Summer at AUK: A Holistic Experience

Summer...that special time of the year students look forward to. 

Some students travel and some stay behind to relax or pick up their hobbies after the study grind. Others seize the golden opportunity to finish up their credits and spend time with their friends at the American University of Kuwait (AUK). 

We asked students on campus, “How do you spend your time at AUK during the summer semester?” 

The answers we got showed one thing: choosing to take a summer class at AUK is not limited to attending lectures. It includes spending time on campus with friends, chatting with professors, and taking advantage of campus facilities. 

Hamad Al-Mutawa, a student at AUK, mentions the different spots on campus he likes to spend time in, “I spend most of my time in the cafeteria with one of my friends or inside the lounge—which is considered a safe haven for many students, especially with the high temperatures. I also visit the library to finish some work, and sometimes I go to the music room or the gym.” 

Meanwhile, Anas Dahshan spends his summer on campus lending a hand at the University’s Advising Center and using his free time to socialize. “My life on campus alternates between attending lectures and helping out in the student advising center which I find very enlightening—how I could help other people take a step towards their goals. I also spend ample time in the library for I find it peaceful enough to help me focus on my studies. The social life here in AUK is very friendly, diverse, and amusing. Overall, summer in AUK is very eye-opening to all the opportunities students could get to self-reformation all while enjoying quality time,” he said.

There is also the fact that AUK is a Liberal Arts institution that gives students like Farah Fayez the space to take courses beyond her major. Between working and spending time with her friends, she spends most of her summer days on campus. “I chose to register for summer courses this year because I wanted to experiment with a few courses outside of my major and I find that the summer period is the most suitable for that. I spend a lot of time on campus! AUK provides students with the perfect atmosphere to both have fun and study.”

On the other hand, some AUK students have decided to forego the classroom setting in pursuit of internships both in Kuwait and abroad. Whilst AUK’s local internship opportunities aid students in understanding the job market in Kuwait, the international study abroad programs expand students’ horizons.  
 
This summer, some students were selected to participate in the student exchange program AUK offers with its institutional partner, Dartmouth College. Abeer Hisham is one of the students who is currently at the Ivy League institution, “I am very excited to be part of this. I am looking forward to networking with new people, to getting exposed to a different work experience, to learning from the people around me, and most importantly, to allowing myself to evolve and develop in different aspects.”

The AUK campus offers numerous facilities for students’ benefits, from leisure to fitness, and academia. The AUK summer semester is an opportunity for them to get a holistic experience where they balance education and recreation, and maximize their level of productivity and growth.
 
 

AUK student Farah Fayez
 

AUK student Anas Dashan
 

 
AUK student in the Student Lounge
 

 
AUK students talking in the Generic building
 

  
Students in AUK’s campus