Returning Students Cherish Sense of Campus Community

• Reporters: Ali El Sahn & Farah Gomaa
• Editor: Zeina Hanafy

As students reluctantly say goodbye to another summer, they begin to grasp that their late-night adventures and next day sleeping-in habits are turning into early morning classes, deadlines, and restless nights doing assignments.

Despite the differences in habits and norms between Generation X (Gen X), those born between 1965 and 1980, and Generation Z (Gen Z), those born between 1997 and 2012, the transition from slumber to study has always been hard.

And while balancing responsibilities and personal time by setting up routines in the day may sound dull, it is a much-needed step for student well being, students say.

“As much as getting back to a routine that I had to follow is an annoying thing for me, it is the only thing that I need after summer break,” says Nameer Elebiary, a graduating Petroleum Engineering student.

Many students like Elebiary see their return to university as exciting and full of opportunity, knowing they’ll be back to new courses and challenges in their educational journey, clawing their way closer to their dreams.

“Getting back to university always reminds me that I have one semester less until my graduation,” explains Habiba Seif, a Computer Engineering junior.

Some students say they look forward to the privilege of studying non-major courses, exploring different fields, and learning about topics that they normally wouldn’t take.

“The fact that I have to take electives and non-major courses, makes me excited to get back to university, especially that I get to choose from a huge variety [of options]. It basically makes [college] less boring,” said Mariam Allam, a junior Management of Information Communication and Technology (MICT) student.

AUC’s liberal arts program is designed to give students the chance to expand their knowledge outside of their major, with courses that range from literature and philosophy to science and mathematics.

Other students, meanwhile, say they are excited for the warm greetings they get from their professors in the first few weeks.

“I like the welcoming of the professors in the first week of university, getting to know them and their system. The class environment is also one of my favorite things, too,” explains Elebiary.

The Caravan also spoke to two Gen X alumni students who graduated from AUC’s Tahrir campus in the 1990s.

They recalled that they would be excited to reunite with their small group of friends, especially after a long time apart over the summer.

Samer Riyad ‘90 said that the biggest challenge in adapting to the new academic year was getting back to the routine of coursework, the hustle and ‘busyness’ of campus life, and adjusting to a normal sleeping schedule.

But for alumni like Dina El Seweify,’90, there was no fanfare of the New Cairo Campus tradition “last first day” created by seniors in their last semester.

“Coming back to uni(sic) was much calmer and quieter. I guess part of it was less stressful,’’ El Seweify said.

Both generations agreed that the company they reunite with and the sense of community on campus makes university life more enjoyable and manageable.

“It is such a unique experience to see many of my younger friends joining me this year,” said Nour Khaled, a graduating Integrated Marketing Communication student.