Why we chose to study AI and Computer Science in Dubai

Two students, two very different routes into the same degree

We both study BSc Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science here at the University of Birmingham Dubai, but if you sat us down and asked how we ended up on it, you'd get two pretty different stories.

One of us chose it strategically, weighing up career prospects and where the world is heading. The other had been pointed at computers since childhood and just followed it. We thought that contrast was worth sharing, because there's no single "right" reason to pick a course, and seeing how two real students landed on the same one might help you picture your own path.

Andrew's perspective: choosing the course for practical reasons, then growing into it

If I'm being honest, I didn't choose BSc Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science because I'd had some massive lifelong calling to AI. I wasn't one of those people who had been building robots in their bedroom since they were 12. My decision was a lot more practical than that.

I'd already studied Computer Science at IGCSE and A level, so I knew I was competent with the subject, and I was comfortable with the basics. At the same time, when I was applying to university in year 13, I still didn't feel like I had one very specific academic passion that stood out above everything else. I just knew I wanted to study something that:

• I was good at
• I found genuinely interesting enough
• Would lead to good opportunities after graduation

That's a big part of why this course made sense to me. Computer Science already felt like a solid option because of how broad it is, and adding AI on top of that made it feel even more relevant. AI kept coming up in conversations about the future of work, tech, and pretty much every industry, so it felt like a smart direction to go in.

Living in Dubai also played a big role in my decision. It wasn't just about choosing a course, it was also about choosing where I wanted to spend the next few years. Dubai is becoming a real hub for technology, innovation and AI, which made studying in Dubai feel like being in the right place at the right time. There's a sense that these industries are growing around you, which makes the degree feel more connected to what's actually happening outside the classroom.

On a more personal level, being close to my family mattered a lot too. University is a big adjustment anyway, so being able to study somewhere that gave me independence while still keeping me close to home was a huge plus. It made the transition into university life feel much more manageable.

One thing that surprised me once I started was the jump in independence compared to school. Before joining, I expected university to be more difficult academically, but I don't think I fully appreciated how much more responsibility you have for managing your own learning. No one is constantly checking that you've revised a topic properly or keeping you on track every week. You're expected to stay organised, keep up with the content, and figure things out when things get difficult. That’s something I didn’t fully realise before applying.

The course itself also starts off in a way that can feel manageable at first, and then suddenly it really gets going. You can't afford to switch off and assume you'll catch up later because once the content starts building, it builds quickly. That was probably the biggest reality check for me. At times it does feel like being thrown in at the deep end, but looking back, that's also part of what helps you grow. You get better at learning independently, solving problems, and dealing with challenges without needing everything laid out step by step.

If I had to give advice to someone thinking about this course, it would be:

• Brush up on your programming fundamentals before starting. You do not need to arrive as some kind of coding genius, but being comfortable with the basics will make the first part of the course much less stressful.
• Don’t let yourself fall behind. If there's something you don't understand, deal with it early. University content moves a lot faster than school, and topics have a habit of stacking on top of each other.

Overall, I chose the course for fairly practical reasons: it played to my strengths, it had strong career potential, and it was in a city that felt like a good place to study something future-focused.

Since starting, I've realised it's also pushed me to become much more independent and much more disciplined in how I learn, which is probably one of the most valuable parts of the experience.

Karim's perspective: I think I was always going to end up doing something with computers

Andrew chose this course strategically. For me, it was the opposite.

Looking back honestly, I think I was always going to end up doing something with computers. I just didn't know it would be this exact degree. I was that kid who was fascinated by how computers actually worked, and an absolute gaming fanatic on top of it. Both pulled me toward technology long before I ever thought about university.

So when I had to pick subjects in high school, computer science wasn't something I agonised over. It was the obvious one. And that's where it stopped being "the thing I'm into" and became "the thing I'm good at". I found out I genuinely enjoyed coding, and the problem-solving side especially, being handed something that doesn't work yet and figuring out how to make it work. That feeling never really wore off.

The AI part came later, and nobody could have predicted how it played out. Watching it go from a niche topic to the middle of basically every conversation in such a short time was hard to ignore.

At the start of my second year, I made a switch. I'd originally been heading toward a software engineering master's, but with AI taking over the way it was, moving into it felt natural rather than risky. I sat with the decision for a while, talked it through with a few people, and I can honestly say I don't regret it. If anything, I'm glad I did.

There's one more twist in how I got here. I didn't actually plan to come to university the way I did. My plan was the normal one: finish Year 13, then apply like everyone else. But in the first week of Year 13, I went along to an Open Day at the University of Birmingham Dubai almost on a whim. Walking the campus, talking to people, actually seeing what the place was about flipped my plan completely. I left having decided to join the foundation year instead of finishing school the usual way. For me it came down to the reputation. It's a UK degree from a university that ranks among the strongest in the region, and in Dubai specifically there honestly isn't much that competes. Seeing that in person, rather than reading it on a website, is what made the decision for me.

Not everyone was on board, mind you. When I went back into school to say I was leaving to start a foundation year, one of my teachers told me it wouldn't go well and that I'd do horribly. Not exactly the send-off you want heading into a brand-new environment. It turned out the opposite was true. I enjoyed the foundation year far more than school. It was relaxed in the best way but still challenged me, and it eased me into university life instead of throwing me straight into the deep end. The thing I was most nervous about wasn't even the academics. It was who I'd meet. That sorted itself out fast, and I found a really good group of friends early on.

The moment it all properly clicked came pretty recently, while I was revising for my final exams. Two of my modules were Neural Computation and Natural Language Processing and going in I didn't expect to find either of them that interesting. I was wrong. Once I started digging into the methods behind them, the actual foundations of what powers the AI everyone's talking about, I was hooked. I don't think I've ever enjoyed studying for something as much as those two. It sounds dramatic, but it settled it for me: I wasn't just chasing the hype. I actually love this stuff, and I'm properly excited about where it's going.

So if I had to leave you with one thing, it's go and see places for yourself before you decide. An Open Day told me more in an afternoon than months of overthinking ever could. People you respect will sometimes be wrong about what's right for you, that teacher certainly was, so trust your own mind. And if your interest shifts partway through, follow it. Switching into AI was the best call I've made, and the two modules I almost wrote off ended up being my favourites. Give things a real chance before writing them off.

So, is there a "right" reason to choose this course?

Looking at both of our journeys side by side, it’s clear there isn’t just one way into a course like this.

The funny thing is that we arrived at the same degree from almost opposite directions. One of us by working out where the smart bet was, the other by following an interest he's had since he was a kid.

Neither route is more valid than the other, and you don’t need to have everything figured out before you apply. If there's a takeaway, it's that this course rewards curiosity, consistency, and a willingness to figure things out for yourself, whatever brought you to it in the first place.

And if you're reading this while deciding whether to come along to a University of Birmingham Dubai Open Day, go. One of us is only here because he did.