Teach UAE Magazine visited the American Community School recently. The school boasts of an impressive robotics programme. Below are some of the students’ responses to questions posed to them about ACS and their program.
Jaafer Saadat
What do you love most about ACS, and how has it helped you to become an outstanding student?
The thing i love most about ACS is the opportunities that we get as students. The students at this school are focused and they always try to set the bar high. It creates a great learning atmosphere, and this inspires me to do my best.
How did your involvement in robotics help your other studies?
In robotics, one of the most important skills we use is problem solving. With robotics, I have managed to improve my problem solving skills, and this is very helpful in any subject.
What is the subject that you enjoy most and why?
My favorite subject is math. I like math the most because all our decisions need to be backed by proof. This helps me because it allows me to really understand the subject.
What are two things that you like most about the UAE and why?
I enjoy the opportunities the UAE provides to different schools, and how they promote sciences such as robotics. The second thing i enjoy most about the UAE is the cultural diversity. There are so many nationalities inside the school and within the UAE.
Marnix Roelfs
What do you love most about ACS, and how has it helped you to become an outstanding student?
What I love most about ACS is the people that go to school here. I am friends with almost everyone in my grade. My closest friends always support me, as I support them as well. We regularly study together, especially for the harder courses, and motivate each other to learn. I have become an outstanding student, mainly with a lot of motivation, and the support from my friends.
How did your involvement in robotics help your other studies?
I have been very involved in robotics for a few years now. Robotics has given me a very good basis to learn programming. It has also helped me with my work at school, because it has made me a more well rounded, and balanced individual.
What is the subject that you enjoy most and why?
The subject that I enjoy most at school is physics. I am currently taking the higher level Physics course for the IB high-school diploma program. It is very challenging, but also enjoyable. I like physics, because it is very mathematical, straight-forward and logical. It also has many real world applications. Higher Level Physics will help me achieve my goals later in life, allowing me to get a job that has something to do with mechanical engineering, or programming.
What are two things that you like most about the UAE and why?
What I like most about the UAE culture is that it is very international. Most of the people here are expats from other countries, and are very welcoming to newcomers. I also like that people here are often very laid back, but still get work done.
Noor Aysha Saadat
What do you love most about ACS, and how has it helped you to become an outstanding student?
I like the fact that I can explore many things, academically and socially, and the number of opportunities we get. I also like the way the teachers take their time to understand us, and always listen to us, and offer praise when it is well deserved.
How did your involvement in robotics help your other studies?
robotics has allowed me to think analytically, and it has helped me notice little things, which not only come in handy at school, but outside of school. it has also let me take things one step at a time, letting me figure out complicated problems by piecing them like i did with my robot.
What is the subject that you enjoy most and why?
I enjoy math the most. I like math because math reminds me of robotics, the way you have to notice little details in the problems to know if the teacher is trying to trick you, and the fact that you have to go step by step to find out the solution.
What are two things that you like most about the UAE and why?
I like the fact that you can meet people from diverse cultures. I would never have met some people, I have met here, in the States. I also like the diverse food that this country offers.
Phillipos Slicher
What do you love most about ACS, and how has it helped you to become an outstanding student?
One of the things that I enjoy most about my school is the variety of courses that we have here, mostly in technology. I didn’t have as many options at my previous school. I think that having more variety gives us better options to do what we really love instead of being forced into doing the closest thing.
How did your involvement in robotics help your other studies?
In robotics this year, we did a lot more programming. The logic behind programming provides a lot of useful ideas that I can use in other subject areas.
What is the subject that you enjoy most and why?
I definitely enjoy app design. It is the closest to what I would like to do when I am older. I would like to have a career in app design and development.
What are two things that you like most about the UAE and why?
I like a couple of things in the UAE. I like the culture and the rich history. I like how they developed the country so quickly. Many countries that existed for a much longer time are less developed than this country. I find that their courage and perseverance to make so much happen in such a short time is wonderful.
