Congratulations!

As you read this, take a moment of appreciation and pride for those who have graduated in these difficult times. The class of 2021 has finally graduated in a pandemic that has come with struggles and unfortunate circumstances such as not being able to graduate on campus and have regular graduations like the classes before them. Despite the hardships the past two years have given the class of 2021 at GAA, they have learned to adapt and come together as a family in order to cooperate during this challenging pandemic which has restricted their final years as high schoolers. 

Being a senior meant having a year full of stress, hard work, and challenges, which are now being repaid as they have finally made it through the four testing years of high school and graduated. As our fellow students say goodbye to their memories in the past years at GAA, they are about to open up a new chapter of their educational journey as an astonishing amount of opportunities are heading their way. The graduates feel happy, nostalgic, accomplished, and overwhelmed with many mixed emotions!

The class of 2021 has many dreams, goals, as well as majors they are craving to pursue. Although some students have still not decided what path they want to take, each and every senior has opportunities waiting for them. One senior stated,  “I am taking a gap year to improve specific skills to be better prepared when entering university, hopefully.” Although he is currently not attending university, there are still many paths he can take such as internships, which may better prepare him for university, as well as guide him to decide on a major.

Where to pursue your major?

The seniors of GAA have an astounding number of universities that accommodate their major of choice. Whether out of the country, or right here in the UAE, each student has found a university that will guide them to their dream job. One student hoping to join the police force in Dubai will be pursuing her goal at the Dubai Police Academy as she has always hoped to become a police officer. An aspiring Lawyer and Politician is planning to study abroad in the UK in order to achieve an LLB Law degree at either Leeds or Queen Mary. Other seniors are hoping to attend NYUAD and Zayed University in the upcoming semester. 

The process

Was it difficult you may ask? “Wasn’t difficult however stressful” (senior at GAA).

He stated that there was a big amount of procrastination and a lack of hard work and dedication. Following along with struggles were the overwhelmed assignments that weren’t turned in on time. As we all know time management is essential and one may not achieve their utmost potential due to procrastination.However as mentioned previously, time management has become a rational and definite solution to combat this dilemma.

In addition, in order to achieve your goals and not face difficulties you would need to be proactive and put in as much effort and hard work as possible. On the other hand, a senior mentioned to not forget to “loosen up a bit, it is your last year make the best of it.” 

As cliche as it sounds, hard work does pay off in the end. A fellow senior’s wise words were to balance school work with social life equally to equate a productive and fun senior year as it closes the heavy chapter of school. It is vital to achieve and accomplish all the assigned work in time to allow time to create relationships and bonds that will be memorable forever. School memories will become a part of our identities, therefore, having cherishable moments with our peers is crucial. 

Any advice to juniors?

The class of 2021 have given some helpful advice to the rising seniors at GAA. Some of the advice given was to remember that even though you should make the best out of your last year in high school, education should always be your first focus. One student mentioned that things don’t always go as planned, you have to be realistic, so always keep your options open whether it be majors, universities or jobs. Another word of advice given was to never overwork yourself in order to avoid burnout. This student had over-achieved and worked as much as they could in order to be accepted into their dream university, but they missed out on limited time with their classmates and worked to the point of exhaustion. One more advice given was to avoid procrastination as much as possible and focus on your goals day by day. The aforementioned advice should be followed; if anyone knows how a senior year is like, it’s the class of 2021.