Hi, I’m Diana, a 2nd year medical student, and since the beginning of December, I’ve been studying online from Dubai, UAE.
Initially I was just looking to spend a month of Christmas holidays with my family, but since arriving here, government and university guidance, as well as direct flights being cancelled, discouraged me from going back.
I’m sorry if this snapshot seems a little bleak, but to be perfectly honest, I have not been a huge fan of studying at home from Dubai.
Whilst I recognise that I am in an incredibly privileged position to be living and studying here in the first place, living here for a longer period of time, especially in complete isolation, is something I have been finding quite difficult. I fully appreciate that everyone has had a tough time during lockdown, with some in much tougher situations than me, and that we have all had very different experiences, each with its own challenges. Nevertheless, here is a small snapshot into my experience.
So, what’s it like living in Dubai?
Outside of the well-publicized city centre, Dubai is organized into numerous residential areas or ‘compounds’ spread out throughout the desert, each consisting of hundreds/ thousands of houses. In my case, this means that the closest shops/ cafés are around a 40-minute walk from where I live, and the trek through streets lined with identical, sand-coloured residences isn’t the most enjoyable in 35+ degree heat – soon to be closer to, and even past, 50 degrees once the summer months begin.
Any other attractions – the desert, beaches, shopping centres, are all at least a half hour’s distance on the highway from any residential area, hence impossible to reach if you don’t own a car like myself, not to mention inadvisable to go to in the first place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With older parents that insist on complete social isolation, as well as the degree of responsibility associated with being a medical student, I’ve felt trapped in my own house despite being abroad, as I’m sure most of the people reading this have experienced as well.
There are some positives though, namely the chance to be with my cat again that I missed terribly back in Edinburgh. Spending the time together was an unforeseen highlight of this semester, for which I’m really grateful. Secondly – pools! Free, outdoor public pools are really common here in Dubai, each compound typically having multiple for its residents to get away from the incessant heat. I soon discovered that mine was wonderfully empty if I went early in the morning, which has been really enjoyable, and frankly the only reason I’ve been out of the house in months.
And the studying…
The studying side has been – interesting. Dubai is four hours ahead from the UK, which I didn’t consider to be that significant. Initially, I thrived in having the morning free to either relax or get ahead on the day’s classes, with the earliest 9am UK lecture being at 1pm for me. However, I quickly realized that if I wanted to attend any society socials, conferences or revision sessions, this often made me stay up working until past 1am, which I found unexpectedly exhausting given an annoyingly consistent body clock that refuses to wake up any later than 8am.
The constant sleep deprivation, as well as a strained family environment, cumulated into me experiencing some very real symptoms of burnout that I’m still trying to recover from. Namely, complete lack of motivation to complete coursework, do the single lecture set for the day which in theory sounds so easy, and even get out of bed on some days. I’m sorry for not providing any tips to deal with these, as I’m still learning to overcome it myself. Know that you’re not alone though, and that this whole year of online studying has been really weird, so it’s okay to not be feeling your best, and not something you should feel guilty for.
In all, I’ve certainly enjoyed some aspects of my time here and understand the incredibly privileged position that I’m in to even be in Dubai in the first place. Nevertheless, staying here has also made me realize how much happier I am back in Edinburgh, and can’t wait until it’s safe and acceptable to travel back.
