ABU DHABI // Khaleefa Al Dhaheri had a lot riding on his A-Level results. Whether or not the 19-year-old British School Al Khubairat pupil would be attending national military service or packing his bags for university in London all hinged on how well he did in his exams.
“For Emirati A-Level students the pressure is greater as we only have a few weeks before military service begins to find out if we can postpone or not,” said Khaleefa, who after scoring three As and one A* will now study at the prestigious London School of Economics.
“Even though I was confident I was so relieved to get the results I wanted and called my family right away,” he said.
On Thursday night, he celebrated with family and friends before leaving for the British capital, a city he knows well.
“I have been there many times and now I get to study in what I think is a vibrant city.”
Being familiar with London and having access to Edgware Road, a hub for Arab expatriates of all nationalities, will help him focus on his studies and not feel so homesick.
“I could not have done it without the support of my family and the country. I am looking forward to giving back to them,” he said.
Another student UK-bound after receiving good news on Thursday was Robyn Hunter.
The 18-year old Dubai British School pupil repeated some of her A-Levels after falling ill on a school trip to Nepal in 2013. It caused her to miss a month of classes.
“This was my dream result after what I had been through last (academic) year,” said the Glasgow native who received two A* and a B.
Robyn said the two-month wait for the results was a nerve-wracking experience but having her music project, which includes writing, performing and recording, helped to keep her mind occupied.
Having been accepted at her first-choice of the University of Glasgow, she said she was excited to return home to Scotland to study law but would look back fondly on her seven years of living in Dubai.
“Dubai has been phenomenal and an incredible multicultural experience,” she said.
Her schoolmate, Luke Jewell, said the individual attention he received from school staff had significantly contributed to his three As and an A* and getting him a place at King’s College London.
“My teachers were always chasing up on me, pushing me to get into the university I wanted,” the 18-year-old Briton said.
Dubai British School principal Mark Ford said he was proud of students such as Luke who had achieved outstanding exam results.
He said the overall scores had improved over last year, with 13 per cent of students receiving A and A* grades.
“Well done to those of you who have secured your university place. For those of you who narrowly missed out, don’t panic,” Mr Ford said.
He encouraged students to be proactive by calling on universities that still might be willing to offer them a place.
tsubaihi@thenational.ae