My name is Aathma Dious and I'm a first year student from Abu Dhabi. I love to write and take pictures. So, I took my camera around the NYU Abu Dhabi campus for a day to capture the wide range of student experiences that I like to call moments in space and time. What did I discover? No day at NYUAD is quite the same.
10:25am
25 minutes past the tenth hour of the day, in a galaxy called the Milky Way, young scientists in an astronomy class at NYUAD go on a trip across space to discover our neighboring galaxies and stars.
12pm
Most students take a breather around now for lunch break in the dining hall. I notice one student on her phone talking to family back home about life at NYUAD. Many students are far away from their families but NYUAD provides good Wi-Fi and sim cards for international students to keep in touch with loved ones.
12:30pm
Hungry students and professors alike shift around in the lines of different food counters, looking for the chosen one (their meal). A rush of conversation tumbles across the room, from fall break plans to incomplete assignments.
2:30pm
Staff at the Arts Center rush around to prepare for an outside performance. Lights are being uncoiled, huge boxes are shuffled out the doors, and a large stage is pieced together outside. A concert is taking place at the end of the week.
3pm
A student tries to finish her assignment before the 5pm deadline in the atomic cube, a small digital art space in the corridor of the first floor in the Arts Center. Many students find favorite study spots throughout their time at NYUAD, and there are lots of beautiful spaces to choose from.
3:15pm
Many students enjoy basking in the mid-afternoon sun (like the campus cats) to take a break from studying or air conditioning in the buildings.
3:45pm
The sun shines brightly through the atrium of the Computational Science Building. The buildings above are the A2 residences or better known as the first year dorms, where the first years relax, snack, talk, and start working on the next day’s assignments.
4pm
It’s 4:05 and a first year writing seminar class has started. Students sort their books as the professor and the writing instructor waits patiently.
5pm
Many students are now either done for the day or trudging to their last class with a weary smile. They wave to friends, passing the hashtag, a famous photo spot for any and all that visit campus. Every student has a picture next to it or has taken the picture for visitors.
6pm
Friends walk together back to the dorms together after working in the library. While the content of the conversation is unclear, the expressions on their faces signify a banter with dramatic reactions, sparking curiosity and laughter and friendships.
7pm
The performance gym is busy with budding athletes who put their all into their exercise regime as they jump across the gym. NYUAD offers a range of physical education classes and many students leap at the chances due to the array of opportunities and experiences.
9pm
Back in the Arts Center, film students work on projects in the film editing room. All the Apple computers are updated with the latest software, so it's easy for students to access their work. This student was ruminating on the meaning of his project as he watched it play before his eyes.
11pm
Some students might be unwinding and heading to bed while others are in the zone, working hard on readings or papers for the days to come. The stars shine brightly, alining together in the space above NYUAD, twinkling as night falls over the campus.
