A Moroccan Comes Out of His Shell: Salim's Story

May 9, 2016

I come from Morocco, an Arab country in North Africa.

Here I am playing Paintball, one of the team-building activities the college arranged for us in Singapore.

After high school 60% of my classmates stayed in Morocco, 35% went to Europe, 4% dropped out, and 1% went to the USA. I was the only one who chose to continue my higher education in three different countries.

SP Jain was a point of diversion in my life. I was shy; I never took initiative for direct interaction with other people, and I was uncomfortable to speak in public. However, the professors in SP Jain helped me to strengthen my confidence. My professors' kind and patient feedback helped me tremendously to improve my communication skills. I believe that no other university has professors such as SP Jain’s who are always easy to interact with and get feedback from.

Before, I was a pessimist. I used to always think about things that could go wrong. But now, I have made many friends from different cultures and backgrounds. This completely changed my mindset and my view of life.

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My friend Dovud (left) from Tajikistan and I went exploring Singapore together.

SP Jain's academic system teaches us not just what to think but how to think. It does not only provide opportunities with which we can learn and evolve, but also opportunities to have a lot of fun. Every week the school organizes various activities. I’m sure that what I did just in these eight months, my friends back home won’t do it in an entire lifetime.

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My friends and I went to Bali together, something I never imagined I'd get to do. From left: me, Kawter (France) and Sahil (India).

South Asia is a heaven. Once you are in Singapore, it's really easy to travel to so many beautiful tropical islands. It is also really cheap. I personally traveled to Bali for 5 days with a budget of about US $200 that included everything (flight ticket, accommodation, foods, and other expenses). Also, I traveled to Malaysia for 3 days with a budget of US$60. My friends in SP Jain went to many other places such as Cambodia, Philippines, Thailand, and Laos.

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For my Regional Immersion Project, my team members (Rishik and Krishna) and I got to meet the VP of Barclays Singapore (left). Amazing!

So here's my advice to you new Jaguars for next year. Enjoy your first year in Singapore, be patient, and work hard to play hard. Before you leave your country for this adventure, prepare for the worst (see -- I'm still kind of a pessimist sometimes) but also expect the best -- because this is going to be an adventure that changes you in fantastic ways, for the better.

Good luck on your journeys.

~ Salim El Hallabi, Morocco, BBA15