline, writing stuff down and getting work done. I might have actually discovered this age-old tradition called time management. It works wonders, trust me.

For now, that’s all there is to say, really. A little older and a little wiser. Wait, it’s already spring?