Welcome

Salaam My loves,

I hope you're all doing well. This July, I had the utmost pleasure of attending a three-week residential program as a Teaching Assistant!!!!

give you some context, this is a ten-month program where 180 high school Juniors from all around Oman get to learn and compete for the chance of earning a six-year scholarship abroad, which starts with two years at a boarding school and then a four-year Bachelor's degree.

2022, I was lucky enough to be part of the program, and honestly, I had the time of my life. It was really fun being around amazing and intelligent people who were willing to learn, and also having a solid support system that would help when you are struggling, even though it was a competition. Unfortunately, I didn't get the scholarship, but I ended up getting an internal scholarship from the Ministry of Higher Education, which I am very grateful for.

This year, I was highly encouraged by one of my best friends to try my luck and sign up for the summer portion of the program as a teaching assistant, and I got it!!! I was so excited, yet nervous, because it would be my first actual work experience, and I wanted to do a good job. Fortunately, I was here before, and the overall structure of the program didn't change that much, so I wasn't too lost.

experience, in general, was much tougher than I expected. Before starting, I thought to myself, “Being a Teaching Assistant won't be tough since I won't have to compete for a six-year scholarship with other smart kids.” What I have found, however, is that these two roles cannot be compared. Yes, having to work your ass off for something so important from as early as 8 am to 9:30 pm, every day for three weeks straight, away from your home and comfort zone, is really hard. But it's also equally, if not harder, to be in charge of about eighty+ girls and all their teenage-y needs, mental breakdowns, making sure they are where they are supposed to be, etc, and also being an actual assistant in a classroom. As someone who has experienced both roles, I still don't know which is the toughest, but one thing is for sure: it was all worth it.

Yes, not getting the scholarship after months of killing myself with work SUCKED BALLS , and yes, getting paid lowkey minimum wage for working sixteen hours a day and taking crap from 16/17 year olds while also being a teenager sucked, it was still worth it simply because I was able to have the experiences that I had. As a candidate, I learned how to write essays, work in a team, present, give public speeches, and debate. As a Teaching Assistant, I learned to have compassion for others, sensing when someone is not okay, how to manage a classroom, and how to take action when a problem arises or there is a change in plans.

I know that this was a super long one, but this program means so much to me since it shaped me and gave me the confidence to be the person that I am today, which I am truly grateful for. What was an experience that really changed you? Let me know via my guestbook or social media! TYSM for reading. Till next time :)