Editor’s note: All opinions expressed in this article belong to their respective author(s). Check our section “Voices” dedicated to opinion pieces on AUI Chronicle. This piece has been co-authored with Karim Bahoum.
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(okay, the last one was a joke.)
When I first received my admission letter for the MAISD program in AUI, a part of me already felt sad about leaving before I even started my first semester. I have always appreciated the University before enrolling in it for its American system, its campus, and where it is located as well as for the fact that most of my closest friends are AUIers.
However, the fact that my program’s duration is only one year and a half made me think that it will be over before I even start enjoying it. When I first heard our professors saying: « You are graduate students! You are not undergraduate students anymore. So, buckle up! », I assumed that I will always be under pressure, spend every single night in the library, study extensively without having the time to be part of a club or hang out with my friends. It was then that I realized that I will never get the chance to have a proper orientation, be part of the First-Year Experience (FYE) activities, take electives from other schools, go on exchange, or benefit from the overall liberal arts system. All in all, It feels like my AUI experience will never be as full as the undergrad experience.
Therefore, I decided to make the most of these couple of years by serving the community as a Student Ambassador in the Student Activities Office (SAO) and be part of multiple clubs such as Moroccan Politics Club (MPC), Friends of Migrants, Rhythm Unity, and Voices United Choir (VUC).
As a student ambassador, I was honored to work with an amazing and passionate team whose ultimate goal was to ensure the livelihood of student life on campus. To illustrate, we had the chance to organize a successful orientation with a handful of events and campaigns for about eight hundred newcomers. Additionally, we helped students create new clubs and choose the one that would fit their personalities and preferences.
Although I find myself registered in many clubs because of my friends who drag me to the sign-up table during the Clubs Fair, I never regretted once joining them. A case in point, the Friends of Migrants club gave me the opportunity to work with a great team that offers English Language classes for migrants in Meknes. The latter provided me with great research prospects for my International Migration and Labor class. In addition, the MPC allowed me to discover various new perspectives on domestic policy in Morocco which were much needed to understand my Moroccan Foreign Policy class. Last but not least, Rhythm Unity and Voices United Choir taught me that I can balance my priorities while having three hours of choir practice, a paper, a presentation, a leading session, and an acoustic night on the same day while being sick. See? Nothing is impossible!
Don’t get me wrong, I love the challenging interdisciplinary nature of my program, but I do believe that it is also supposed to be filled with funny stories, hardworking non-academic nights, and a learning path especially for us, graduate Students, whose AUI journey is shorter and different compared to undergraduate students. It is true that we are older, but we are all in our twenties. It is possible to be research-oriented, respect your deadlines all while making an impact on the community and making the most out of my experience.
I am planning to close my 2 years of AUI experience by the end of Spring 2021 with more than a respectful thesis (fingers crossed) but also a full student activities’ transcript and most importantly a set of beautiful memories that will make my sense of belonging to this university even stronger in my post-grad career.
Finally, if I had to say one final message, it would be for undergraduate and graduate students to be more connected. We live different experiences at the same university. We are setting a path for new learning prospects for both levels, so let’s unleash the knowledge to ensure that everyone enjoys their ultimate Al Akhawayn Experience.
