College Life in Libya ~ Part V

By Nuha Dadesh 

What is happiness, but an escape from everything that isn't!

"Who are you?" I mumbled. "It's me! Maram." "Who?" "Nuha?!" That conversation unofficially declared the start of yet another semester at my beloved department of Pharmacy. It was five in the morning then, and it wasn't my fault that I sounded like an oblivious weirdo because I wasn't expecting any calls just a few hours after I had gone to sleep. I groggily woke up that day and wondered why in the world were there missed calls from friends so early in the morning. I called Hadeel up and she excitedly told me, " So? Did you register for your classes?" "Aha! That's what that fuss was all about!" I thought. "No!" "Go register for them now before all the seats get taken up!" she advised me.

My fifth semester began under the administration of another new dean.
On Facebook, there were numerous posts celebrating his proclaimed position. Mr.Gusbi firstly appointed the doctors at the faculty to become counselors for students to assist with scheduling classes, solving issues that some students found themselves stressing over, and to advise on any topic when implied necessary. His agenda seemed firm and serious; you had to respect firm and serious!
Every story commences with a tedious beginning that unfolds to a plot, which gets twisted by an unexpected climax. The turning point of the storyline is followed by the resulting resolution that's concluded by a type of ending, which is only the beginning of another story. I'd like to consider this semester as the 'unfolding of a plot' portion of my story. Since I joined the faculty, I've morphed into someone else that still hints off at who I was once upon a time.

The campus and its vibes aren't the ideal representation of Libya's turbulent reality. Although I'm a night owl, I'm also a morning person. I'd get in the car with my father and head to college. On the way, we had gotten accustomed to witnessing the daily misfortunes Libyans have to deal with. Firstly, we'd pass by the bank and if the bank had cash, then we'd find queues of people waiting to get a copious portion of their rightfully entitled money. They all had to withdraw the same amount of money that was permissible by the bank; it's like communism gone wrong! "Humiliation!" my dad would say with an agonized look. Down the road, palm trees would render Tripoli with beautiful views. However, the lack of government action to protect its beauty led to the city's horrendous vandalization. Almost every wall is invaded by graffiti; since not all who spray paint are artists, they're not always something to admire and ponder at. Even the air is victimized by the pollution that results from the stench of the piled up garbage on the sides of many roads. Moreover, all kinds of checkpoints may be found on the way; there are ones that are occupied by unidentified masked faces with guns hung to their chests, and others by those who identify as our police. Their protection excludes those children selling napkins during the traffic lights' red duration. Unfortunately, I watched one of those innocent children literally grow up in the streets. While I finished half my journey at college and increased my knowledge, the poor boy spent the past two years becoming an expert at selling napkin boxes to drivers once they're forced to stop by the red lights. As we circle around what is described as the mini-island to head to Tripoli's University parking lot, I always got a feeling that I'm not in Libya any longer, but at a place where I belong and blend in.

My fear of heights is ever present. I know that because whenever I see the stacks of stairs I have to go down from the parking lot, I always say my prayers so I don't find myself stumbling and attracting unsolicited attention. After I safely get down, I smile. I like it here. A lot. I feel welcomed-every time! My days would usually start off in the Montada, a study hall where not a lot of studying gets done. I loved it when Farah,Maram, Saba, and/or Hadeel called me up and asked to meet there! Sometimes, we studied like the biggest nerds because we had an impending exam. Other times, we studied because we didn't want to lag behind, and our studying session would most likely be interrupted by a talk about a topic that's irrelevant of what we were supposed to study! My favorite conversation with Farah in the Montada was when she vented about her struggles as a Palestinian! The conversation was triggered by Trump's announcement about Jerusalem being the new capital of Isreal. She told me how she cried at his impudent words. Her storytelling about how it all began with a treacherous act by the zionists that led to her not getting the privileges we all forget about absentmindedly opened my eyes to some gruesome truths about the world we live in. When members of the student counsel hung up Palestinian flags and posters in the hallways of the faculty that indicated our solidarity, I knew that this thoughtful act wasn't going to change neither Trump nor Netneyaho's mind, but I knew that my sweet Farah was going to feel a tad, bit better.

The scheduling of the lectures didn't coincide appropriately with the classes I needed to take, but I went ahead and took them anyways because I'm a wild rebel. Dr.Saqer's lectures were not to be missed. I made sure to make up for the General Microbiology lectures I missed by taking the voice records of him and listening to them carefully since he was spilling information as he spoke. The way he spoke was succinct but simultaneously explicit; my favorite kind of teaching. Furthermore, I don't think anybody skipped the Pharmacology lectures because whether it was Dr. Malak Aljafari, or Dr.Shaaban Saad, or Dr.Ahmed Tawti, they always got us attentive the entire hour- each, by their unique method of getting their job done just right. I loved how Dr.Malak always began the lecture with a quick review of the previous one. Dr.Shaaban amazed us all at how simple he made each topic. For instance, when we were learning about heart failure and the drugs for its treatment, he began with talking about how our bodies don't let the heart take a break. "By whipping," he emphasized, "and sometimes it gets whipped so much that it dies altogether." There was a metaphor in what he said, I just didn't know what it was. More than once during his lectures, I would look to my side and whisper to Maram "He's amazing!" She'd nod in approval as she payed attention with her hands folded. Furthermore, Dr.Twati strived to teach us about the lessons he learned throughout his pharmaceutical career. In addition, Medicinal Chemistry was a subject to take seriously because although the lectures were mind-entertaining, studying it required focus and willpower. Dr.Omran Fahdi's and Dr.Talal gave their utmost best at teaching the drugs' structures and activity relationships!
In between the lectures, I would take a break from my studies and meet up with my companions. Sometimes it was the future Pharmacists I would spend time laughing with at Pharmacological jokes we make up. Other times, I would meet up with Arjy, Ebtehal, and Kawter: the British Girls. Their British accent just adds to their adorableness! And if my Americanized bestie Esra, who's also a medical student, comes with us, we'd jest at how the Brits are turning us into 'accent sponges'.

In this faculty, there's many who I would consider my role models. A group of these role models are the demonstrators at the labs. My favorite is Nesreen Moagel, the princess of the Chemistry department. Not only is she a demonstrator at the Medicinal Chemistry labs, but she's also a Masters' student. She inspires me by her humbleness that's regardless of her many accomplishments and smart brains.
However, not all who roam the hallways come for a significant purpose. You'd find many standing there for the sole purpose of eye-candy! Their harassment is disgusting, but is mostly seen as a norm by my Libyan society which infuriates me on many levels.

The driving force for any studying to get done was the examinations. They never stopped coming. We had to take countless quizzes during labs and lectures. Also, there was a mid-term exam. We had lab finals and finals for the theoretical potions of our subjects. Nonetheless, studying was a less of a burden when I did it with friends. I remember walking into the library with a panic face one time, but Maram saved the day by simplifying the Biochemistry sheets! In the library, on the day of our Medicinal Chemistry Lab midterm, I'm sure it looked like we were having a blast, but the adorable Mahabba and I were actually trying to find easy ways to memorize the uses of Thiotepa, Isoniazid, and many other drugs. Moreover, we didn't get enough time to study for the Medicinal Chemistry final! Thus, Farah and Maram sent me paragraphs and called me each day before the dreaded exam to ease the studying process for me since they took the class the previous semester and knew of its difficulties. Last but definitely not the least, Hadeel would explain anything for me if I asked for her help, even on the night of my last final!!

The finals arrived quicker than anticipated, but took more than a month for them to finally mark the end of the semester. Each final had its challenges. For me, it was my horrible case of tonsillitis that took a toll on me and had an unfortunate impact on my grades. I realized how much of an indulger I am in my studies, because I was reading the labels on all my medications and squeaking with joy when I found out that I knew something prior to reading it on the label. All thanks to Allah, who I never stopped praying to, I finished the semester with a satisfied smile :)

The semester had sentimental value. I learned and learned, that's for sure! Friendships were easily made! The girls of my class are geniuses, kind-hearted lovelies. Each girl had a unique characteristic that specialized her from the others. As I saw many posts from our doctors, praising my class for being outstanding, I thanked Allah for making me become a part of this awesome mass!

Lastly, at this faculty, I didn't just escape from everything that wasn't happiness, but approached everything that was!