Life after securing a degree in Kuwait
Often described as a bitter-sweet occasion, graduation is not just an academic achievement, but also a major turning point in life that's full of constant unpredictability. In Kuwait, recent graduates are often expected to jump straight into job hunting or at least have their lives figured out.
However, sometimes life does not go according to plan, as the shift from being a student to an employee itself is not easy. It requires persistence, adapting to a new life, making a career choice and financial management.
It might even take a toll mentally on those going through it. This article explores the many angles of this chapter in life, while also including the words of those living it.
Navigating life after graduation differs from person to person as it is mostly shaped by the individual's circumstances. However, what connects most recent graduates is the feeling of freedom, especially during the first few months after graduation without deadlines, submissions, and responsibilities.
Most recent graduates take a break for a certain period before getting into the job market. Badriya Aljafar, an English literature graduate, explained why she needed to take a break. 'I graduated early, in three years, and that kind of put me under a lot of pressure and a lot of stress.'
Faten Omar, a journalism graduate, put it this way: 'I needed to take a break because I wanted to discover my passion in life ... The break helped me decide my career path and what I actually want to do'.
Aljafar also thought the break would help her find her calling. 'I was waiting to see what fields I could get in and what I might get interested in. And I think the break helped me a lot because I discovered things and passions that I didn't know I had, such as creative writing.'
Aljafar implied that deciding on a career path does not always have to be connected to one's field of study. Some majors are versatile in a way that allows you to get a job that is somewhat irrelevant to what you studied. For example, a graduate with a degree in linguistics can secure a job in marketing if his or her skills align with the job requirements.
Aljafar advised fresh graduates who find themselves in the same position to be flexible. 'Follow your passion and don't let your degree limit you,' she said.
During the gap between graduating and securing a job, most people emphasize the importance of spending their time purposefully. For example, a lot of recent graduates opt for internships before becoming an employee.
Rayan Alamairi, an English Literature major, is one of them. 'I knew I needed to gain some skills ... Because I couldn't go looking for a job when I did not know what job I wanted,' she said.
She said her biggest struggle as a fresh graduate was finding opportunities in Kuwait where internship programs are limited. 'I studied in DC and there were internships everywhere, and they were always marketed. Kuwait, I think it is harder to find.'
Along with limited opportunities in Kuwait, societal expectations can be another burden on recent graduates. 'I avoided going to gatherings first few months post-graduation because I was afraid that they would ask me questions and that really overwhelmed me,' said Omar. As soon as someone graduates, questions such as 'what are you doing next?' and 'have you found a job yet' by relatives or friends start arising, often leading to feeling of disappointment when there is no answer. Some recent graduates might feel like avoiding going to gatherings. Families can also pressure them into getting a job immediately to not fall behind. What they tend to not understand is that most postgraduates might need some time after graduation to collect themselves and plan for their futures.
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Kuwait Times
3 days ago
- Kuwait Times
Life after securing a degree in Kuwait
By Joud Alkhudhair Often described as a bitter-sweet occasion, graduation is not just an academic achievement, but also a major turning point in life that's full of constant unpredictability. In Kuwait, recent graduates are often expected to jump straight into job hunting or at least have their lives figured out. However, sometimes life does not go according to plan, as the shift from being a student to an employee itself is not easy. It requires persistence, adapting to a new life, making a career choice and financial management. It might even take a toll mentally on those going through it. This article explores the many angles of this chapter in life, while also including the words of those living it. Navigating life after graduation differs from person to person as it is mostly shaped by the individual's circumstances. However, what connects most recent graduates is the feeling of freedom, especially during the first few months after graduation without deadlines, submissions, and responsibilities. Most recent graduates take a break for a certain period before getting into the job market. Badriya Aljafar, an English literature graduate, explained why she needed to take a break. 'I graduated early, in three years, and that kind of put me under a lot of pressure and a lot of stress.' Faten Omar, a journalism graduate, put it this way: 'I needed to take a break because I wanted to discover my passion in life ... The break helped me decide my career path and what I actually want to do'. Aljafar also thought the break would help her find her calling. 'I was waiting to see what fields I could get in and what I might get interested in. And I think the break helped me a lot because I discovered things and passions that I didn't know I had, such as creative writing.' Aljafar implied that deciding on a career path does not always have to be connected to one's field of study. Some majors are versatile in a way that allows you to get a job that is somewhat irrelevant to what you studied. For example, a graduate with a degree in linguistics can secure a job in marketing if his or her skills align with the job requirements. Aljafar advised fresh graduates who find themselves in the same position to be flexible. 'Follow your passion and don't let your degree limit you,' she said. During the gap between graduating and securing a job, most people emphasize the importance of spending their time purposefully. For example, a lot of recent graduates opt for internships before becoming an employee. Rayan Alamairi, an English Literature major, is one of them. 'I knew I needed to gain some skills ... Because I couldn't go looking for a job when I did not know what job I wanted,' she said. She said her biggest struggle as a fresh graduate was finding opportunities in Kuwait where internship programs are limited. 'I studied in DC and there were internships everywhere, and they were always marketed. Kuwait, I think it is harder to find.' Along with limited opportunities in Kuwait, societal expectations can be another burden on recent graduates. 'I avoided going to gatherings first few months post-graduation because I was afraid that they would ask me questions and that really overwhelmed me,' said Omar. As soon as someone graduates, questions such as 'what are you doing next?' and 'have you found a job yet' by relatives or friends start arising, often leading to feeling of disappointment when there is no answer. Some recent graduates might feel like avoiding going to gatherings. Families can also pressure them into getting a job immediately to not fall behind. What they tend to not understand is that most postgraduates might need some time after graduation to collect themselves and plan for their futures.
Kuwait Times
19-07-2025
- Kuwait Times
UK ‘princes in the tower' murder probe clears Richard III
It is one of history's most intriguing 'murders' -- the mysterious disappearance over five centuries ago of two young princes from the Tower of London. Nearly 200 years after they disappeared, two small skeletons were found in a wooden box at the historic tower and reburied at Westminster Abbey. The remains were believed, but never proved, to be those of the two brothers -- heir to the throne Edward, 12, and Richard, nine, the sons of King Edward IV of England, who were reputedly murdered at the behest of their uncle, Richard Duke of Gloucester. William Shakespeare later immortalized him in Richard III as a scheming hunchback who did away with his royal nephews so he could take the crown himself, sealing his reputation as a child killer. Now British author Philippa Langley, who helped unearth Richard's body from a central England carpark in 2012, has claimed that the princes -- far from being killed -- actually survived. The elder prince, Edward, was heir to the throne at the time of his disappearance and would have ruled as King Edward V of England. Langley decided to delve into the mystery after coming to believe that the conventional narrative in which Richard had the young princes killed smacked of 'history being written by the victors'. She was finally spurred into action after reading an article about Richard's reburial at Leicester Cathedral in 2015 which questioned whether the nation should honor a 'child killer'. 'I think I'd always realized that the story sort of developed during the reign of the Tudors,' she said, adding that it was then 'repeated and repeated over time' until it became 'truth and fact'. An undated handout picture released on February 4, 2013 from the University of Leicester shows the skeleton of king Richard III found at the Grey Friars Church excavation site in Leicester. --AFP photos An Uber boat passes The Tower of London on The River Thames under a cloudy sky in London. Tudor mud The last English king to die in battle, Richard ruled from 1483 until his brutal death at the Battle of Bosworth near Leicester in 1485, aged 32. Bosworth was the last major conflict in the Wars of the Roses and changed the course of English history because the Tudor dynasty of Henry VII captured the crown from Richard's Plantagenets. Langley attributes the accepted story that Richard had the boys murdered to King Henry VII, a 'very, very intelligent individual, but suspicious and highly paranoid'. 'He had a massive spy network working for him. And he was able to completely control the narrative,' she said, adding that Richard ended up 'covered in Tudor mud'. Taking a cold case review approach to the historical 'whodunnit', Langley says she assembled a group of investigative specialists, including police and lawyers, to advise her. 'They said: 'Look, if you haven't got any confirmed, identified bodies, then it has to be a missing persons investigation and you have to follow that methodology'. 'They said: 'You have to actively look for evidence'. That's when it really started to get interesting.' Langley put out an appeal for volunteers to scour archives, only to be inundated with offers of help from people ranging from ordinary citizens to medieval historians. The result was the decade-long Missing Princes Project which she says unearthed a significant amount of information pointing to the survival of both young princes. Survival theory Langley now believes that it is up to Richard's detractors to disprove the survival thesis, which she outlines in the new book 'The Princes in the Tower: Solving History's Greatest Cold Case'. 'The onus is now on them to find the evidence that the boys died. 'They cannot say Richard III murdered the princes in the tower any more because we found numerous proofs of life everywhere,' she said. Key to Langley's conviction that both boys survived are documents discovered supporting a rebellion by 'Edward IV's son'. During the rebellion in 1487, Lambert Simnel, a pretender to the throne who came forward after Richard's death, was crowned in Dublin. According to fresh references found by the project, the boy was 'called' or said to be 'a son of King Edward', which she believes points to Simnel being the elder prince, son of Edward IV. The reaction to Langley's research has been mixed. Michael Dobson, director and a professor of Shakespeare studies at the University of Birmingham's Shakespeare Institute, expressed scepticism. 'Given the ways of dynastic monarchy, I think Richard would have been taking a very big risk in leaving those princes alive,' he said. 'The chances of their having accidentally gone missing while incarcerated on his orders in the Tower of London seem pretty remote.' — AFP
Kuwait Times
19-07-2025
- Kuwait Times
Kuwait's book club revival: A quiet revolution in connection
Literary communities are creating much-needed spaces for nauthenticity, belonging and dialogue in a fast-paced world By Rayan Alamiri In a country where many spaces feel either purely commercial or overly familiar, a quiet revolution is unfolding in the corners of cafés, bookstores and private living rooms. Kuwait's emerging literary communities — book clubs, workshops and informal meetups — are offering an antidote to the disconnection many people quietly experience. Hawraa Al Khalaf, a Kuwaiti author, describes this yearning simply: 'Community is not just about common interests. It's about connection.' In Kuwait, where people often gather in the same places yet feel a persistent loneliness, this connection has never felt more urgent. There's a documented rise in demand for these spaces, which serve as a bridge between work or school and home. Many people speak of a sense of disconnection or feeling limited in their social options. In a small country where so many frequent the same venues, how could anyone feel lonely? Yet that's the paradox many experience. Bookstores and cafés can't be credited for creating communities — they are simply the backdrop. These venues act as 'third places', where people can safely explore ideas and identity beyond their professional or domestic roles. While the appetite for such spaces is growing, they remain rare. Creating and sustaining them isn't easy — financial costs, a lack of locally relevant books, and the risk of commercializing inclusive spaces all pose challenges. Samira Jafar, a writer and English teacher who studied at Boston University and earned a master's in linguistics, knows these obstacles well. After returning to Kuwait with no creative outlet or community, she founded The Shelf, a nonprofit book club devoted to accessible literature and meaningful conversation. Hawraa Al Khalaf Mai Al-Nakib Samira Jafar 'I missed being able to discuss literature and art with people,' she explained, 'and have conversations that touch on social and political issues.' Determined to remove financial barriers, Samira ensures The Shelf remains free and inclusive. With an active social media presence, joining is simple — anyone can message @theshelfkw on Instagram to be added to the WhatsApp group. This philosophy contrasts sharply with a growing trend in Kuwait, where many cultural initiatives start as nonprofits but eventually pivot to profit models once they gain a following. Samira's refusal to commercialize The Shelf has made her a quiet pioneer in Kuwait's reading culture. Members describe the club as a space to reclaim time, rediscover intellectual curiosity, and step outside the routines of daily life. For some mothers, it's the only place they feel free to read and express themselves. 'My favorite part about The Shelf is that it feels like I'm back in my old literature classroom —different minds, different stories, different people, all connected by the love of books. The Shelf feels like a chosen family trope, in the cutest intellectual girly way,' Dina AlQinai shared. Jenan Aldhubaib echoed this sentiment. 'Having a space where you can express how deeply you feel about a book is freeing. Many might find the emotional attachment to characters insignificant, but for just a little while, reading makes everything seem okay. For the first time, I can share opinions and feel heard.' Beyond the book clubs themselves, a thread of nostalgia runs through this cultural shift. The growing popularity of vintage cameras, scrapbooks and film photography reflects a broader pushback against the relentless pace of digital life. As Mai Al-Nakib, author of The Hidden Light of Objects, put it: 'Turning to the past becomes a way of insisting on personal autonomy. It's an intelligent pushback against the onward march of technology.' Al-Nakib sees Kuwait itself as a character in her writing — a place whose physical spaces shape who we become. 'Homes, schools, bookstores, cafés — they become the foundation upon which our sense of self is built,' she said. 'As we get older, we return to these spaces in our minds, and some trace of who we were comes back.' Book clubs often spark conversations that wouldn't occur otherwise. Certain stories resonate in deeply personal ways, becoming natural catalysts for deeper ties and meaningful community. For many in Kuwait, that nostalgic trace is no longer enough. They want real spaces, real encounters and real conversations. As the repetition of daily life wears thin, younger generations especially are seeking new ideas, creativity and opportunities to assert independence. Whether they gather to trade children's books, discover new authors or debate social issues, these communities offer more than books — they offer belonging, vitality and authenticity.
