howdy and welcome home
there are basics that should be the same everywhere, because the process is goverend by the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults, but the ways and means of the preparation differ from place to place depending on how many in the class, what their needs are, what rites they will be celebrating, who is on the team, their level of competence and confidence, the resources available (time and space as well as books, videos etc.) and how involved the priest becomes in the process.
quite likely there will be others like you in the class, baptized non-Catholics, who will be received into Full Communion with the Catholic Church through the sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist, during which time you make a formal profession of faith, at Easter or some other time designated by the bishop. there are optional rites for you during the process that mark transitions.
there may be baptized but uncatechized adult Catholics who need the same sacraments so for all intents and purposes your preparation will be the same, but the timing of the sacraments may differ according to decision of the bishop.
you may also have unbaptized persons preparing for all 3 initiation sacraments, which should be conferred in once celebration at Easter, unless there is a grave reason for another time. they have rites appropriate for their status that also mark transitions from one period of the preparation to the next. some are optional, some required.
Most likely your team and leaders will explain what happens during these rites in detail only shortly before they happen. we try not to give you too much up front info because it can be both confusing and intimidating, but you should get a general overview of the whole process shortly after the program begins.
in some parishes, like ours, preparation is year round, in others it follows more of a school year model. Children and youth over age 7 who are also preparing for sacraments are usually in a class with their peers, but may celebrate the rites at the same time as the adults, so you may see whole families brought into the church together.
your preparation may be organized to follow the lectionary (Sunday readings, esp the Gospels) and lessons on doctrine and practice drawn from that message, or more systematically along the lines of the catechism, but you should get teaching the same basics of Catholic doctrine and practice, no matter what order it comes.
resources and aids will almost certainly include the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, or texts and “handouts” based on those. that also varies
rule # 1, ask questions
rule # 2, don’t compare your progress and status, including timing of when you celebrate rites and sacraments, to anyone else in the class. for one thing they don’t know your particular circumstances, and you don’t know theirs, so there is no point in speculating. some may have been preparing for years already in one way or another, some may encounter delays.
rule # 3, expect conversion of mind and heart, but not according to some set schedule, or the same way others experience it.
how long will the process take for you? as long as it takes
forgot to say the baptized will prepare for and make their first confession sometime before Confirmation and First Communion. If you feel ready, willing and able before the time set for this, make this known to the priest, by calling for a personal appointment if necessary.
class is not the time and place to discuss individual sins, failings and struggles. share only what you feel comfortable i sharing, don’t allow yourself to be forced into giving confidences that make you uncomfortable, and if what others are sharing is more than you want to know, please speak up.
So, I hope it’s like that for you. Go through some of the old threads on this though and prepare yourself in case it’s different for you.