As part of the Kuwait Codes Initiative, held at the College of Life Sciences at Kuwait University as a strategic partner, a dialogue session was organized bringing together a number of faculty members and a group of high school students. The session aimed to guide and assist them in making informed decisions regarding their university majors by sharing real experiences and offering practical advice. 

The session was moderated by Dr. Sheikha Al-Khader, a faculty member from the Department of Information Sciences. She began by posing a series of realistic questions and advising the students, saying, "There are certainly difficult things in the transition from high school to university, but rely on God and you will not be discouraged. It is truly amazing what you can accomplish when you decide to start something."She added that her doctoral professor chose a challenging topic for her, combining artificial intelligence and physics, out of his confidence in her ability. Despite her hesitation at the time, she succeeded in this challenge. 

Dr. Safia Malallah, a graduate of the Bachelor's Degree in Information Sciences and an Assistant Professor at Kansas State University in the United States, also participated in the discussion session. She explained the importance of choosing a major based on job market needs and available future opportunities, emphasizing the need to balance personal desires with practical opportunities. She also encouraged students to think realistically when choosing their majors. She concluded her talk with a Japanese proverb: "If you're going to fall, fall forward. In any case, you've already made progress in what you're doing. Don't give up and keep going." 

In the same context, Dr. Aseel Al-Munais, a faculty member in the Information Sciences Department and a participant in the discussion session, spoke about the importance of mental health and not giving up in the face of challenges. She emphasized that challenges are part of the university experience and should not be an obstacle to progress. She advised students to pursue specific majors such as artificial intelligence or cybersecurity rather than general tracks. If they choose a general programming track, it is better to complete the specialized coursework, emphasizing that each person has their own experience and should listen to themselves when making decisions. 

In another intervention, Dr. Zahraa Maarefi, a faculty member in the Department of Information Sciences, highlighted the importance of exploring and experimenting with different majors before making a final decision. She also noted that students today have opportunities and resources that were not available in the past, giving them more scope to understand their true interests before committing to a specific major. She spoke about her experience and how she specialized in computer science, a field she had been passionate about since childhood. However, she only turned her attention to it later, and discovered that computer science majors would open doors that would allow her to combine all the sciences she loved under one umbrella. From this perspective, Dr. Salman Al-Jazzaf, a faculty member from the Department of Management Information Systems at the College of Business Administration, emphasized that classroom learning represents only part of the university experience, highlighting the importance of developing personal skills such as leadership, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving through student activities, clubs, initiatives, and volunteer work. He also pointed out that artificial intelligence has become an integral part of all disciplines, not just computer science, emphasizing that a successful employee is one who makes good use of these tools to enhance their efficiency, regardless of their specialty. 

In conclusion, the participants addressed the students in attendance: "You are at the beginning of the road, and the vision may be unclear now, but with hard work, patience, and experience, you will forge your own path. Don't rush into decisions, don't fear challenges, seek help from God, and don't give up.