Dilnaz Amantayeva

During the January Term of my sophomore year, I took a course called Learning From the Living Room. On the first day, our professor gave us a simple yet profound assignment: to share a daily reflection on anything that mattered to us. As someone who had been journaling since the age of eight, this felt like a natural way to reconnect with my experiences — through writing and sharing with others.

As part of the course, my classmates and I traveled to Dubai to help develop the Tree School at Alserkal Avenue, an initiative rooted in the belief that education extends beyond the classroom. There, learning was about knowledge exchange through listening, sharing, and growing together.

I carried this lesson with me as I navigated my study away semesters, Capstone, and career development. Some of the best ideas during my time at NYU Abu Dhabi — joining The Consulting Collective E-Board, working at the Hilary Ballon Center for Teaching and Learning, and even finding internship opportunities — started from simple conversations with friends. Under the palms on campus, around Covent Garden in London, in West Village in New York… everywhere.

My four years at NYU Abu Dhabi have been an incredible journey, shaped by amazing friendships, meaningful conversations, and the great ideas they sparked.