Thursday, March 30, 2017

Preparing for College in Summer



Ahoy Mates!

-This post doesn’t include Dormitory Preparations -

SO you've graduated, received your certificates and also applied to your favourite college.
You got in? Congratulations!
You didn't? It's not the end of the world! Most of the application answers in Kuwait or anywhere else are usually delayed - that doesn't mean you've been rejected so don't lose hope (yet).

But once, you have been accepted into the college of your choice, it's time to begin the actual preparations.

I had initially planned on taking a gap year after graduating High School so I began my preparations really late (after my classes started).
This happened because even though I had planned everything perfectly, things (obviously) didn’t go according to my plans. If anyone of you studied Business studies, you must know that planning is not futuristic so don't rely on plans alone and start doing something.
It's never too early to start preparing for college but it might be too late.
Even though I did end up taking a gap semester instead of a gap year (completely unintentional), I was still late in my preparations (a huge mistake)  which are costing me my sleep right now. No Kidding.

Don't know what to do? Don't worry, Dearie! I've got your back, as usual. :)

Here's a step-by-step detailed guide to preparing for college right before it begins. This is when the actual fun begins!

So shall we dive right in?

  1. Prepare for your classes – Review, Revise and Refresh your memory about the things you studied because the Professors in college aren't going to repeat anything, they expect you to be prepared. Especially if you already know what major you're taking and what classes you'll be having. Look into the class requirements for that specific minor or major. And if you don't know it yet, then Scan the different department pages and take a look at the classes they require. That way, you have a good idea of which classes you may want to take to explore different programs.

Subscribe to get a list of Class Requirements for Kuwait University

Join the Fun!

Get Access to the AC Resource Library with just one click!






  1. Get to know your college: Usually, colleges have loads of Social Media accounts, websites and clubs going on. Look for them. Join these online groups and communities to get a better feel of your college and stay informed about any upcoming events. Open up the website of the college and start exploring- clubs, requirements, rules, timings and check out the student life page under the 'students' tab.

Subscribers get all the links for the college websites and social media accounts on the Facebook Group

  1. Attend the orientation: The orientation is really important. It could be a chance for you to explore the college, get to know the functioning and make loads of friends. And trust me, you are going to need friends. A lot. No one likes being alone and lost in college. It's better to be lost with someone than lost alone. So get to that orientation, make friends and ask questions. Hold conversations, share stories and learn new things about others.

  1. Read, read and read: If your college provides you with any books, pamphlets, guides and flyers; read them. It will give you something to talk about at the orientation and is also a great way to expand your knowledge. You never know what you might discover in those brochures. They might even contain information about your classes and professors.
Also, make sure to read other books either related to your major or general so you can prepare for the college reading or even catch up on your pleasure reading.
Most of my college-related guides were posted on the website as PDFs - if you have the same, make a separate folder on your computer for college and save it on there. You never know when you might need it.

  1. Get information about your classes: Once you register for your classes, you will get a schedule of all the classes - timings, days, building number, classroom and details about the Professor. Keep these details safe. Highlight the important days, and add them to your agenda or planner.
If your orientation is held after the registration, make sure to find out the building your classes will be held in so you don't get lost on the first day.

  1. Get to know your Professor(s): Once you find out who your professor(s) is(are), try to meet him/her. This will help you establish a good relationship with them. Ask for advice, discuss any problems you might have and take their contact details.
My professor was the one who helped me a lot. I didn’t know I had to take a foundation course before starting my Major Classes but he helped me reregister my classes and gave me amazing advice. Since. I joined in the second term, his help was God sent and helped me overcome lots of problems by giving me past test papers, books and sites to study from.

  1. Create a Budget:  I cannot stress enough how important this step is. Once you start college, it's going to be really hard managing your finances. Now is the perfect time to set up a budget so you can stick to it. It can be something really simple with a specific amount set to things you'll spend most in. It'll help you control your expenses so you don't run out of allowance before the next one comes in.
For example; I set aside 10 KD each month for food, 20 KD each SEMESTER for books, 10 KD for transport and 10 KD for any other miscellaneous expenses - like a spontaneous decision to buy a top or makeup or any other thing.
Your budget could be monthly, weekly or even daily- it's totally up to you but remember to actually stick to it so, therefore, don’t make it too tight and inflexible. Also, remember to set aside some money for emergencies.

  1. Stationery shopping: Finally, we come to my favourite part! STATIONERY SHOPPING!!! How can you go to college without loads of stationery? You can't! May it be the bare essentials or loads of other things that you don’t even need, Stationery is vital.
If you only want to buy the bare essentials you shall take the following:
  • Notebooks
  • Pens
  • Pencils
  • Highlighters
  • Whiteout
  • Eraser
  • Ruler/scale
  • Pencil pouch
  • Binders/ folders
  • Bag
I will be posting a stationery haul with all the details soon so keep your eyes and ears peeled!

That's it for today, mates! Hope you have a good day.
If you have any more tips or steps in the preparation for college, make sure to drop them below.
Hope these are helpful for you.

This is the last post in the College Preparation Series.

The first post in the seriesPreparing for college during high school

How do YOU prepare for college? 

Help others by sharing this infographic!





Subscribe now to get updates on new posts and extra tips!
Don't Keep this information to yourself. Sharing is caring!