Easy may not be the first word that comes to your mind when describing your university experience. There are many challenges from the frustration of back-to-back classes, circling around the parking spaces a million times to having to refresh the registration webpage countlessly because of a broken server, or feeling out of your comfort zone by not knowing most people around you. Lucky for you, we at StartUp Bahrain compiled for you the ultimate survival guide to make your experience at any university in Bahrain a more exciting one.
- Hop on the bandwagon of extracurriculars. At the end of your 4 years of university, you’ll walk on stage and receive that astronomical piece of paper, and start reminiscing on your journey and we’ll tell you this — you would want to go out with a bang. So make an impact, join programs, win competitions and participate in your favorite clubs. If you’re studying at the University of Bahrain and are a techie geek and looking to put that passion to productivity, then participate in the ICT Entrepreneurship and Innovation Forum held by the UoB. It’s your slap on the wrist opportunity to convert your ideas into commercial ventures that fill the actual gaps in Bahrain, and a catalyst to your journey as an entrepreneur. If you have more of a competitive spirit, how about you follow suit tens of students and pitch your startup idea at the University Of Bahrain’s Startup Day? Find your passion about a particular problem and brainstorm a solution, trust us, that’s how most startups start up.The University of Bahrain isn’t the only hub of creativity though, because if you’re one for the numbers and happen to study at BIBF, it’s here for you too. The CFA Research Challenge is a competition that gives you hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis and professional ethics. You will be asked to prepare a report and presentation on an actual corporate company in our economy, and the best part is you have a chance at competing globally and winning a prize!
- Startups are here for the rescue. If it’s exam week, and you’re regretting every single moment you didn’t open the textbook or daydreamt at countless lectures, then both Bahraini startupsTelp and Daresni can help. With a range of hundreds of tutors in all academic modules, whether it professional or bachelor degrees, there’s always someone there to help you. Say goodbye to crying the night before your exam, and download Telp here, and Daresni here! In case you’re running low on cash, and need to add in a budget, we completely understand. After all, it’s not exactly cheap to be a university student! That’s why we’re introducing you to Student Platform, where you can receive special discounts at cafes, restaurants, hotels, salons, and more! Student Platform also gives career advice, including CV reviews, and more. If you’re also stuck in the middle of nowhere and you need to get to that one very important class, with no feasible transportation, don’t worry, we have your back. Careem is the perfect platform to give you access to a safe, reliable ride wherever and whenever you need one, just download the app here.
- Join the community.
If you’re looking to learn more about the buzzing startup ecosystem in Bahrain, and have no idea what it is, here’s your window of opportunity. You can get yourself into the limelight, with volunteering to help out at any of the startup community events.Flat6Labs Bahrain Demo Day is the perfect place to learn more about startups and innovation. They’re always looking for volunteers, and you can be one of them. How about Bahrain’s Technology Week? It brings together tech enthusiasts from around the region, as well as the region’s most exciting startup talent all in one place. There’s always a place to volunteer in big events, and the bigger the better. Whether it be registration services or organization, there’s always a place for you. Check out more of all our upcoming events here.You can always volunteer through Majra, a platform for job seekers, where employers post their latest vacancies. And if you’re eager for a little more, you can always intern at one of the major pillars of the ecosystem, whether it be accelerators or startups, such as Tamarran, Flat6Labs Bahrain, Telp and many others! Their doors are always welcome to students who want to learn more.
Let’s not forget about Tamkeen’s Mashroo3i either. It’s your perfect opportunity to engage in the ecosystem and provides you with entrepreneurship exposure by presenting your idea of a successful startup. It’s an entire program geared and aimed towards you, a motivated and eager young Bahraini, into success.
And there’s always Startup Weekend, a chance to experience the highs, lows, fun, and pressure that make up life as a startup by building your own startup in 54 hours! It’s an open door to connecting with people driven to something new, that might even become your next partner, discover who you are as an entrepreneur and learn what it really takes to start a business.
- Break into your comfort zone.
Do you want to meet people of like-minded intellect, and at the same time broaden your network? Say hello to societies. If you feel like you want to speak about matters but no platform to voice them, joining organizations and societies will fit you right in.You can always practice your leadership skills with AIESEC’s Bahrain Chapter, which gives you the opportunity to live a shared responsibility for the world and equip you with the tools to shape it for a better future! They have many programs to choose from such as Global Volunteer, Global Talent and Global Entrepreneur. And the best part is if you haven’t noticed, AIESEC is recognized globally!
If you’re an environment lover, you can always participate in CleanUpBahrain’s regular beach clean-ups all around Bahrain, and find people that share your same passion towards a cleaner tomorrow!
- Get yourself an easier life. If you want to get into the habit of using Arabic, or just want to pass that class, how aboutAlRawi? It’s a growing network of content contributors who convert Arabic books into a digitally accessible audio library and gets you into the habit of learning Arabic and enjoying a good book at the same time.Writing an essay is an effort enough, so citations and bibliographies must be the last thing on your mind. If you find the burden of citation a nuisance, CiteThisForMe is your long lost best friend. You can copy-paste the link, and automates you a full citation in any style you want under minutes!
- De-stress.
If you’re too in over your head, and stuck in an endless cycle of late-nights, cramming all that material of three months into one quiz, maybe all you need is a break. How about you get your friends together and get active withMalaeb? It helps you find and book football fields near your area. So huddle up and sweat off all that stress you’ve been building up.If you want to explore other types of sports activities, check out Tamarran. It’s an online platform that will help you to book amazing sports facilities and activities, like water sports, riding and swimming!
Finally, if you’re sick of that summer heat, hop into your nearest pool with Kashtah. It’s an application that makes booking pools none other than easy, with a range of prices suitable for you! So unwind, and get that chip off your shoulder. The more relaxed you are, the less stressful that pile of work will seem!
We hope this guide helps you make your university experience one to remember. When you’re sitting with your grandkids and telling them stories of the “good old days”, you want to tell them how you were active in the community, by attending and volunteering at events, and how they were the best days of your life. These were some of our must-haves for an amazing university experience, what are yours?
