Back to University...

Salam Alaykum everyone (Peace be upon you),

I hope everyone enjoyed the last few days of spring break (for those of you who had spring break of course). Why is it that a 10 day holiday goes by in the blink of an eye while a week of classes drags on forever?? Just a thought I spent a few idyllic days in Alexandria, breathing “clean” air and basically just lazing around, and somehow they put me in “holiday” mood a lot more than when I was in Abu Dhabi. And I can’t believe how crowded it was! Porto Marina (this mall/ marina) was packed with people, and we had to wait 30 minutes for tables at Alain Le Notre (a café). I guess we’re not the only people who wanted to get out of Cairo and the overwhelming heat; I met more than one AUCian there.

I can’t believe I’m back at university, back to exams, projects and papers. Somehow, finals seem a lot closer now that April is almost over, and now its crunch time, with doctors seemingly getting some absurd thrill in torturing us with never-ending projects and assignments. It’s back to the fourth floor library study rooms, back to group meetings and hours of staring bleary-eyed at computer screens.

I guess I should be grateful I’m only doing three major courses this semester, and so only have three projects to work on. My other two courses are for my minor (Arab and Islamic Civilization) and only require term papers. I’ve already come up with a topic for my Sufism class (a sect of Islam), but it’s my “Veiling and the Construction of an Islamic Identity” class that I have to think about. It’s actually one of the most interesting classes I’ve taken in university; only it’s a graduate level course and so has a LOT of readings and is kind of challenging (but in a good way). Funnily enough, the class is 100% female (I wonder why?), and none of us are from the same country, which I find amazing because it gives us all a chance to hear many points of view, rather than all of us agreeing all the time.

I was thinking of doing an overload and graduating in the summer, but instead I’ve decided to go for an internship and work during the holiday, postponing graduation until next fall. It’ll give me an opportunity to actually see what working life is like, and what field I want to pursue once I graduate, or if I should stay and continue with my Masters degree. Now who wants to help me in writing up a decent resumé? Only because I’m really bad at trying to sum myself up in one page; guess I should pay a visit to the CAPS office (Career Advising & Planning Services).
I guess that’s it for this week, I’ll grant you a reprieve for now I should go and get started on my readings for Sunday, since tomorrow I have a long day at university (yes, I even have to go in my weekends!) with a Help Club meeting for our closing reception next week, and a rehearsal for the as of yet unnamed play I’m in. Plus I still have to edit articles for next week’s issue of Dimensions… I guess my work is just never done

Until next time,
All the best, and Salam Alaykum.
Ethar El-Katatney