College life is a fantastic experience. It is so thoroughly fascinating that it has been the central theme of many a movie and novel. The very notion of embarking on your university journey, particularly at a university like NYU Abu Dhabi, is one that likely fills you with an invigorating mixture of excitement and apprehension.

By now, of course, you must be well-versed in lingo befitting a global leader. You are probably filled with a great sense of purpose and pride. You stand ready to shoulder all the responsibilities a global leader should — global leader, you will have noticed, is an NYUAD buzzword; another one is diversity. You are in all likelihood currently emboldened by the unassailable knowledge that you will one day make a profound change in the world. NYUAD promises to equip you with the tools necessary to do so, but before that, I will take it upon myself to caution you about certain challenges you may face as you transition into college life. These aforementioned challenges might appear risible to you but, nonetheless, they are significant. It is my unsupported opinion that even the most seasoned global leaders face them.

Without further ado and in no particular order, I will enlighten you about possible challenges and obstacles that can arise in the life of a global leader at NYUAD.

####Procrastination Ah, procrastination — that sweet, sweet foe. Where do I begin? Or more accurately, when do I begin? It happens to the best of us. A two-minute shut-eye turns into a two-hour snooze fest. You have an assignment due at 12 a.m., and you brazenly submit it at 11:59 p.m., feeling strangely rebellious. But beware. Experience teaches me that NYU Classes, the portal used for submitting assignments, isn’t always cooperative. You might have the harrowing experience of almost submitting an assignment late and losing an entire letter grade. A promise to watch just one more amusing cat video culminates in a rapid, downward spiral and three hours later, you find yourself watching your tenth compilation of gymnastics fails — it has to be stressed here that the Recommended Videos section on YouTube is your biggest enemy; it is virtually impossible to resist its enchanting siren call. You decide to begin your work at exactly 3:35 p.m., and come 3:36 p.m. you decide spontaneously that you will only commence your work when the clock strikes the next multiple of five. Creativity knows no bounds during a healthy session of procrastination.

Soon enough, you will find that procrastination is rife even in the hallowed halls of NYUAD, where global leaders are churned out by the hundreds. There is no easy way to combat this fatal phenomenon, but there are certain methods proven to be somewhat effective, and I recommend that you give them a go.

This first solution is scheduling: make a thoroughly comprehensive schedule that even accounts for procrastination. So if you’re certain you’ll need only two hours to finish that response paper, allot three hours for it in your schedule. Add even minor things like laundry and nail clipping to your to-do list. The insurmountable sense of accomplishment you experience from striking items off your list might just motivate you to get more done.

Another solution is to succumb to peer pressure — yes, you read that correctly. Sometimes, peer pressure is useful. Surrounding yourself with people who are apparently busy can often force you to get your work done effectively. Because now if you take a break to watch a K-pop video, you have to do it on the sly and worry about people judging you, so it’s best to work diligently or at the very least, give the impression that you are.

####Vanishing funds If you’re the recipient of a full financial aid package, you are armed with 14 meal swipes a week and 330 Campus Dirhams every two weeks. You receive a generous stipend. And somehow, mysteriously, you exhaust your entire supply of meal swipes, find yourself down to your last four paltry campus dirhams and have a meager 50 dirhams in your bank account. How did it happen? Where did it all go? Can’t remember? Budgeting is the way to go. Keep tabs on how much you’re spending and on how often you’re using your credit or debit cards. It’s okay to indulge in retail therapy now and then, but try not to make too big a dent in your account. As for the meal swipes and Campus Dirhams, pace yourself. There is no way you’re going to go hungry on campus with that much money set aside for just food and grocery items. You don’t absolutely have to eat at the Marketplace everyday. I also assure you that survival is possible without two Starbucks lattes a day. If all fails, you can always find yourself a friend perpetually flush with meal swipes and Campus Dirhams. Such people, rare as they are, do exist. But this should only be a last resort.

####Insecurity This is where things start to get a little serious — and a wee bit self-help-ish. The great thing about a place like NYUAD is that you’re surrounded by inspiring people who’ve accomplished admirable feats at young ages. However, that can also be the most frustrating thing at times. When your classmates include an Olympian athlete, a United Nations delegate, an NGO founder and a recreational mountain-climber — all of whom are under the age of 20 — the A you got for your research paper on notions of belongingness in the face of neoliberalism seems downright pathetic.

You start to question your self-worth, you feel this pressure to get on the bandwagon and do something worth talking about. You belittle yourself and battle a stinging sense of inadequacy. Learning to unlearn this cultivated self-deprecation will be difficult. But it must be done. Insecurities are an inextricable fact of growing up. Everyone has something they’re good at, and something they wished they were good at. Everyone. Even here at NYUAD. You can actually bake a batch of cookies without burning them? That’s brilliant. You’re an expert parallel parker? Great! You’re a good listener? That’s phenomenal. Not many people are. Learn to take pride in the ostensibly unimportant things you excel at. Because they’re not insignificant. Not by a long shot. Visit the counselor if you need to. Talk to a friend. Stick cheery Love Thyself notes around your room even if people find that corny. Learn to appreciate your own worth, and you’ll carve a niche for yourself here soon enough.

To all the incoming freshmen: I wish you the best of luck. If you find yourselves unable to relate to any of the above, then consider this piece a whimsical, semi-autobiographical account by an indecisive sophomore reflecting on her first year at NYUAD.