My school, Global Academy International in Qatar, was on a trip in April to Education City when I first heard about the opening of Northwestern University here. We were playing around at a gym and I was screaming out random words and songs, because that's how I am. Our teachers then gathered us into our buses. On my way to the bus, a man stopped me. He said, "You look like an outgoing person. I think you should be a television broadcaster." He said a journalism program was coming to Qatar, and he told me about Northwestern University. I never saw him again but I remembered what he told me. Other people I've met have always told me that I should go into the media, but I never listened. I wanted to be an engineer or a doctor, and I actually got admitted to study those subjects at other universities. But I decided to give NU-Q a chance. Around 350 students applied, and only 39 of us actually got the acceptance we had dreamed of.
On the 13th of April, a reception for accepted students was held. There were 31 girls and 8 boys. At first, not all the accepted students knew each other, but that changed by the end of the night. This summer, most of us traveled while a few stayed here, but we kept in touch. On the 10th of August, an orientation for accepted students and their parents was held. We got to know each other even more.
The real deal started the next day, with a week of student orientation. The staff did not want us to feel any different from the students in Evanston. From 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day, we painted small versions of The Rock, learned the two Northwestern songs (the fight song and the alma mater), did a "roar" a couple of times, made our own skits and performed them. One skit was about a class of cats, the other was about a class reunion, and two were about the administration of Northwestern. We also watched movies by directors and actors who graduated from Northwestern and went bowling.
Though I did not choose to live in the dorms, some of the other students, including my best friend Shannon, live there. She is Syrian, Indian and Portuguese. Shannon and I usually hang out after class with our other friends, Jasmine (who is Egyptian) and Omer (Pakistani). We go to the movies, eat together, and share secrets; we play pretty major roles in each other's lives. I am actually contemplating whether or not to move away from home to live in the dorms. I do not live that far away from home, only 45 minutes away, but I want to feel independent for once.
An amazing thing about the university opening here in Qatar is that it truly represents the meaning of globalization. There are more than 10 nationalities represented within our class, the majority being Qataris with 14. We've started going out on weekends, texting each other daily just to say good morning and good night, and helping each other with assignments. We are one big family now.
Thouria Mahmoud, 18, grew up in Doha, Qatar and just started her freshman year at Northwestern University in Qatar. Thouria and other students from NU-Q will write about their experiences at Northwestern's newest campus throughout the year.
Be the first to comment on this article!