Pursuing Dreams Through University

KOMPAS/WISNU WIDIANTORO

SBMPTN announcement published in the Wednesday edition of Kompas Daily (10/7/2019).

Edis Nabila Ramadhani (17), a student at SMA Negeri 2 Samarinda senior high school, was elated when she found out that she had passed the state university entrance exams (SBMPTN), the results of which were announced on Monday (14/6/2021).

Edis has been accepted to the Informatics Engineering program at the Kalimantan Technology Institute (ITK) in Balikpapan, which Edis has dreamed of attending.

Projected to become the 10 November Technology Institute of Kalimantan, most of its lecturers hail from ITS in Surabaya, East Java.

For Edis and her family, pursuing her studies at ITK is convenient. She can build her knowledge at a credible higher education institution without having to go to Java, which would be a burden on her parents’ finances.

It took sacrifice and hard work for Edis to be admitted to the institute of her dreams. She used all available spare time, even until late into the night, as she did in the days leading to the exam.

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“I was in the second batch of the computer-based test (UTBK) in Samarinda, in April. The day before the test, I read my [textbooks] until midnight so I would be more confident in facing the exam," said Edis.

Yosephina Agitya Intan Dewi Utari (17), a student from Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, was also overjoyed at her exam results.

After graduating SMA 7 Banjarmasin senior high school this year, Agitya decided to continue her studies by majoring in Chinese Literature at Brawijaya University in Malang, East Java.

Intan had considered several other majors over the past year, including Law, international relations, psychology and literature, before she finally made up her mind to major in Chinese Literature.

“I have chosen Chinese Literature because in today\'s global era, we need to master foreign languages. I want to pursue further studies in Mandarin. By studying literature, I can also study the politics, social culture, business and governmental system of the country,” she said.

I have chosen Chinese Literature because in today\'s global era, we need to master foreign languages.

KOMPAS/TOTOK WIJAYANTO

Rayhan, prospective students try to access information on the 2021 State Higher Education Entrance Joint Selection (SBMPTN) which was announced through the announcement site-sbmptn.ltmpt.ac.id at his home in the Pondok Aren area, South Tangerang, Banten, Monday (14/6/2021).

Meanwhile, Shakilla Ananda Dwi Rahma (17), an alumna of SMA Negeri 6 Palembang senior high school in South Sumatra, was accepted to the Agricultural Product Technology program at Sriwijaya University. Ananda believes that the prospect is bright for agriculture.

"Indonesia is an agricultural country, so there are always job opportunities in this field. The opportunity to develop agricultural products is also big,” she said.

Parent\'s choice

Choosing the right university program according to their aspirations may be the starting point to success in the world of work. Students do not have to go along with their peers’ preferences just because they fear being labeled as picking an unpopular program or to fulfill their parents’ wishes.

In reality, however, determining which program matches one’s potentials, talents, and interests is not always easy, and parental intervention might result in disappointment, as 21-year-old Naja experienced.

The student, who is in her sixth semester of the economics program at Diponegoro University, said she majored in the subject against her personal interest, which was social science.

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Naja repeatedly thought about quitting or changing majors. During her second semester, she took the SBMPTN for admissions the following year, but didn’t pass. Her parents kept trying to convince her to continue with economics.

“Actually, I can follow the lectures. But there came a point when I wanted to rebel and give up, especially when my academic performance indicators did not come out as expected,” said Naja.

Choosing the wrong major is also something experienced by Zahra (24), a communication alumna of 11 March State University.

She graduated in March 2021 after completing the program, which she said did not match her actual interest in the arts, such as architecture and interior design.

“I previously obtained a D-3 [associate degree] in Broadcast Communication at the University of Indonesia. I chose this major because it seemed fun and didn\'t feel like a heavy major. I chose it without long consideration," she said.

Kompas/Hendra A Setyawan

Participants take the Computer-Based Written Examination-Joint Selection for State University Entrance (UTBK-SBMPTN) at the Veterans National Development University (UPN) Jakarta in Depok, West Java, Monday (26/4/2021).

Zahra said she regretted her decision, realizing that her passion was not in communication. She once took a course in advertising communication only because she thought it was related to design.

"I lacked knowledge at that time and did not try to ask about other university majors," she said.

Rencanamu founder CEO Rizky Muhammad, who has consulted around 2.5 million high school and university students on their academic and professional career paths, said that young people still mostly selected conventional programs, whereas they needed to broaden their perspectives for many new jobs.

Families and schools may be a contributing factor to their lack of understanding of dynamic developments and changes. In addition, children and parents often tended to have conflicting mindsets.

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Unlike in the past, work can now be done from anywhere, even across borders. Software engineers, for example, could live in Indonesia and work at a foreign company for a salary in dollar denominations.

“The future of the world of work is promising, with the emergence of many new jobs. It seems that children are more interested in being independent professionals, freelance, such as in the fields of fashion, design, culinary arts, and many others. Families and schools must help children understand the career choices that will suit them,” Rizky said.

Nizam, the Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry’s higher education director general, said job options in Indonesia were wide.

People who didn’t work in the same field as their program of study did not necessarily mean that they had made the wrong choice, because they would still have competencies that fit their profession. A bachelor of physics, for example, could still work in banking because they had adaptable skills in analysis. (JUM/CIP/DIA/ELN/TAM))

This article was translated by Musthofid.