It is of common knowledge that college years epitomize the start of adulthood and personality making. While many start the college experience with great apprehensions, the coming years turn out to be a series of lifelong memories full of upscaling events. The AUI campus has for long been a melting pot of cultural encounters where students from various backgrounds interact, build everlasting friendships, and shape the AUI culture. The small group discussions in the Cafeteria, the weekly club’s events are what make the uniqueness of our campus.
The fall semester represented the switch of conversations from buzzing face to face interactions in classrooms to “I have mic issues”, “Your voice is cutting professor”, “I was logged out because my Wi-Fi is very bad” kind of statements. The online experience represented a challenge for most university students and ones more than others. Such circumstances made Auiers that stayed at home feel more isolated and disconnected from campus. This left students with an incomplete university experience. From one side, Freshmen found themselves on their own on campus with no junior nor senior students to guide them and introduce them to the AUI culture. On the other side, sophomore students had an incomplete transition from high school to university with a weak introduction to university life. Therefore, after four months, students’ home became a stressful place where studying and focusing became more challenging declares a sophomore student. Social interactions were limited which led to a fragmentation of the student body.
In parallel, last semester saw a drastic decrease in club events since most board members were following their courses from their hometown. Therefore, representatives were not able to carry on events and activities that were a vital part of student life on campus. Students found themselves with very limited options to fill their journey and carry on their intellectual exchange in addition to a nationwide curfew that limited student’s activities and socializing options. If there is one word that can be associated with Fall 2020 it would be: uncertainty. The university found itself in a tumultuous and challenging situation where it had to balance between campus safety and the maintaining of Campus life.
Spring semester, a fresh new breeze?
Spring 2021 knew a shift in the university’s approach from crisis management, to forward decision making in order to upgrade campus life experience in the mid of pandemic challenges. With the coming back of old students to campus, the Cafeteria tradition was carried on to the outdoors where groups of students enjoy their coffee and meals under the warm sunrays. The campus carried on a series of activities and clubs’ events in order to enable close interactions between old and new students. When senior students were asked about their experience online and now that they are on campus, most of them declared that being on campus made their life easier when it comes to academic performance and on-campus involvement in extra-curricular activities. Being on campus is very crucial due to all the facilities needed in order to carry on with academic performance, especially, when it comes to technical classes, labs and materials are very much needed.
Aya Ghazali
After the online experience, we know the real value of being on campus
Moreover, most old students are trying to be involved as much as they can in campus activities. Under such difficult circumstances, being in close contact with the community is needed to overcome mental and physical exhaustion.
Rima Arrach
We are grateful that we are on campus. The Clubs’ and athletics’ fair were such a great opportunity for us to reconnect with club members and teams on campus. All of this is part of our college experience. We try as much as we can to attend events. Although the Covid protocol regulations are very restrictive
Even new students felt the difference between the Fall semester and spring semester when it comes to campus life. Most of the newcomers we interviewed were very happy to see old students coming back: “The campus feels more alive”.
Hamza Maddah
With sophomores, junior and senior students coming back, the campus seems more enjoyable and animated. Interactions are carried on easily. Old students have more experience in AUI and Ifrane so they can show you different enjoyable places in the city
Moreover, it is very noticeable that newcomers that integrated the university this Spring semester had an easier integration to campus compared to students that joined AUI during Fall 2020.
Hamza Maddah
Living in a comfortable campus brings out the best in you by boosting your productivity and developing your interpersonal skills
Therefore, finding ways to keep the student body in a cohesive and harmonious environment is important for a healthy campus life. Although the pandemic changed several aspects of our university experience, it is our duty to raise the challenge and create a harmonious environment in our campus realm.
