Students are flooding back to the city after a long summer break, ready to embark on their next term. There are more than 200,000 students of all ages studying in Dubai (there were 234,662 enrolled in the 2011-2012 academic year, of which 53,089 were Emirati). Of this number, about 40,000 are university students, aged 18-plus, spread across the city’s 52 tertiary educational institutes*. To find out where these bright young things hang out when they’re not broadening their minds and furthering their career prospects, we’ve plucked a few of them out of the crowd to tell us more.

Sakina Feroz Vajihi, 20, Indian
Degree: Media and communications.
Why Dubai? Dubai wasn’t my first choice when it came to deciding where I wanted to go after high school. Nevertheless, it’s been the best decision I’ve made so far, and I won’t ever regret it. I’ve lived in Dubai all my life, and I’m happy to be a part of one of the most diverse cities in the world.

What’s the best thing about being a student?
Being a student gives me an opportunity to learn from my fellow classmates. It gives me knowledge, not just on the subject I plan to study for the next three to four years. Even though being a student is like being in a bubble, in the sense that you’re protected from the world, making the transition from high school to university is a step towards real life, and the freedom that comes with it.

What’s the worst thing about being a student?
The worst bit can be the sense of growing up. Also, although I enjoy the tutorials, the subjects and assignments can sometimes get too much, and I don’t know where to start.

Where do you hang out?
I start most weekends at coffee shops in Jumeirah. My friends and I love Starbucks and its amazing white chocolate mocha, plus Costa’s brownies and the marvellous chocolate cake at Dome. But we also have spontaneous moments where we decide to go off on a road trip with friends and family to the wadis and mountainous areas of Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah. Fridays are for family, as it’s the only day my father gets off work, so we either watch movies at the cinema or go jet-skiing at Sharjah Corniche. Sometimes we compete against one another at Yalla Bowling, or just relax with a cold milkshake at Jumeirah Beach.
Yalla Bowling, Mirdif City Centre (800 534 7873).